01
Named perils, basic
Fire, burglary, water and storm on standard terms with low sub-limits and no underinsurance waiver.
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Business contents insurance in Germany: what foreign founders need to know
In Germany, a business insures its furniture, equipment, machinery and stock through an Inhaltsversicherung, separate from the building and separate from liability. Cover is usually built on named perils: fire, burglary, burst pipes, storm and hail. If you are used to an all-in-one business owner's policy from the US or a UK package, expect to assemble the pieces yourself.
The question almost everyone asks first
Is business contents insurance required in Germany?
Not by law, but very often by contract. Most German commercial leases (Gewerbemietvertrag) require the tenant to insure their own contents, and leasing companies require cover for financed equipment. The landlord's building insurance never covers your fit-out, stock or computers. For any business with more assets than it could replace from cash reserves after a fire, it is one of the first policies to put in place.
How it differs from what you may know
German commercial property insurance is traditionally split by peril and by object. Contents (Inhalt) and building (Gebäude) are separate policies, business liability (Betriebshaftpflicht) is another one, and business interruption can be a clause inside the contents policy or a policy of its own. Package products exist, but they still list each element with its own sum.
Flood, heavy rain, backflow from sewers and earthquake are not part of the standard perils. They come as an add-on called Elementarschadenversicherung, and in high-risk zones only with a deductible or not at all. Many newcomers assume storm cover includes water entering during a storm; in Germany it does not.
The underinsurance rule works like the UK average clause
If the sum insured is noticeably lower than the replacement value of your contents, the insurer pays only the same proportion of every claim (§ 75 of the Insurance Contract Act, VVG). Insure 100,000 euros of contents worth 200,000 and a 20,000 euro water loss pays 10,000. This applies to partial losses too.
Better policies waive this rule if you follow the insurer's valuation method, or include a margin for new purchases during the year. Growing businesses should review the sum at least once a year, and always after buying major equipment or increasing stock.
Paperwork, language and obligations
Policy documents are in German, and the German text is what counts in a dispute. Some insurers provide English translations for information only. Obligations (Obliegenheiten) such as keeping the alarm switched on, locking the premises and reporting a change of business activity are taken seriously; breaching them can reduce or remove the claim payment.
Contracts usually run for one year and renew automatically unless cancelled with three months' notice before the renewal date. After a claim, both sides can usually cancel. Long terms with a discount are common, so check the end date before you sign.
What is covered
- Furniture, fixtures and shop fit-out owned by the business
- Machinery, tools, office and technical equipment
- Stock, raw materials and finished goods
- Fire, lightning, explosion and aircraft impact
- Burglary, robbery and vandalism following a break-in
- Water escaping from pipes and sprinkler systems, depending on the policy
- Storm (wind force 8 and above) and hail
- Clean-up, removal and lock replacement costs
- Customer property and goods on commission, if included
What is not covered
- The building itself, which is insured by the owner
- Shoplifting and simple theft without forced entry
- Flood and heavy rain unless natural hazards cover is added
- Breakdown of electronics without an external cause, which needs electronic equipment insurance
- Registered motor vehicles
- Loss of income, unless business interruption is included
Who needs it
- Retailers with a shop and stock
- Tradespeople with tools, machinery and materials
- Practices, law firms and agencies with office equipment
- Restaurants and cafés with kitchen equipment and supplies
- Any tenant whose commercial lease requires contents cover
Who can do without
- Freelancers working mainly from a laptop and phone they could replace from savings
Wheel of misfortune
Spin the wheel of bad luck
Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.
Cost:
Budget policy
Strong policy
See all six cases
- Burglars force the back door, around €5,000 to €30,000. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Burglary with forced entry is the core of German contents cover. New locks are usually included up to a small limit.
- Customer pockets stock, no break-in, a few hundred euros, more over a year. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Without forced entry there is no burglary under German wordings. Shrinkage during opening hours stays with you.
- Heavy rain backs up the drains, around €10,000 to €50,000 of stock. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Sewer backflow counts as a natural hazard. It is only covered with the Elementar add-on, usually with a deductible.
- Lightning surge fries the tills, around €2,000 to €10,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. Basic German cover pays for a direct strike only. Surge damage through the power line needs the extended wording.
- Heater left on next to boxes, stockroom fire, easily five or six figures. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. That is gross negligence, and German law lets the insurer cut the payout in proportion. Good policies waive that cut.
- Trade fair stand is burgled, samples and display kit, often four figures. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Items away from your premises need off-site cover (Außenversicherung), usually with a lower limit.
What it costs
Premiums are calculated as a rate per thousand euros of sum insured. The rate depends mostly on the type of business: an accounting office is a very different fire risk from a carpentry workshop. There are no reliable published price ranges for German business contents insurance.
What drives the premium
- Type of business and fire or burglary risk
- Sum insured and share of stock
- Location: postcode, burglary rates, flood zones
- Security: alarm system, locks, safe
- Building construction and fire protection
- Deductible and optional extensions
- Claims history
We do not quote typical prices because business risks vary too much. Your premium is known once we have a quote for your business.
The policy levels on the market
02
Extended cover
Adds power surge from lightning, higher cost limits, cover for new acquisitions, a small business interruption element and an underinsurance waiver.
03
All risks
Everything is covered unless excluded, and the insurer has to prove an exclusion applies. Common for higher values, mostly available through brokers.
How to recognise a good policy
| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underinsurance waiver | none | waiver if valued by the insurer's method | Without it, every claim is cut if the sum is too low. |
| Gross negligence | insurer may reduce payment (§ 81 VVG) | no reduction up to the sum insured | A forgotten heater or open window is a typical case. |
| New acquisitions | not included | automatic cover of 10 to 30 percent | New equipment is often bought before anyone updates the policy. |
| Customer property | excluded | included with its own limit | You are liable for the customer's items in your workshop. |
| Power surge | excluded | included up to the full sum | A nearby lightning strike destroys tills and servers without any fire. |
| Goods in transit and off-site | not included | tools and stock at sites, fairs and in vehicles | Equipment is often away from the premises when something happens. |
| Natural hazards | not included | included with a manageable deductible | Heavy rain damages businesses far away from rivers. |
Insurers on the German market
Most large German property insurers offer business contents cover for small and medium firms, either on its own or as part of a commercial package. Differences lie in the wording, not the brand. This list is a market overview.
| Insurer | Background |
|---|---|
| Allianz | commercial lines through tied agents and brokers |
| AXA | commercial property for small and medium firms |
| HDI | part of the Talanx group, focus on businesses and professions |
| R+V | insurer of the German cooperative banks |
| Zurich | part of Zurich Insurance Group |
| Gothaer | commercial customers, agents and brokers |
| Helvetia | German branch of a Swiss insurer, broker distribution |
| VHV | broker-focused insurer with products for trades and retail |
| SIGNAL IDUNA | roots in skilled trades and retail |
From the BaFin register
155
155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Feuer, Sturm, Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden)
Show all 155 names from the register
- ACM Versicherung AG
- ADAC Autoversicherung AG
- ADAC Versicherung AG
- ADAC Zuhause Versicherung AG
- ADLER Versicherung AG
- Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
- Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
- Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Ambra Versicherung AG
- AMMERLÄNDER VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
- andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
- ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Astra Versicherung AG
- AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- BA die Bayerische Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
- Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
- Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG
- Bayerische Hausbesitzer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
- Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
- BD24 Berlin Direkt Versicherung AG
- Bergische Brandversicherung Allgemeine Feuerversicherung V.a.G.
- BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- CG Car-Garantie Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
- CONSTANTIA Versicherungen a.G.
- Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- DARAG Deutschland AG
- Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
- Delvag Versicherungs-AG
- DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche Sozialeinrichtung der Deutschen Bahn
- DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG
- Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
- DOCURA VVaG
- Dolleruper Freie Brandgilde
- Domestic & General Insurance Europe AG
- ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
- ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Feuer- und Einbruchschadenkasse der BBBank in Karlsruhe, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
- Gebäudeversicherungsgilde für Föhr,Amrum und Halligen
- Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
- GGG Kraftfahrzeug-Reparaturkosten-Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
- Great Lakes Insurance SE
- GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
- GVV Direktversicherung AG
- GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Hagelgilde Versicherungsverein a.G., gegründet 1811
- Hamburger Beamten-Feuer-und Einbruchskasse
- Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Hamburger Lehrer-Feuerkasse
- HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
- Harsewinkeler Versicherung VaG
- HDI Global SE
- HDI Global Specialty SE
- HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- HDI Versicherung AG
- Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
- Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
- HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- HUK24 AG
- Häger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- IDEAL Versicherung AG
- INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
- ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
- Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- KRAVAG-ALLGEMEINE Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
- LBN Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
- Lehrer-Feuerversicherungsverein a.G. für Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Lifestyle Protection AG
- Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
- Lucura Versicherungs AG
- LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
- Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Markel Insurance SE
- Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Mercedes-Benz Versicherung AG
- MVK Versicherung VVaG
- MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
- NEH Neue Hildener Versicherung AG
- Neodigital Versicherung AG
- Neuendorfer Brand-Bau-Gilde
- Newline Europe Versicherung AG
- nexible Versicherung AG
- Nordhemmer Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- NV-Versicherungen VVaG
- NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
- OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
- OSTBEVERNER Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
- Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- ProTect Versicherung AG
- Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
- Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- PVAG Polizeiversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
- R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Real Garant Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
- Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Schleswiger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- SCHNEVERDINGER Versicherungsverein a.G.
- SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
- SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- SIGNAL IDUNA Unfallversicherung a. G.
- Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
- Union Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG
- Vereinigte Tierversicherung, Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
- Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
- VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
- Volkswagen Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
- VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
- Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- WERTGARANTIE SE
- WGV-Versicherung AG
- WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
- Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
- Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
- Zurich Insurance Europe AG
- Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt
Source: BaFin company database, retrieved 18 September 2026. Insurers from other EU countries selling through a branch or without a German office are not included.
Legal basis and sources
Products and add-ons
Named perils contents policy
Fire, burglary, water and storm, each selectable. The classic German structure.
Commercial package (Firmenpaket)
Contents, glass, electronics, small business interruption and often liability in one contract.
All risks policy
Covers everything not excluded. For larger values and unusual risks.
Declaration policy for stock
You report stock levels at set dates and pay premium on the actual value, useful for seasonal trade.
Trade-specific schemes
Wordings for restaurants, medical practices, hair salons or car workshops with typical extensions.
Myth or truth
True or false?
Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.
Any strong wind counts as a storm for a German insurer.
This is false.
No, German policies define storm as wind of at least force 8 on the Beaufort scale. Below that, a torn awning is your own cost.
If burglars only smash your shop and take nothing, you are still covered.
This is true.
Yes, vandalism following a break-in is part of burglary cover. Broken displays and damaged stock count even if nothing was stolen.
Forget to set the alarm, and a German insurer pays nothing at all.
This is false.
Not necessarily. The payout is cut according to how serious the lapse was, and it stays in full if the alarm would not have prevented the loss. You have to show that, though.
In Germany, gross negligence often means a reduced payout rather than none.
This is true.
True, and this differs from many other countries. The Insurance Contract Act allows a cut in proportion to the fault, and better policies waive it up to the sum insured.
Equipment you lease is automatically part of your contents cover.
This is false.
No, items you do not own are only covered if the policy includes third-party property. Leasing contracts often require you to insure the equipment, so check before you sign.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the landlord's insurance covers the tenant's fit-out and stock
- Expecting flood and heavy rain to be included as in some other markets
- Setting the sum insured once and never updating it
- Signing a long-term contract without noticing the renewal and notice rules
- Relying on an English translation instead of the binding German wording
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does my landlord's insurance cover my shop fittings?
Usually not. The landlord insures the building. Fittings you installed, your stock and your equipment are yours to insure through a contents policy. Check your lease: it often states exactly what the tenant must insure.
Is flood damage covered by business contents insurance in Germany?
Only if natural hazards cover (Elementarschaden) has been added. Standard perils do not include flood, heavy rain, backflow or earthquake. In high-risk zones cover may only be available with a high deductible.
Can I get the policy in English?
Some insurers provide English translations, but the German wording is legally binding. As your broker we explain the terms in English and point out clauses that matter for your business before you sign.
What does replacement value mean in Germany?
Neuwert: the cost of buying new items of the same kind and quality today. For stock it is the replacement cost, for goods you produce yourself the cost of production. Items no longer in use are often paid at their current value.
Is shoplifting covered?
No. German contents cover pays for burglary, meaning forced entry into locked premises, and for robbery. Theft during opening hours without force is excluded or covered only with very small limits.
How do I cancel a German business insurance contract?
In writing before the renewal date, usually with three months' notice. Contracts renew automatically for one year at a time unless another term was agreed. After a claim, both sides can usually cancel within a short period.
Are my laptops covered?
Against fire, burglary, water and storm on the premises, yes. Accidental damage, short circuits and theft away from the office need electronic equipment insurance or an off-premises extension.
Does business contents insurance cover lost income?
Not by itself. Some policies include a small business interruption element (Klein-BU) that pays lost profit and running costs after an insured loss. Larger firms need separate business interruption insurance.
NAMMERT insurance broker
Request quotes for Business contents
We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English.
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We will be in touch within one working day. If it is urgent: +49 3375 29 12 77.
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