Does contents insurance pay if the door was not locked?
In short
Whether contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) will pay if the door was not locked depends on how the thief got in. If the door was only pulled shut and forced open with a tool, it counts as burglary and is covered; the average loss in Germany was 3,850 euros in 2025. If the thief simply walked through an open door, it is simple theft, and basic cover pays nothing.
What is at stake in a burglary and what better cover costs in Germany.
Example
Typical range
Average loss per burglary in 2025
3,850 euros
Simple theft through an optional clause
often 1 percent of the sum insured or a few hundred euros
Extra premium for the gross negligence waiver
about 5 to 20 euros a year
Contents cover for 75 square metres with waiver
about 90 to 120 euros a year
Average loss from the German insurers' association for 2025.
Extra premium, limit and annual premium are guide values from our quoting practice, October 2026;
we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Front door only pulled shut
A tenant goes shopping for two hours and only pulls the door shut. A thief opens it with a plastic card and takes a laptop and jewellery worth 3,000 euros.
Classification
burglary with a tool
Policy without waiver, assumed cut of 25 percent
2,250 euros
Policy with gross negligence waiver
3,000 euros
The waiver makes a difference of 750 euros here. Had the door been open, there would be nothing without an extra clause.
Pulled shut or wide open: the key difference
The German model terms VHB 2022 define burglary as a thief breaking in, climbing in, or entering with a false key or other tools. A door that was only pulled into the latch and is pushed open with a plastic card or wire meets that definition. Contents insurance then pays as for any other burglary.
If the front door was open or ajar, the thief overcomes no obstacle. That is simple theft. Basic contents cover does not pay for it; only an optional clause with its own limit does.
Situation
How contents insurance treats it
Door locked and forced
burglary, covered
Door pulled shut, opened with a tool
burglary, possible cut for gross negligence
Door open or ajar
simple theft, basic cover pays nothing
Thief sneaks in and steals from a locked room
burglary under the VHB
Occupant threatened or attacked
robbery (Raub), covered
When the insurer may cut the payout
Leaving a door unlocked is not automatically gross negligence (grobe Fahrlässigkeit). It depends on the case: popping out to the mailbox or leaving for a week's holiday, a ground floor flat on a busy street or a locked stairwell.
If it was grossly negligent, section 81 VVG lets the insurer reduce the payout in proportion to the degree of fault. If your policy waives this objection, there is no cut, often up to a limit set in the policy.
What the policy terms say about locking
The model terms VHB 2022 only list heating or draining water pipes in cold weather as a safety rule. They do not contain a duty to lock the door. Some policies add their own security requirements, such as an extra lock. If it is missing at the time of the burglary, the insurer may pay less.
Check your policy for agreed security measures and for whether simple theft from the flat is included.
When you do not need to worry
If the door was forced, it does not matter whether it had been locked: marks on the frame or lock prove the burglary. If you are at home and surprised by an intruder, robbery cover applies, and an open door changes nothing.
It only becomes critical when there are no marks and the door was open. Then a clause for simple theft is your only chance of getting money from contents insurance.
Step by step
Call the police and report the crime.
Photograph marks on the door and lock before anything is repaired.
Tell the insurer honestly whether the door was locked, pulled shut or open.
Send a list of stolen items with replacement prices to the police and the insurer.
If the claim is refused, ask for the reasons in writing.
Checklist
Gross negligence waiver in the policy
Simple theft from the flat included
No agreed security measures you do not comply with
Always lock the door, do not just pull it shut
Photos of door and lock after every incident
Common mistakes
Telling the insurer the door was locked when it was open
Having the lock replaced before the marks are documented
Assuming an open door is automatically a burglary
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is it grossly negligent to only pull the door shut?
Not always.
It depends on the case, for example how long you were away and how easy the door was to open.
A waiver removes the risk.
Does contents insurance pay if a guest takes something?
Not under basic cover, because the guest was allowed in.
That is simple theft.
What if I was at home and the door was open?
If the thief sneaks in, it is usually simple theft.
If he uses force or threats, it is robbery and covered.
Does contents insurance pay if a window was open?
If the thief climbs in, it is burglary.
A tilted window can, however, count as grossly negligent.
Do I have to tell the insurer that the door was open?
Yes.
False statements can cost you the whole cover, not just a reduction.
