Does it pay? German contents insurance only pays for scorch damage (Sengschaden) if your policy expressly includes it or a real fire caused it. A burn hole from a cigarette or a hot iron is not a fire under basic cover. Better policies pay for scorch marks up to about EUR 5,000 or up to the full sum insured.
Publicly quoted repair costs and limits from policy descriptions.
Example
Typical range
Small burn hole in upholstery or carpet, specialist repair
usually under EUR 100
DIY repair kit
from about EUR 20
Limit for scorch and smouldering damage without fire, mid-level policy
up to EUR 5,000
Limit in top-level policies
sometimes up to the full sum insured, for example EUR 50,000 for 77 square metres
As of October 2026, from guides and policy descriptions.
The prices for the rug in the example are a guide value from our quoting practice.
We will check how your policy handles scorch damage.
Worked example
Sparks from the wood stove on a wool rug
While adding logs, embers jump onto a living room rug and burn three holes into it, without a fire starting.
New wool rug of the same kind and quality
about EUR 1,800 to 2,500
Under basic cover
EUR 0, because there was no fire
With a clause up to EUR 5,000
replacement value minus deductible
Deductible under the policy
for example EUR 150
With a scorch damage clause you receive about EUR 1,650 to 2,350, without it nothing. Calculation with guide values.
Scorch or fire: why the difference matters
For German insurers, a fire (Brand) is a flame that can spread on its own and burns where it is not meant to. If a cigarette smoulders a hole into the carpet and then goes out, nothing has spread. That is scorch damage, not fire.
Basic contents cover (Hausratversicherung) therefore pays only for fire in the narrow sense. Scorch marks that happen during a real flat fire are included. A single burn mark without a fire is not.
What happened
Basic cover
With a scorch damage clause
Cigarette ember burns a hole in the sofa
not covered
covered up to the limit
Hot pan leaves a ring on the dining table
not covered
covered up to the limit
Sparks from the stove scorch the rug
not covered
covered up to the limit
Flat fire that also chars the curtains
covered
covered
Lightning makes a device melt
power surge, depending on the policy
usually covered
What the clause in better policies does
Many mid-range and top-level policies include scorch and smouldering damage (Seng- und Schmorschäden) even without a fire. Some cap the payment at a fixed amount such as EUR 5,000, others pay up to the full sum insured.
Check whether gross negligence (grobe Fahrlässigkeit) is covered too. Leaving a hot iron face down on the board and walking out of the room may count as grossly negligent. Without that cover, the insurer can reduce what it pays.
What is often still excluded
Many conditions exclude items that are meant to be exposed to heat. A burnt pan on the cooker or a charred toaster insert is not an insured event.
If the damaged item is a fixed part of the building, such as parquet, a worktop or the owner's fitted kitchen, building insurance is responsible, not contents insurance. As a tenant, damage to the landlord's property goes to your personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht).
When you do not need the clause
If nobody smokes, you have no wood stove and no expensive upholstery, the risk is low. A single burn hole will often cost less than your deductible.
The clause is worth it if you have valuable rugs, designer furniture, a wood stove or smokers in the household. One spark can then cause damage of several thousand euros.
Step by step
Photograph the damage with a tape measure or coin for scale.
Note the cause: cigarette, stove, iron or device.
Look for Seng- und Schmorschäden and the limit in your policy conditions.
Get a quote for repair or replacement.
If the amount is above your deductible, report the claim.
Checklist
Scorch and smouldering damage without fire included
Limit high enough for your rugs and upholstered furniture
Gross negligence fully covered
Wood stove declared to the insurer if required
Personal liability insurance that covers damage to rented property
Common mistakes
Reporting a scorch mark as a fire and glossing over the cause
Covering up the burn mark before photographing it
Claiming for an EUR 80 burn hole that is below the deductible
Reporting a damaged worktop in your own home to contents instead of building insurance
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is a cigarette burn hole covered?
Not under basic cover, because no fire spread.
With a scorch damage clause, yes, up to the agreed limit.
Does insurance pay if the iron scorches my clothes?
Often not, because clothes are meant to be exposed to heat when ironed.
If the iron is set down and scorches the carpet, the clause may apply.
What is the difference between scorch and smouldering damage?
With scorch damage, heat comes from outside, such as embers.
With smouldering damage, a device overheats from inside, for example a cable or a power supply.
Who pays if a guest burns a hole in my sofa?
The guest's personal liability insurance, if they caused it.
You do not need your own contents insurance for that.
Is scorch damage to my car covered by contents insurance?
No.
A car is not part of your household contents.
Damage caused by others, such as New Year's fireworks, is paid by their liability insurance.
Is a policy with a scorch damage clause worth it?
Usually, if you smoke, have a wood stove or own valuable rugs.
