01
Basic
The core perils on a new-for-old basis. Gross negligence only partly waived, power surge sometimes excluded.
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Contents insurance in Germany: how Hausrat works and what newcomers miss
In Germany, the insurance for your belongings is called Hausratversicherung. It pays new-for-old after fire, burst pipes, burglary, storm and hail. Unlike renters insurance in the US, it does not include personal liability: that is a separate policy, the Privathaftpflicht.
The question almost everyone asks first
Do I need contents insurance as a renter in Germany?
If you own furniture, electronics and clothes you could not easily replace, yes. Your landlord's building insurance only covers the structure and fixed installations, never your belongings, and the cost of that policy is usually passed on to you in the service charges anyway. Contents insurance is not compulsory and no landlord can force a particular insurer on you, but after a fire or water leak it is the only thing that pays for your things.
Do the maths
The right sum insured in ten seconds
Many German contents policies waive the underinsurance deduction if the sum reaches a fixed amount per square metre, commonly 650 euros. Below that, a claim is paid only in part.
The square-metre figure is a floor, not an estimate of what you own.
What is different from the UK and the US
German policies split risks that other countries bundle. Contents insurance covers your belongings. Personal liability, which a US renters policy usually includes, is a separate contract here. Accidental damage to your own things, common as an add-on in the UK, is rarely available at all.
German contracts also renew automatically each year. If you want to leave, you have to cancel in writing, normally three months before the renewal date. A contract taken out when you arrived will keep running until you actively end it, even after you have left the country.
Getting the sum insured right
If your belongings are worth more than the sum insured, the insurer reduces every claim in proportion (§ 75 of the German Insurance Contract Act, VVG). Insure €30,000 when your things are worth €45,000, and a €3,000 water claim pays only €2,000.
Most insurers waive this check if you insure a flat rate per square metre, usually €650. That works for an average flat. If you brought high-value furniture, art or a lot of camera and music equipment with you, calculate the total yourself and insure that amount.
Burglary is not the same as theft
The policy pays when someone breaks in: a forced door, a smashed window, a picked lock. Things taken from an unlocked flat, from a shared basement without signs of forced entry, or from the balcony count as simple theft, which is not covered unless you add it.
Bicycles follow the same logic. A bike stolen from a locked and broken-into cellar is covered; one stolen outside the supermarket is only covered with the bicycle add-on. For expensive e-bikes a dedicated bicycle policy is often the better fit.
Moving, travelling and gross negligence
When you move within Germany, both homes are covered during a transition period. Tell the insurer your new address and floor area before the move, because the postcode sets the price. Belongings temporarily elsewhere, such as in a hotel room, are covered up to a share of the sum insured.
German law lets insurers reduce payment if you caused the loss through gross negligence (§ 81 VVG), for example a candle left burning in an empty room. Good policies waive this defence. It costs little and is worth having. Small boats such as canoes stored at home count as contents; boats with a berth need hull insurance, which we write as an underwriting agency.
What is covered
- Fire, lightning and explosion
- Water escaping from pipes, heating and appliances
- Burglary, robbery and vandalism after a break-in
- Storm from wind force 8 and hail
- Power surge from lightning, in most policies
- Hotel costs while your home is uninhabitable
- Belongings temporarily away from home, up to a limit
- Bicycle theft outside the home, as an add-on
- Flooding and sewer backflow, only with the natural hazards add-on
What is not covered
- Simple theft without forced entry, unless added
- Damage you cause to other people or their property
- Cars, motorbikes and boats with a berth
- The building itself and the landlord's fixtures
- Flooding from heavy rain without the natural hazards add-on
- Wear and tear and accidental damage to your own items
Who needs it
- Anyone renting or owning a home with their own furniture
- Expats who shipped belongings to Germany and could not easily replace them
- Households with valuables, instruments or expensive bicycles
- Ground floor and basement tenants with higher burglary and water risk
Who can do without
- People in fully furnished short-term flats with few belongings of their own
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
- Bike stolen outside the U-Bahn, around €500 to €3,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Theft away from home needs the bicycle add-on. Even good policies cap it per bike, often as a share of the sum insured.
- Burglar gets in through a tilted window, around €3,000 to €10,000. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Climbing in counts as burglary, but a tilted window may be gross negligence. Basic policies can cut the payout; strong ones waive that defence.
- Washing machine hose floods the flat, around €2,000 to €8,000 in belongings. Budget policy: pays, Strong policy: pays. Escaping water is a core peril in every German contents policy. Damage to the landlord's floors is a matter for the building insurance.
- Laptop knocked off the desk, around €800 to €2,000. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Accidental damage is not a named peril in German contents insurance. You would need a separate device or electronics policy.
- Lightning surge fries the TV, around €500 to €2,500. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Surge damage from lightning is included in most current policies, but basic ones may limit it tightly. Strong policies pay up to the full sum.
- Pram stolen from the stairwell, around €300 to €1,500. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays in part. Taking an unlocked pram from a shared hallway is simple theft. Some strong policies add prams and wheelchairs in communal areas up to a limit.
What it costs
The price depends mostly on your postcode and the sum insured. Insurers group postcodes into zones based on burglary statistics, so the same flat can cost several times more in a large city than in a village. We do not quote typical prices because the zone matters more than the insurer.
What drives the premium
- Postcode and risk zone
- Floor area or chosen sum insured
- Floor level and type of building
- Add-ons such as bicycle theft, natural hazards or glass
- Excess and contract length
- Claims in the last five years
No sample prices, because they vary widely by postcode. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.
The policy levels on the market
02
Standard
Full gross negligence waiver, power surge, underinsurance waiver per square metre and higher limits for valuables.
03
Premium
Bicycle theft around the clock, some cover for simple theft, higher limits away from home and a guarantee to match better market standards.
How to recognise a good policy
| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross negligence | waived up to €5,000 | waived up to the full sum insured | It is the most common reason a German insurer cuts a household claim. |
| Underinsurance waiver | with the per m² flat rate | also with an individually calculated sum | Without it even small claims are reduced if the sum is too low. |
| Power surge | included with a limit | up to the full sum insured | A lightning strike nearby can destroy every device plugged in. |
| Valuables | 20% of the sum insured | 30% or more | Jewellery and watches are the first thing burglars take. |
| Bicycle theft | add-on with night-time restrictions | 24-hour cover without night clause | Most bikes are stolen outside, not from inside the flat. |
| Cover away from home | 10% of the sum, up to three months | higher share and longer periods | Relevant for students, long trips and belongings in storage. |
| Hotel costs | up to 100 days | 200 days or more | Repairs after a fire often take longer than three months. |
Insurers on the German market
Almost every property insurer in Germany sells Hausrat. Most documents are in German only, so the quality of the wording matters more than the brand. Some insurers sell only direct and do not work with brokers; we list them to give you the full picture.
| Insurer | Background |
|---|---|
| Allianz | several product lines, sold through tied agents and brokers |
| HUK-COBURG | sells through its own offices only, does not work with brokers |
| AXA | German arm of the French AXA group, agents and brokers |
| ERGO | part of Munich Re, agents, brokers and direct sales |
| R+V | insurer of the cooperative banks, sold mainly through them |
| VHV | Hanover-based insurer with strong broker distribution |
| Ammerländer | mutual insurer that sells exclusively through brokers |
| Interlloyd | property insurer of the ARAG group, broker distribution |
| Alte Leipziger | mostly broker distribution |
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
Flat rate per square metre
The simplest form: a fixed amount per m² with underinsurance waived. Suits an averagely furnished home.
Individual sum insured
You calculate the value yourself. Better if you own high-value furniture, art or equipment.
Bicycle add-on
Covers bikes stolen away from home, usually up to a percentage of the sum insured.
Natural hazards add-on
Adds flooding, sewer backflow, landslide and snow load, which the standard policy excludes.
Myth or truth
True or false?
Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.
If a pipe bursts and ruins my sofa, my landlord's insurance will pay.
This is false.
No, the landlord's building policy covers walls, floors and fixed parts only. Your sofa is your own risk, which is exactly what contents insurance is for.
Contents insurance can pay for a hotel if your flat becomes unliveable.
This is true.
Yes, most German contents policies cover hotel costs after an insured event such as a fire, for a limited number of days. Check the daily cap.
A laptop stolen from your locked car is covered by contents insurance.
This is false.
Usually not in basic policies, because theft from vehicles is excluded. Some stronger policies add it with a low limit and conditions such as a locked boot.
Cash stolen in a burglary is covered too.
This is true.
Yes, but only up to a low limit set in the policy, and higher if it was in a locked safe. Larger amounts at home are poorly protected.
A German insurer can pay the full new price for a five-year-old TV.
This is true.
Correct, German contents insurance pays replacement value for items you still use. That surprises people used to depreciation in other markets.
Common mistakes
- Assuming liability is included, as it would be in a US renters policy
- Forgetting to cancel the German policy three months before renewal when leaving the country
- Not updating the floor area after moving and losing the underinsurance waiver
- Leaving the bike in a shared cellar and expecting theft to be covered
- Skipping the gross negligence waiver to save a few euros
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does German contents insurance cover my stuff worldwide?
Only temporarily and within limits. Belongings that are away from home for a short time, such as in a hotel, are usually covered up to about a tenth of the sum insured. If you keep items permanently elsewhere, they need their own cover.
Is my laptop covered if I drop it?
No. Contents insurance covers named perils like fire, water, burglary and storm, not accidental damage. For that you need a separate electronics or device policy, which exists in Germany but is sold separately.
Can my landlord make me take out contents insurance?
A landlord can ask for it, but cannot tell you which insurer to use. Your belongings are your risk, and the landlord's building policy never pays for them. What landlords often care about more is your personal liability policy.
Do I pay for my landlord's building insurance?
Usually yes. Under the German service charge rules (BetrKV § 2 No. 13) the landlord may pass the cost of building insurance on to tenants. Check your annual service charge statement. That policy still does not cover your belongings.
How do I cancel when I leave Germany?
In writing, by the notice period in the contract, usually three months before the renewal date. Many policy wordings also contain a rule for moving abroad that ends cover for the old flat after a transition period, so check yours. Keep proof of your deregistration and the end of your tenancy.
Will my claims history from abroad count?
Insurers ask about claims in the last few years and will accept your answer for any country. Unlike car insurance, there is no transferable no-claims class for contents cover, so a clean history abroad does not earn a formal discount.
Are my bikes covered?
At home and in a locked, broken-into cellar, yes. Stolen elsewhere only with the bicycle add-on. Check the limit per bike: many policies cap it at a percentage of the sum insured, which may be too low for an e-bike.
What happens after a burglary?
Report it to the police immediately and hand in a list of stolen items, as insurers require that. Then notify the insurer without delay. Receipts, photos and bank statements help prove what you owned and what it cost.
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Often goes with it
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Is my bike covered by my German contents insurance?
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