Insurance for landlords of flats, houses and commercial space in Germany
For most owners, a rented building is the most valuable thing they have, and other people use it every day. A burst pipe on the third floor, black ice at the front door, a tenant who stops paying: these are the cases that really hit landlords. Part of the premiums can be passed on to your tenants through the service charges.
Can I pass the insurance premiums on to my tenants?
Yes, for the most part. Under the German Operating Costs Regulation (Betriebskostenverordnung), premiums for property and liability insurance on the building can be charged to tenants if the tenancy agreement says so. That means buildings insurance including natural hazards and glass, and property owner's liability. You cannot pass on loss of rent or legal expenses insurance, because they only protect you.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Water from pipes
The most common damage to buildings: a burst pipe inside a wall, a leaking shower, a frosty night in an empty flat.
02
Heavy rain and backflow
Water is pushed up through the sewer into the cellar or runs off the terrace into the ground floor. This counts as a natural hazard and is not insured automatically.
03
Safety duties
Black ice on the pavement, a loose roof tile, a rotten tree in the yard: the owner is liable, even after handing over winter clearing to someone else if the work is not checked.
04
Lost rent after damage
After a fire, a flat can be uninhabitable for months. The rent stops, the mortgage does not.
05
Tenants who cannot pay
Eviction proceedings, lawyers, bailiffs: it often takes many months without rent before a flat is cleared.
06
Heating oil and technology
A leaking oil tank contaminates the groundwater, or a solar power system on the roof fails after a power surge.
As property owner's liability it covers falls on the pavement and stairs and damage from falling parts; personal liability insurance only covers this for small properties you live in yourself.
Covers the solar system on the roof against short circuits, power surges, marten bites and lost feed in income.
What it costs: example prices
Buildings insurance makes up most of the cost. It depends on floor area, construction type, year built, location and claims history; liability cover, on the other hand, is cheap. Cover for lost rent from tenants who do not pay is usually sold together with landlord legal expenses insurance.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Property owner's liability for a house with two flats, 5 million euros of cover
about 35 to 70 euros a year
Buildings insurance
Block of six flats with 500 square metres, including natural hazards and glass
about 900 to 1,600 euros a year
Commercial buildings
Mixed residential and commercial building with a shop, worth around 570,000 euros, including natural hazards
about 850 to 1,500 euros a year
Legal expenses insurance
Landlord legal expenses with rent default cover for one flat, 6 months
about 200 to 260 euros a year
Legal expenses insurance
Landlord legal expenses with rent default cover for five flats
about 1,000 to 1,350 euros a year
For comparison: Buildings insurance and liability for a house with six flats cost about as much a year as two months' rent for one of those flats, and most of it can be passed on to the tenants.
Guide prices excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026,
based on published examples from comparison sites and our own quoting experience.
Buildings premiums depend heavily on postcode and year of construction.
Six things that really happen to landlords, all packed into a single day in January. Click through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€93,600
In the empty top floor flat a heating pipe froze overnight and burst. Water runs down through two floors.
€38,000 · Paid by: Buildings insurance
A postman slips on the ungritted pavement and breaks his thigh.
€22,000 · Paid by: Business liability
Two flats are uninhabitable for four months until they have dried out, and the rent stops.
€7,600 · Paid by: Buildings insurance
A tenant has not paid for five months. Lawyer, eviction claim and bailiff.
€6,800 · Paid by: Legal expenses insurance
Thaw and heavy rain: sewage backflow puts the cellar under 30 centimetres of water.
€16,000 · Paid by: Natural hazard cover
A power surge after a lightning strike: the inverter of the solar system is broken, plus three weeks of lost feed in income.
€3,200 · Paid by: Solar panel insurance
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €93,600
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Insure the building at its current rebuilding cost (gleitender Neuwert). An outdated floor area or sum insured quickly leads to underinsurance.
Include loss of rent after an insured event for at least 12 months, ideally 24.
Take natural hazards cover together with a backflow valve: many insurers make the valve a condition of cover.
Tell your insurer when flats are empty and keep them heated in winter, otherwise frost damage payouts may be cut.
Check the commercial units in the building. A restaurant or workshop on the ground floor changes the risk and must be reported.
Show the premiums you pass on in the service charge statement, but never legal expenses or rent default cover.
Why NAMMERT for your business
We compare buildings insurance
Quotes for the same building often differ by hundreds of euros for similar terms. As brokers we get several and check the sum insured and the exclusions.
We know how claims are settled
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves. When there is a negotiation after water damage about rebuilding cost, drying and lost rent, we are on your side.
Private and rental in one place
Your own home, rented flats, solar system and legal cover are all handled by us, without gaps between the policies.
Free and personal
The insurer pays our commission. You deal with a family business that, like many private landlords, has been thinking long term since 1989.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Do I have to have buildings insurance as a landlord?
Not by law, but every lending bank requires it,
and without it a fire can wipe out everything you own.
It is part of every landlord's basic cover.
Is my personal liability insurance enough for a rented flat?
For a rented condominium flat it often is, but check the terms.
For a rented house you need property owner's liability.
Which insurance premiums can I charge to tenants?
Buildings insurance, natural hazards, glass and property owner's liability,
if the tenancy agreement provides for it.
Not legal expenses or cover for rent arrears.
Does insurance pay if the tenant does not pay?
Buildings insurance does not; it only covers lost rent after physical damage.
For arrears there is rent default cover, usually sold with landlord legal expenses insurance.
What does insurance for a block of flats cost?
For a house with six flats, buildings insurance with natural hazards is usually between 900 and
1,600 euros a year and liability between 35 and 70 euros.
Location plays a big part.
Who is liable if the tenant does not clear the snow?
You remain responsible for checking that it is done.
Property owner's liability covers you if someone still falls and makes a claim against you.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Landlord
The recommended covers are ticked.
Change what does not fit; we compare quotes, 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.
