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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
€35,000 · Paid by: Business liability
While replacing an angle valve the joint comes loose. Water runs for hours into two flats below.
€16,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The master key for an estate with 60 households is gone. The management company has the locking system replaced.
€18,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The snow blower sucks in a stone and the gearbox is ruined.
€3,800 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
While clearing a gutter the ladder slips. You break your wrist and are off work for eight weeks.
€12,000 · Paid by: Accident insurance
Break-in at the workshop: cordless tools, brush cutter and leaf blower are gone.
€7,500 · Paid by: Business contents
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €92,300
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What 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 handle 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.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
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.
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