Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) does pay for the locksmith, but only if your key was lost through an insured event such as burglary or robbery; it then covers the new lock. If you simply lock yourself out or lose the key, you pay yourself, unless your policy has a home assistance add-on. In one current set of terms it pays up to 500 euros per case.
What a locksmith costs in Germany and what insurance covers.
Example
Typical range
Door opening on a weekday, door only slammed shut
about 80 to 150 euros
Door opening at night or at the weekend
about 150 to 300 euros
New lock cylinder including fitting
about 60 to 200 euros
Assistance add-on, locksmith benefit in the terms
up to 500 euros per case
Add-on limit from one insurer's terms, September 2026.
Prices for door opening and cylinder are guide values from our quoting practice, October 2026;
we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Bag with key snatched
On his way home a man's bag with ID and house key is snatched. He has the cylinder changed that evening.
Locksmith in the evening
about 180 euros
New security cylinder
about 120 euros
Refund as lock change costs
about 300 euros, minus any agreed deductible
Because the key was lost in a robbery, contents insurance pays. Had he simply lost it, he would pay the 300 euros himself.
When contents insurance pays the locksmith
The German model terms VHB 2022 list lock change costs among the insured costs. The condition is that keys to your front door or a safe were lost through an insured event. Typical cases are a burglary in which the spare key disappears from a drawer, or a robbery of your bag with the key ring.
Contents insurance then pays for the locksmith and the new lock or cylinder. With a shared locking system in a rented building this can get expensive, so check whether your policy sets a separate limit.
Locked out: why basic cover does not help
If the door slams shut or the key is left inside, nothing has been destroyed or stolen. There is no insured event for contents insurance, and you pay the locksmith yourself.
A lost key is not an insured event either. If you worry that a finder could open your flat, you change the cylinder at your own cost.
The home assistance add-on
Some contents policies offer a home assistance add-on (Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief). In one set of terms from September 2026, the insurer covers opening the door by a locksmith and a temporary lock if you lost or broke your key or locked yourself out by mistake, up to 500 euros per case.
The condition: you call the insurer's service line and let it send the locksmith. If you pick one from an internet search yourself, you may be left with the bill.
Case
Who pays the locksmith
Key stolen in a burglary
contents insurance, lock change costs
Bag with key taken in a robbery
contents insurance, lock change costs
Door slammed shut, key inside
you, or the assistance add-on
Key lost
you, or the assistance add-on
Key to a rented flat with shared locks lost
personal liability with key cover
When you do not need the add-on
If neighbours or family keep a spare key, you rarely get locked out, and a single door opening can be paid from your own pocket. A locksmith add-on is then hardly worth it.
It makes more sense if you live alone, have nobody to leave a spare key with, or would use other services such as drain cleaning and pest control.
Step by step
Work out whether the key was stolen, taken by force or simply lost.
If stolen or taken by force, report it to the police.
With an assistance add-on, call the insurer's service line first.
Ask for a fixed price before the door is opened and an itemised invoice.
Send the invoice and police report to the insurer.
Checklist
Lock change costs included in contents cover
Separate limit for shared locking systems known
Assistance add-on with locksmith if you often live alone
Key cover in personal liability for rented flats
Insurer's service number saved in your phone
Common mistakes
Calling the first locksmith from a search without a fixed price
With an add-on, hiring a locksmith yourself instead of using the service line
Reporting a lost key as stolen to get money
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay the locksmith if I locked myself out?
Not under basic cover.
Only an assistance add-on in the policy pays for opening the door.
Do I have to change the lock after a burglary?
If keys are missing, yes.
Contents insurance pays this as lock change costs.
What about my work key?
That is someone else's key.
Personal liability insurance may pay if it includes work keys.
Can the locksmith drill the lock?
For a door that only slammed shut this is rarely necessary.
Ask about the method and price first.
Does my landlord pay the locksmith?
Not if you locked yourself out.
The landlord only has to repair what breaks without your doing, such as a faulty lock.
Does contents insurance pay if the key was pickpocketed?
Not under the model terms, because pickpocketing is neither burglary nor robbery.
Some policies extend lock change costs to such cases; it is then stated in the contract.
