After heavy snowfall, pedestrians are plagued by slippery sidewalks in Sweden. In many municipalities, villa and property owners are responsible for shoveling and sanding, but the Villaägarna organization calls it unreasonable. They demand that municipalities take over for better safety.
After several days of intense snowfall, accessibility is limited in many parts of Sweden, and slippery sidewalks create problems for pedestrians. In many municipalities, owners of villas and other properties are legally responsible for shoveling snow and ice and sanding walkways outside their properties. If someone slips and gets injured, the property owner could be liable for damages.
Ulf Stenberg, chief legal advisor at Villaägarna, sharply criticizes the current system. “It is unreasonable that villa owners have to leave work to go home and shovel whenever it snows heavily,” he says. According to a 2015 survey, six out of ten municipalities place the responsibility on property owners, but it varies. In Stockholm, the municipality has taken over, while in Göteborg it remains with the owners. In Solna, it is formally the property owner's responsibility, even though the municipality's snowplows handle regular sidewalks later in priority. David Nordin, administrative chief in Solna, acknowledges: “We might need to review that.”
Villaägarna argues that the law is outdated and does not work for elderly, ill, or absent owners. Many property owners are unaware of the obligation, leading to poorer snow removal and more accidents. “Municipalities today shift the responsibility to others. Snow removal becomes worse, accidents increase, and costs end up with regions and the social insurance agency instead of municipalities,” Stenberg says. The organization proposes changing the law so municipalities take full responsibility.
Regarding snow and ice on roofs, the responsibility always lies with the property owner, regardless of municipality. There are cases where individuals have been convicted of causing another's death after accidents involving falling snow from roofs.