Overview
- By law, municipalities are responsible for winter service on public ways, but local ordinances commonly delegate sidewalk clearing to adjacent property owners or, if contractually assigned, to tenants.
- Clearance times are set locally and vary by city, with early-morning requirements for high-traffic areas and typical service windows spanning early morning to late evening.
- Tenants must clear only if the duty is expressly written into the lease, and landlords retain a continuing obligation to monitor performance and intervene if the work is not done properly.
- If a pedestrian is injured on an uncleared path, compensation claims target whoever held the traffic-safety duty; private liability insurance generally covers owner-occupied homes, while house-and-landowner policies apply to rented or multi-family properties.
- Penalties range by locality, with reports of administrative fines up to €50,000 for negligent or intentional breaches, and many cities restrict the use of road salt, require a safely passable path (often around 1–1.5 meters), and prohibit pushing snow into streets or bike lanes.