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How are contents in a second home insured in Germany?

In short

Usually not through your existing policy. German contents insurance covers the flat named in the contract, so a second home normally needs its own policy. Exceptions are tariffs with a clause for a second flat used for work, for example up to EUR 15,000, and student rooms of children in training. A separate policy for 35 square metres costs about EUR 50 to 90 a year.

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How are contents in a second home insured in Germany?

What it costs

Guide values for a separate contents policy and limits from publicly available policy terms, as of October 2026.

Example	Typical range
Separate policy, 35 square metres, sum insured about EUR 23,000	about EUR 50 to 90 a year
Separate policy, 65 square metres, sum insured about EUR 42,000	about EUR 70 to 140 a year
Clause for a second flat used for work in the main policy	up to EUR 15,000 per claim
Clause for a work related second residence, by tier	10 percent up to EUR 10,000 or 20 percent up to EUR 20,000

As of October 2026.

Premiums are guide values from published examples; location, vacancy and security change the price.

The worked example is a guide value from quoting practice.

Your own policy terms decide.

Worked example

Commuter with a small flat near work

An engineer lives with his family in Kassel and works in Frankfurt during the week. There he rents a furnished flat of 30 square metres. His own belongings there are worth about EUR 9,000.

Main policy without second flat clause	no cover for the EUR 9,000 in Frankfurt
Main policy with clause up to EUR 15,000	fully covered, no second policy needed
Alternative: separate policy, 30 m² × EUR 650	EUR 19,500 sum insured
Premium for the separate policy	about EUR 50 to 90 a year

With the clause, the commuter flat is covered without a second policy. If the contents there were worth more than EUR 15,000, a separate policy would be the safe choice.

Why your main policy is not enough

German contents insurance is tied to one address, the place of insurance. Things that stay permanently in another flat, such as furniture, kitchenware or a TV, are not part of it. The outside cover, called Außenversicherung, does not help either: it only protects items you take away temporarily. Many policy terms treat periods of more than three months as no longer temporary.

That is why a holiday flat, a weekend cottage or a commuter flat you use permanently usually needs its own policy. If you just rent a holiday flat for two weeks, the luggage you bring is covered through the outside cover.

Type of second home	How it is insured
Holiday rental for a trip	items you bring through the outside cover
Commuter flat near your job	separate policy or a clause for a second flat used for work
Your child's room while in training, no own household	often through the parents' outside cover
Your own holiday flat or weekend cottage in Germany	separate contents policy
Holiday home abroad	policy with an insurer in that country

Exceptions: commuter flats and training

Some tariffs include a second flat you use for work. One set of publicly available terms pays up to EUR 15,000 per claim, another pays 10 percent of the sum insured up to EUR 10,000 or 20 percent up to EUR 20,000, depending on the tier. Lower limits apply to valuables there, for example EUR 3,000. If that covers the furnishings of your commuter flat, you save the second policy.

Children in training have their own rule: as long as they have not set up a household of their own, many policy terms treat their stay at the place of study as temporary. Their things are then covered through the parents' outside cover, with its limits. Some tariffs add an age limit, for example 27.

How to deal with empty periods

A second home is often empty for weeks. Burglaries and water damage are then noticed late. Under the German Insurance Contract Act you must report an increase in risk; if you fail to do so through gross negligence, the payout may be cut, and with intent it can be refused entirely. In many contents policy terms, a flat that is otherwise lived in and stays empty and unsupervised for more than 60 days is such a case.

For a second home, state how often you use it when you take out the policy. Some insurers treat a flat used for less than about 270 days a year as a second home and only consider vacancy of more than six months reportable. Your own policy terms decide.

When a separate policy is not worth it

If your second home only has basic furnishings worth a few thousand euros that you could replace yourself, a policy is not a must. Be honest: what would it cost to buy the bed, kitchen items, electronics and clothes there again?

Liability is often more important than contents. A leak in your second home can damage the flat below. That is a matter for personal liability insurance, called Privathaftpflicht. Check in your policy terms whether it includes the second home.

Step by step

Clarify what the second home is for: work, holidays or your children's training.
Look in your main policy for a second home clause and its limit.
Estimate the replacement value of the things in the second home.
If the clause is not enough, request a separate policy and state the use honestly.
Note the vacancy rules and report longer absences to your insurer.
For a home abroad, take out a policy in that country.

Checklist

Second home covered by a clause or a separate policy
Clause limit covers the value of the furnishings
Use and empty periods stated when taking out the policy
Deadline for reporting longer vacancy known
Water turned off during long absences if the terms require it
Liability cover for the second home checked

Common mistakes

Relying on the outside cover although the items stay in the second home permanently
Declaring the second home as permanently lived in although it is often empty
Not reporting months of vacancy
Leaving valuables in the holiday flat without knowing the limits
Trying to insure a home abroad through the German policy

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Does my contents insurance automatically cover my second home?

Usually not.

It covers the flat named in the contract.

Only some tariffs include a second flat used for work through a clause.

How is my child's student room insured?

As long as your child has no household of their own, often through your outside cover,

with its limit.

Once they have their own household, they need their own policy.

Do I have to report that my second home is empty?

A long empty period counts as an increased risk.

The deadline is in your policy terms, often 60 days, sometimes longer for second homes.

Reporting once too often is better than once too few.

Can I insure both homes with the same insurer?

Often yes, but there are usually two policies or two insured locations, each with its own sum.

Who pays if water leaks from my second home?

Your contents policy for the second home pays for your own items,

personal liability insurance for damage to the neighbours and the owner's building insurance for

the building itself.

Is a holiday home abroad covered by my German policy?

Usually not.

A home abroad is normally insured with an insurer in that country.

Is a separate policy worth it for a sparsely furnished second home?

If you could bear the loss yourself, not necessarily.

At EUR 50 to 90 a year it is often cheap compared to the risk.

Sources

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