Why has my share gone up so much?

The sum insured follows construction prices every year. Claims in the building are also priced into the premium.

Insurance broker / Insurance questions / Buildings insurance

How is a flat you own insured in Germany?

In short

Through the owners' association (Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft). It insures the whole building, and you pay your share through the monthly service charge (Hausgeld), often EUR 115 to 170 per flat a year. You do not need separate buildings insurance for your own flat. What you insure yourself is your contents, your own upgrades and, if you let the flat, loss of rent.

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How is a flat you own insured in Germany?

What it costs

Average annual premiums for an owners' association's buildings insurance without natural hazard cover, converted per flat.

Example	Typical range
Building with 6 flats	about EUR 1,020 a year, roughly EUR 170 per flat
Building with 20 flats	about EUR 2,800 a year, roughly EUR 140 per flat
Complex with 50 flats	about EUR 5,750 a year, roughly EUR 115 per flat
Example: 80 of 1,000 shares, total premium EUR 2,500	EUR 200 a year

Average values as of September 2026, with large regional differences. Natural hazard cover, old pipes and past claims can raise the premium considerably. We obtain the exact quote for your association.

Worked example

Burst pipe in a flat you let

A pipe bursts in the wall of the flat you let out. Screed and parquet have to come out and the flat is uninhabitable for six weeks. The association has agreed a EUR 1,000 deductible, and you hold 80 of 1,000 shares.

Pipe, drying, screed, standard flooring	the association's buildings insurance
Extra cost of your high-end parquet	your contents insurance, if owner fixtures are included
Deductible EUR 1,000, your share	EUR 80, the other owners pay the rest
Six weeks of lost rent	only if included in the policy

The association's policy pays most of it. What remains open for you is mainly the lost rent and the extra value of your own upgrades.

One building, one policy

In Germany you cannot insure a single flat as a building. The roof, facade, stairwell, heating and load-bearing walls belong to all owners jointly, and the pipes run through every flat. So the association takes out one buildings insurance policy (Wohngebäudeversicherung) for the whole house.

Under the Condominium Act (Wohnungseigentumsgesetz), adequate insurance of the common property at new value and liability insurance for the property are part of proper management. The property manager handles the contract and claims; decisions are made at the owners' meeting (Eigentümerversammlung).

Common property and your own unit

The law only requires the common property (Gemeinschaftseigentum) to be insured. In practice most associations insure the entire building, including fixed parts of your unit (Sondereigentum) such as screed, floor coverings, interior doors and bathroom fittings. Check the policy to see whether yours does.

Upgrades you added later, such as expensive parquet or a new bathroom, are often only covered up to a standard level. Many contents policies include such owner fixtures if the buildings insurance does not pay.

Area	Who insures	Examples
Common property	the association's buildings insurance	roof, facade, stairwell, heating, riser pipes
Your unit, fixed parts	usually also the association, per policy	screed, tiles, interior doors, washbasins
Your own high-end upgrades	often your contents insurance	designer bathroom, hardwood floors, built-in wardrobes
Movable belongings	your contents insurance	furniture, clothes, electronics
Rental income if you let	loss of rent in the building policy or separate cover	rent while the flat is uninhabitable

What you pay and who carries the deductible

The premium is split by co-ownership shares (Miteigentumsanteile) and included in your Hausgeld, unless the association has decided otherwise. If your flat has 80 of 1,000 shares and the policy costs EUR 2,500, you pay EUR 200 a year.

In 2022 the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) ruled that the deductible is also shared by all owners, even when the damage is only in one flat. The association can decide on a different split by resolution.

If the association's policy is weak

As a single owner you cannot change the contract on your own. You can ask at the owners' meeting for new quotes, for natural hazard cover (Elementarschaden) or for a different deductible.

If burst pipes keep happening, insurers may cancel or raise the premium sharply. Often only replacing the pipes helps, and that cost is again shared by everyone.

When you need nothing extra

If you live in the flat yourself, have contents insurance and the association has a solid policy, your building risk is covered. A second buildings policy for your flat would be paying twice and is usually not even offered.

Extra cover only makes sense if you have expensive upgrades, let the flat or the association's policy lacks natural hazard cover.

Step by step

Ask the property manager for the policy schedule (Versicherungsschein) and terms.
Check whether your unit and natural hazards are included.
Look up the deductible and how the association splits it.
List your own upgrades and compare them with your contents policy.
If you let the flat, check whether loss of rent is covered.
Put any gaps on the agenda of the next owners' meeting.

Checklist

You have a copy of the association's policy
Sum insured at sliding new value (gleitender Neuwert)
Individual units expressly included
Natural hazard cover checked, especially near rivers or slopes
Contents insurance that includes owner fixtures
If you let: loss of rent covered

Common mistakes

Buying a second buildings policy just for your own flat
Assuming your expensive new bathroom is automatically fully covered
Paying the deductible alone although it is shared by all owners
Not reporting damage in your flat to the property manager straight away

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Do I need my own buildings insurance as a flat owner?

No. The association insures the building. You need contents insurance for your belongings and personal liability insurance for yourself.

Who reports damage in my flat?

You report it to the property manager, who notifies the insurer. Send photos and, if possible, stop the water immediately.

Can I pass the cost on to my tenant?

Yes, your share counts as a recoverable operating cost (Betriebskosten) if the rental contract provides for it.

Who pays if the water comes from the flat next door?

The association's buildings insurance pays for the building. Your contents insurance pays for your furniture, and the neighbour's liability insurance if they were at fault.

Are the policy documents available in English?

Usually not. The German terms apply in a claim, so ask us if a clause in the association's policy is unclear.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request a quote: Buildings insurance

We compare several insurers and come back with a proposal. Free for you; the insurer pays our fee. You can write in English.

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3Details

Buildings insurance in Germany (Wohngebäudeversicherung)

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