Does liability insurance cover damage to your rented flat?
In short
Usually yes, if your policy includes damage to rented property (Mietsachschäden): floors, walls, doors, bathroom fittings or a fitted kitchen are then paid by your personal liability insurance. Normal wear and tear, window glass and usually heating or electrical appliances are not. A good policy costs singles about EUR 40 to 120 a year.
Guide figures for personal liability insurance that includes damage to rented property, without a deductible.
Example
Typical range
Single, rented flat, basic tariff with rented property cover
about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Couple or family, rented flat
about EUR 60 to 180 a year
Tariff with a deductible of up to EUR 250
noticeably cheaper, you pay EUR 0 to 250 per claim
Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted premium ranges.
How much the rented property cover alone adds to the premium is not shown separately;
in our experience the difference is small (guide value from our quoting practice).
Worked example
Damaged parquet, moving out after five years
Moving the wardrobe leaves deep scratches over two square metres of parquet. The landlord wants the whole room sanded and sealed.
Landlord's claim
EUR 1,400
Deduction for the age of the floor (new for old)
about EUR 400
Justified damage
about EUR 1,000
Payment by liability insurance with rented property cover
about EUR 1,000
You pay nothing or only your deductible. Without a suitable tariff the amount would come out of your deposit.
What counts as damage to rented property
This means damage to the flat you rent: the iron that fell onto the parquet, the crack in the washbasin, the burn mark on the worktop of the fitted kitchen. Many older contracts excluded such damage, because it concerns things you use yourself.
Today most tariffs include damage to rented living space. What matters is that the policy states a sufficient limit and not just a small amount for this part.
Damage
Paid by good tariffs?
Scratches or burn mark on the parquet
yes
Cracked washbasin or toilet
yes
Damaged door or window frame
yes
Broken window pane
usually no, that is a matter for glass insurance
Broken boiler or heating
usually no, or only in extended tariffs
Faded walls, worn carpet
no, that is normal wear and tear
What is different if you come from abroad
In the UK and US, renters often rely on the deposit or on renters insurance that bundles belongings and liability. In Germany damage to the flat is a matter for your personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung), while your own belongings need separate contents insurance.
German landlords usually take a deposit (Kaution) of up to three months' basic rent and inspect the flat carefully when you move out. Many flats are let unfurnished, sometimes even without a kitchen, so a fitted kitchen you rent with the flat is a valuable item. Insist on a handover report (Übergabeprotokoll) with photos when you move in. Some landlords ask for proof of liability insurance before signing.
Nobody pays for wear and tear, and that is fair
Under § 538 BGB a tenant is not liable for changes caused by normal use of the flat. A usual number of wall plug holes, slightly worn floors or sun marks on the wall do not have to be paid for at all, which is why no insurance pays for them either.
Disputes often arise when landlords keep back the deposit after you move out. Then it is worth checking first whether there is any damage at all. Your liability insurer checks this too and rejects unjustified claims.
Where tariffs leave gaps
Often excluded are glass, the landlord's heating, hot water and electrical appliances, and mould that has built up over a long time. Movable items belonging to the landlord, such as a washing machine rented with the flat, are often not treated as rented property either.
If you live in a furnished flat or rent a fully equipped holiday flat, check whether movable furnishings are covered too.
When you do not need this cover
If you live in your own house or flat, this part of the cover plays no role in daily life. It becomes important again when you rent holiday flats, hotel rooms or a second home.
Step by step
Check your policy: is damage to rented living space included, and up to which limit?
Read the exclusions: glass, heating, electrical appliances, mould.
Photograph the damage and report it to your insurer before you promise anything.
Do not admit fault, the insurer checks the claim itself.
If your contract is old, check whether a new tariff includes more.
Checklist
Damage to rented living space expressly included
Limit for rented property at least EUR 1 million
Holiday flats and hotel rooms covered worldwide
Movable furnishings covered if you live in a furnished flat
Handover report with photos from moving in kept safe
Common mistakes
Keeping an old contract in which rented property is missing or has a low limit
Paying the landlord for normal wear and tear without checking
Telling the landlord in advance that the insurance will pay
Having no move-in report and later paying for damage that was already there
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does liability insurance pay for wall plug holes when I move out?
No.
A usual number of holes counts as normal use, and you generally do not have to pay for them.
If you leave many or large holes, fill them neatly yourself.
Is a broken window pane damage to rented property?
Usually not.
Glass is almost always excluded from personal liability insurance;
that is what glass insurance is for.
Landlords often have one for the building.
Does the cover apply in a holiday flat?
With good tariffs yes, also abroad and in hotel rooms.
Check whether the furnishings of the holiday flat are included.
Does liability insurance pay for mould?
Rarely.
Mould develops over time and often falls under an exclusion.
Whether you are liable at all depends on whether poor ventilation or a building defect is the
cause.
What about water damage to the flat below?
Damage to a neighbour's flat is a normal liability claim, not damage to rented property.
Every personal liability policy pays it if you caused it.
My tenancy agreement is in German. What should I look for?
Clauses on cosmetic repairs (Schönheitsreparaturen) and the handover.
Insurance does not pay for repainting you agreed to do, only for real damage.
