What applies to buildings insurance in Germany when the house is empty?
In short
What applies to buildings insurance in Germany when the house is empty? Cover continues, but under the model terms vacancy is an increase in risk that you must report. You also have duties: check the house often enough, shut off, drain and keep the water pipes drained, and heat in winter. Many insurers set the limit at 60 to 90 days without occupants.
What vacancy and damage in an empty house can cost in Germany, based on published examples and case law, 2026.
Example
Typical range
Detached house 100 square metres, basic cover, occupied
about EUR 90 to 150 a year
House not permanently occupied, holiday or second home policy
from about EUR 250 a year
Example 100 square metres on the coast, EUR 175,000 sum, EUR 500 excess
EUR 283.50 a year
Average pipe water claim
around EUR 4,300
Cut in the Essen regional court case
70 percent
As of October 2026, from published premium examples, industry figures and the ruling named.
The average is calculated from total claims cost and number of claims.
The figures in the example are guide values from our quoting practice.
How many days of vacancy your policy allows is in your terms; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Inherited house, empty from November, frost damage in January
How differently the insurer pays depending on whether the duties for an empty house were met.
Damage from a burst pipe, drying and repair
EUR 15,000
Vacancy reported, pipes drained
full payment minus excess
Neither heated nor drained, 70 percent cut
EUR 4,500
Vacancy concealed and deliberately not secured
EUR 0
The difference is over EUR 10,000. Reporting and draining the pipes, by contrast, cost almost nothing.
When a house counts as empty
The German model terms treat it as an increase in risk (Gefahrerhöhung) if the building or most of it is no longer used. They do not set a number of days. Many insurers state in their terms that a house counts as not permanently occupied once it is empty for 60 to 90 days in a row.
Typical cases are an inherited family home, a house between moving out and selling, a move into a care home or a long renovation. A three week holiday does not make the house empty, but the winter duties apply even then.
Reporting an empty house: what the law requires
If you realise the house is empty and the risk has risen, you must tell the insurer without delay (section 23 Insurance Contract Act). The insurer may then raise the premium for the higher risk or exclude it (section 25) or terminate with one month's notice (section 24). If the premium rises by more than 10 percent, you may terminate yourself.
Failing to report an empty house gets expensive: if the damage occurs more than one month after the report should have arrived, the insurer can cut the payment for gross negligence and pay nothing for intent (section 26). It still pays if the vacancy did not cause the damage.
Duties in an empty house
Besides reporting, contractual safety rules apply to the empty house. If you breach them through gross negligence, the insurer may cut the payment (section 28 Insurance Contract Act). The most important ones are in the model terms.
Duty
Clause in the model terms
How to meet it
Check unused buildings often enough
A 20.1.2
fixed rhythm, for example weekly, with a note
Shut off, drain and keep water installations drained
A 20.1.2
close the main tap, have pipes and boiler drained
In the cold season heat and check, or drain everything
A 20.1.3
frost protection setting, check the temperature
Keep the building in proper condition, fix defects
A 20.1.1
check roof, gutters and windows
Keep backflow protection working
A 20.1.4.1
with natural hazards cover, service the valve
Typical damage in an empty house
In an empty house nobody notices damage early. A burst pipe can run for days or weeks before anyone comes by. Pipe water claims cost insurers around EUR 4.9 billion in 2024, and an average claim is about EUR 4,300, often much more in an empty house.
In an empty house there is also frost when the heating is off, storm damage to the roof letting rain in for weeks, and burglary with vandalism. If you rarely visit, do not just report the vacancy; ask a neighbour or a service to carry out checks.
Empty house after inheritance, sale or renovation
With an inherited house the buildings insurance passes to the heirs. If the house stays empty until it is sold, report the vacancy together with the death. On a sale the policy passes to the buyer.
If the empty house is renovated, further increases in risk arise: building work where the roof is wholly or partly removed or the house becomes mostly unusable (A 21.1.3 and A 21.1.4). Tell the insurer before work starts.
Step by step
Report the vacancy to the insurer in writing, with the expected duration.
Close the main tap and have pipes, boiler and heating drained, or heat to frost protection level.
Plan regular checks and note each visit briefly.
Check roof, gutters, windows and doors before winter.
Inform the insurer again before renovation or sale.
Compare a policy for houses not permanently occupied if the vacancy lasts longer.
Checklist
Vacancy reported to the insurer
Vacancy limit in the terms read
Water shut off and pipes drained
Checks planned and documented
Heating on frost protection in winter or system drained
Contents and liability cover for the empty house checked
Common mistakes
Not reporting the vacancy because the premium might rise
Closing the main tap but not draining the pipes
Switching the heating off completely in winter
Doing checks without any record and being unable to prove them after a claim
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How long can a house stand empty before I must report it?
Your policy decides.
Many insurers set the limit at 60 to 90 days, the winter duties apply earlier.
Does buildings insurance end when the house is empty?
No.
It continues,
but the insurer may adjust the premium, terminate or cut payments if duties are breached.
How often must I check an empty house?
The model terms say often enough.
In winter and with old pipes, rather weekly, with a written record.
Do I need separate insurance for an empty house?
Not necessarily.
Often reporting it with a surcharge is enough.
For long vacancies there are policies for houses not permanently occupied.
Does this also apply to an empty owner-occupied flat?
Yes, the duties apply to your flat.
Also tell the property manager, because the owners' association insures the building.
