All about this insurance: Contents insurance
Do I need contents insurance as a renter in Germany?
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How do I avoid underinsurance on my contents insurance in Germany?
In short
Ask for an underinsurance waiver (Unterversicherungsverzicht) and set your sum insured by the insurer's flat rate, usually EUR 650 per square metre. State your living space correctly and report any move to a bigger flat. Without the waiver, the insurer cuts every claim in proportion if your sum is well below the cost of replacing everything new.
What it costs
What an adequate sum insured costs, from published tariff examples.
| Example | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Each extra EUR 10,000 sum insured at 1.8 per mille | about EUR 18 a year before insurance tax |
| 52 square metres, sum EUR 34,000, 1.8 per mille | about EUR 61 before and EUR 72 including insurance tax |
| 80 square metres, sum by flat rate, Dresden | about EUR 23 to 25 a year |
| 80 square metres, sum by flat rate, Düsseldorf | about EUR 51 to 54 a year |
Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples and calculation methods. The rate depends on your address and tariff; we obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Couple, 80 square metres, old policy with a fixed sum
The sum was set at EUR 40,000 years ago and never changed. Today the household would cost about EUR 60,000 to replace. After a burglary, electronics and jewellery worth EUR 9,000 are gone.
| Loss | EUR 9,000 |
| Ratio of sum to real value | 40,000 to 60,000, two thirds |
| Payout without waiver | EUR 6,000 |
| Sum by flat rate with waiver (80 × EUR 650) | EUR 52,000 |
| Extra premium for EUR 12,000 more at 1.8 per mille | about EUR 22 a year before tax |
With the waiver the couple would have received the full EUR 9,000. The EUR 3,000 gap compares with roughly EUR 22 more premium a year.
How the insurer calculates the cut
Under Section 75 of the German Insurance Contract Act (VVG), the insurer may reduce the payout if the sum insured is considerably lower than the insured value. For contents, that value is what it would cost to replace everything you own with new items today.
The formula is: loss times sum insured, divided by the real value. If you insured EUR 70,000 but your belongings are worth EUR 100,000, a EUR 10,000 loss brings you only EUR 7,000.
| Sum insured | Real replacement value | Loss | Payout without waiver |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR 70,000 | EUR 100,000 | EUR 10,000 | EUR 7,000 |
| EUR 40,000 | EUR 60,000 | EUR 9,000 | EUR 6,000 |
| EUR 52,000 | EUR 52,000 | EUR 9,000 | EUR 9,000 |
The waiver and what it requires
Most German tariffs offer the waiver if you choose the insurer's flat rate per square metre, typically EUR 650 to 750. The insurer then does not check whether your things are worth more and pays up to the agreed sum.
The waiver depends on your living space (Wohnfläche). Take the figure from your rental contract and count converted basement or hobby rooms. If the space is understated, the waiver can fall away in exactly the claim where you need it.
What is different if you moved here from abroad
Many expats bring expensive furniture, electronics, instruments or art. The flat rate reflects an average German flat, so if you shipped a full household, add up what it would cost to buy it again in Germany and insure that higher figure.
German contents insurance pays the new replacement value, not what your used sofa would sell for. Keep photos and receipts, also from your home country: in a claim you have to show what you owned. The German policy wording is what counts.
When you need not worry much
If your policy includes the waiver, the living space is correct and the sum grows each year with a price index, the risk is small. Check older contracts with a fixed sum and review your cover after moving in together, a move or large purchases.
Step by step
- Check your policy for the word Unterversicherungsverzicht and the living space it is based on.
- Compare the living space with your rental contract and include converted side rooms.
- Compare your sum insured with the insurer's flat rate per square metre.
- If you own expensive items, estimate the replacement value room by room and use the higher figure.
- Report a move, extension or big purchases straight away.
Checklist
- Underinsurance waiver written in the policy
- Living space stated correctly and completely
- Sum insured at least the insurer's flat rate
- Sum adjusts each year with a price index
- Valuables checked separately against their own limits
Common mistakes
- Estimating the sum by second hand prices instead of replacement value
- Not reporting a move to a bigger flat
- Treating the waiver as unlimited cover although your furniture is worth far more than the flat rate
- Keeping an old fixed sum policy without review for years
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
How can I tell if I am underinsured?
Divide your sum insured by your living space. If the result is below your insurer's flat rate, usually EUR 650, and there is no waiver, you are probably underinsured.
Does the cut also apply to small claims?
Yes. Without a waiver every claim is reduced in the same proportion, even a EUR 1,000 water damage.
Should I simply insure a very high sum?
No. You pay premium for money you will never receive, as only the actual loss is paid.
Do I need a list of everything I own?
Not for the contract. In a claim, photos, receipts and a rough list help a lot, because you must prove what you lost.
What happens when I move?
The policy moves with you and is recalculated for the new address and space. Report the new space, or the waiver may no longer apply.
Is my landlord's insurance enough?
No. It covers the building, not your belongings. Your furniture and electronics need your own contents insurance.
Sources
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