Business liability
Covers winter clearing, the duty to keep the property safe, loss of keys and damage from small repairs, as long as these activities are named in the policy.
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Insurance for caretaker services and facility management in Germany
As a caretaker you take over the owner's duties: winter clearing, keeping the property safe, keys, small repairs. Take on the duties and you take on the liability. The fall on an icy pavement, the lost master key, the badly connected tap all land with you. This page shows how to protect yourself.
The question almost everyone asks first
Am I liable if someone falls on a pavement I was supposed to clear?
Yes, if you took on winter clearing by contract and did not grit in time or well enough. The duty then passes from the owner to you. Your public liability pays treatment, loss of earnings and compensation, provided winter clearing is named in the policy. Keep a clearing log with times; in a dispute it is often the deciding evidence.
What goes wrong in this trade
- 01
Black ice at the front door
A pensioner falls on the ungritted pavement at seven in the morning and breaks a hip. Winter clearing accidents are the most expensive classic in this trade.
- 02
Keys to every door
Caretakers often carry master keys for whole housing estates. If one is lost, the locking system is replaced.
- 03
Repairs with consequences
A new cistern, a replaced trap: if the joint does not seal, water runs into ceilings and walls for days.
- 04
The stone from the mower
While mowing, a stone flies against a parked car or a window. Small claims, but lots of them.
- 05
A hazard overlooked
A loose banister, a broken stairwell light: if you took on the inspections, you are liable if you do not report the defect.
- 06
Ladders, roofs and backs
Clearing gutters, changing bulbs, dragging bins. Falls from ladders are the most common serious accidents in this work.
Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.
The insurance you need
Essential
Strongly advised
Machinery breakdown
For ride on mowers, sweepers and snow blowers, which are expensive and easily damaged in use.
Business contents
Replaces tools and materials in your workshop and store after burglary, fire or water damage.
Car insurance
The van and trailer are your workplace, and tools in the vehicle can be insured against theft.
Accident insurance
The statutory accident insurer only pays for accidents at work, and only if you are insured as an employer. Private accident cover applies around the clock.
Depends on the business
Business legal expenses
For disputes with property managers over terminated contracts or unpaid invoices.
Occupational disability
Protects your income if your knees or back no longer allow physical work.
What it costs: example prices
Premiums for caretaker services are moderate. They rise with winter clearing for many sites, repairs to water and electrics, and more employees.
| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| Business liability | Sole trader, about 25,000 to 60,000 euros turnover, 3 million euros cover | about 150 to 300 euros a year |
| Business liability | Caretaker service with winter clearing for 20 sites and three employees | about 450 to 1,100 euros a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Ride on mower, sweeper and snow blower worth 25,000 euros | about 300 to 700 euros a year |
| Business contents | Workshop with tools and materials worth 15,000 euros | about 80 to 200 euros a year |
| Accident insurance | Owner, 150,000 euros base sum with progression | about 150 to 400 euros a year |
For comparison: A caretaker's public liability policy costs roughly as much per year as five to seven hours you bill to a property manager.
Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The liability examples come from publicly quoted tariffs; machinery, contents and accident are guide figures from our own quoting experience. Your premium depends on sites, activities and insurer.
Our suggestions: three packages
01
Start
For: sole trader with a few sites and no large machines
- Business liability
- Accident insurance
Together about 300 to 700 euros a year
Request this package02
Service
For: caretaker service with winter clearing, grounds maintenance and a workshop
- Business liability
- Accident insurance
- Machinery breakdown
- Business contents
Together about 900 to 2,200 euros a year
Request this package03
All round
For: facility services company with staff, vehicles and many sites
- Business liability
- Accident insurance
- Machinery breakdown
- Business contents
- Car insurance
- Business legal expenses
Together about 2,500 to 5,500 euros a year
Request this packageThe worst day for a caretaker service
Six things that really happen to caretakers, all on one single winter's day. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€92,300
-
Outside a housing estate where you handle winter clearing, a woman falls on black ice. Broken hip, rehab, compensation.
-
While replacing an angle valve the joint comes loose. Water runs for hours into two flats below.
-
The master key for an estate with 60 households is gone. The management company has the locking system replaced.
-
The snow blower sucks in a stone and the gearbox is ruined.
-
While clearing a gutter the ladder slips. You break your wrist and are off work for eight weeks.
-
Break-in at the workshop: cordless tools, brush cutter and leaf blower are gone.
Which package would you have had?
Illustrative amounts before any excess. Whether and how much is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
- Have winter clearing and the duty to keep premises safe named expressly in the policy, together with the number of sites you look after.
- Agree at least 50,000 euros for third party keys, and preferably 100,000 euros for large housing estates.
- Check for cover for damage to water, gas and electricity lines if you take on small repairs.
- Choose at least 5 million euros cover for bodily injury. A fall with lasting consequences costs six figures.
- Record clearing and gritting times, ideally in an app with time stamp and photo.
- Check your employer's cover with the Berufsgenossenschaft: as the owner you are not always protected automatically.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We check what you actually do
Winter clearing, grounds maintenance, repairs, keys: every activity has to be in the policy. As a broker we match that against quotes from several insurers.
We know claims files
In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know which records count after a black ice accident and help you put them together.
Business and vehicle together
Liability, van, machinery and your private cover all come together with us, with one contact person.
A family business since 1989
You pay nothing for our advice; the insurer pays our commission. And you reach people, not a hotline.
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does a caretaker service need public liability insurance?
It is not required by law. Without it, though, you will hardly get work from property managers, and a single black ice accident can end your business.
Is winter clearing covered automatically?
Often yes, if it is done for the sites you look after. Pure winter clearing for other areas or roads must be declared separately.
What does insurance for a caretaker cost?
For sole traders, public liability starts at about 150 euros a year. With winter clearing for many sites and staff you are usually between 450 and 1,100 euros.
Which statutory accident insurer is responsible?
For typical caretaker services usually the VBG. If you mainly carry out trade or building work, you often belong to BG BAU. The Berufsgenossenschaften decide based on the work you actually do.
Can I do electrical or plumbing work as a caretaker?
Only small jobs that do not require a master craftsman's qualification. Doing more risks trouble with the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) and your insurance cover.
Who pays if a car is damaged while I am mowing?
Your public liability policy. Stone chip damage like this is common and covered without restriction in good tariffs.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Caretaker service
The recommended covers are already ticked. Change what does not fit; we obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. You can write in English.
Thank you, we have your request.
We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
Related trades
What happens if one of my cleaners loses a client's master key?
Is the minimum cover of 500,000 euros enough?
Who pays if a stone thrown up while mowing smashes a car window?
Official classification
This page covers the following classes of the German WZ 2025 (identical to NACE at four digits):
- 81.10 Hausmeisterdienste
Source: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), WZ 2025. All business types
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Boat insuranceNAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker. Statutory disclosure (German) · Updated