Insurance for commercial cleaning companies in Germany
Your staff hold the keys to offices, surgeries and entire office towers. A lost master key means a new locking system, and that can easily cost more than a year's turnover with that client. Add scratched floors, etched surfaces and wet stairs. This page shows what you need to cover and what it costs.
What happens if one of my cleaners loses a client's master key?
The client will ask you to replace the locking system, which in office buildings often costs 20,000 to 80,000 euros. Public liability only pays if the loss of third party keys is expressly included, and only up to the agreed limit. Some insurers exclude stolen keys. Get the limit for keys and access cards confirmed in writing.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
The lost master key
A bunch of keys that opens 200 doors goes missing. The property manager replaces the entire locking system and sends you the bill.
02
Wrong product, wrong floor
Acidic cleaner on marble, a scouring pad on stainless steel, too much water on parquet. Damage to surfaces you work on causes more disputes in this trade than anything else.
03
Wet stairs, broken leg
A tenant slips on freshly mopped stairs. If there was no warning sign, you are liable for treatment and compensation.
04
Water in the office below
A knocked over bucket or an overflowing scrubber dryer, and the water comes through the ceiling into the law firm downstairs.
05
Suspicion after the shift
A laptop is missing from the office and the client suspects your staff. Employees who enter other people's premises alone are a risk of their own.
06
Ladders, chemicals and backs
Window cleaning on ladders, skin irritation from cleaning agents, heavy machines: accident rates in commercial cleaning are high.
A company pension helps you keep reliable site managers and supervisors.
What it costs: example prices
The premium depends mainly on turnover or payroll, on the type of site (offices, clinics, industry) and on the limit for loss of keys. High level window cleaning and industrial cleaning cost more.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Self employed cleaner, about 25,000 euros turnover, with loss of keys
about 150 to 350 euros a year
Business liability
Cleaning company with about 100,000 euros turnover, 1,000 euros excess
about 450 to 900 euros a year
Business liability
Business with 15 employees, loss of keys up to 100,000 euros
about 1,200 to 3,000 euros a year
Business contents
Machines and materials worth 30,000 euros
about 120 to 300 euros a year
Business legal expenses
Employment and contract legal cover, up to ten employees
about 400 to 900 euros a year
For comparison: Public liability for a small cleaning company costs roughly as much per year as two months of regular cleaning for a small office.
Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026,
based on publicly quoted tariff examples and our own quoting experience.
Larger businesses are rated on payroll; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Six things that really happen to cleaning companies, all on one single Wednesday. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€94,300
On the way to a site, a cleaner's bunch of keys falls out of her bag. It belongs to the locking system of an office building with 180 doors.
€42,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The wrong cleaner has dulled the marble in a bank's foyer. The floor has to be ground and polished.
€14,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A tenant slips on freshly mopped stairs; there was no warning sign. Broken ankle.
€9,500 · Paid by: Business liability
The scrubber dryer overflows and water seeps into the doctor's surgery on the floor below.
€11,000 · Paid by: Business liability
A client cuts three monthly invoices over alleged defects. You sue for the amount.
€4,800 · Paid by: Business legal expenses
Break-in at the store: two scrubber dryers and a pressure washer are gone.
€13,000 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €94,300
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Agree at least 100,000 euros for keys, access cards and transponders. Office buildings and hospitals have large locking systems.
Check whether stolen keys are covered as well, not only lost ones.
Include damage to floors, glass and surfaces you work on, with a limit that suits your sites.
Name special services such as window cleaning from a cherry picker, post construction cleaning or disinfection in the policy.
Ask for cover for damage caused by subcontractors if you pass on jobs.
Keep a key log with a signature at every handover. It helps with claims and with accusations against your staff.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We look at the key limit
Many policies look the same until you compare the limits for lost keys and damage to worked surfaces. As a broker we get quotes from several insurers and set exactly that side by side.
Claims experience from our own handling
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. If your insurer calls a scratched marble floor wear and tear, we know how to push back.
Vehicles, business and staff in one place
Liability, vans, accident cover and your staff's pensions are handled together, with a fixed contact person.
A family business since 1989
Our advice costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission. You speak to people who know your sites.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Is public liability compulsory for cleaning companies in Germany?
Not by law.
In practice you will hardly win a commercial contract without proof,
because property managers and companies require it in their tenders.
Does insurance pay if a key is stolen?
It depends on the policy.
Some insurers only cover loss, others theft as well.
Check the exact wording and the limit.
What does insurance for a cleaning company cost?
For solo self employed cleaners, public liability starts at about 150 euros a year;
with around 100,000 euros turnover you are usually between 450 and 900 euros.
Are mini jobbers covered by the statutory accident insurer?
Yes.
Mini jobbers (marginal part time staff) must also be registered with BG BAU.
They then have statutory accident cover at work and on the way there.
Who pays if a cleaner breaks something at a client's premises?
Your public liability policy, if she acted negligently.
Your employees are covered under your policy.
Does liability cover theft by my own staff?
No, deliberate acts are never covered by liability insurance.
That needs fidelity insurance (Vertrauensschadenversicherung),
which we can request separately if needed.
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