Loans for married and cohabiting couples: income, costs and responsibility

A shared household does not automatically mean a shared loan debt

For a couple, income, joint expenses and responsibility must be considered separately. Both net salaries may be required for a transparent household calculation. This does not mean the other person’s entire salary is available for your loan or that the relationship alone makes them liable under the contract.

Whether you are married or cohabiting affects the legal and financial classification. The affordability assessment under the Consumer Credit Act (KKG) concerns the applicant and applicable rules at their residence. A shared budget therefore needs careful allocation. The simple calculation “add both salaries, subtract one person’s costs” is wrong.

How a spouse’s salary is taken into account

For married people, shared household management must be considered. Under Zurich’s subsistence minimum guidelines in debt enforcement law, where both spouses have income, the joint subsistence minimum is generally allocated in proportion to their net incomes. This example illustrates a cantonal guideline; specific additions and the treatment of individual income must be checked in the case concerned.

A simplified example makes the principle clear: one person earns a net 6'000 francs, the other 4'000 francs. If the joint minimum, already fully established for the example, is 5'000 francs, proportional allocation gives shares of 3'000 and 2'000 francs. This assigns the household contribution. It does not establish an approved loan amount, because the full KKG calculation and other commitments are still missing.

For a simple form, one verifiable net salary field per working person is generally sufficient; asking for the same salary as a gross figure is unnecessary for initial guidance. A later assessment may require payslips. Clarify whether taxes are already reflected in the net amount stated so that the tax burden is not inadvertently counted twice.

What differs for unmarried couples

A marital duty of maintenance must not simply be assumed for cohabitation. Rent and household costs actually shared nevertheless matter financially. Zurich’s guidelines, for example, treat the basic allowance in a particular way for a cost-reducing shared living arrangement without common children. This is not a general permission to treat both incomes as a single applicant’s income.

The actual household structure, each person’s income, children and who really pays the costs therefore matter. A flatmate is not automatically a life partner; a joint account does not make every expense a shared obligation. Describe the household as it is actually run and have unclear arrangements assessed.

Voluntary transfers from a partner are also not equivalent to your own permanently secure salary. For personal planning, ask whether the instalment would remain affordable if contributions changed. A loan can last longer than the current living arrangement.

Record shared expenses completely

When family income is considered, necessary family costs must also be recorded. These include health insurance premiums for all family members included in the calculation, including children. If a field contains total family premiums, they must not also be deducted again per person. Approved premium subsidies must likewise be treated consistently.

Housing costs, necessary childcare, maintenance and existing personal instalments must be clearly allocated. A household overview and an individual credit assessment serve different purposes. The overview shows whether everyday finances balance; the assessment legally allocates protected amounts and commitments correctly. Our family budget guide explores the cost items in more detail.

Clarify responsibility before applying

Marriage alone does not automatically make the other person a co-borrower on every personal loan. Whether a separate contractual obligation or statutory shared responsibility arises depends on the actual contract and circumstances. In particular, do not sign a joint obligation believing it to be a non-binding formality. If unclear, the provider should explain in writing who assumes which debt.

For the next step, have the requested amount, net salaries, division of costs and existing commitments ready. Check information already recorded together where it concerns both of you. An honest, complete picture is more useful than an artificially optimised budget. The 36-month assessment remains relevant for couples too.

Frequently asked questions

Must married applicants state both net salaries?

Both incomes may be needed to allocate the shared budget transparently. The partner’s salary is not automatically freely available income for the loan.

Is cohabitation always calculated exactly like marriage?

No. Legal obligations and cantonal rules may differ. Shared costs and actual contributions must nevertheless be considered.

Which health insurance costs belong in a family budget?

The premiums of all family members included, including children. Costs and subsidies already recorded must not be counted twice.

Sources and information date

Information as of 13 October 2026. The applicable rules, individual assessment and contract documents are decisive.

• Consumer Credit Act, Art. 28
• Canton Zurich: spouses’ incomes and shared households
• Civil Code, particularly Art. 163 and 166

Credit must not be granted if it would lead to over-indebtedness. A budget calculation provides a non-binding indication, not a loan offer.