Is my bike covered by my contents insurance in Germany?
In short
Only in part. Without an add-on, German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) usually covers your bike only after a break-in to your flat, a locked cellar room or garage. If it is stolen while locked outside, you need the bike add-on, often capped at 1 to 2 percent of your sum insured. Crash damage and vandalism are not covered.
Guide figures from published tariff examples, 2026.
Example
Typical range
Contents insurance with bike cover, 35 square metres in Hamburg, sum EUR 22,750, EUR 250 deductible
about EUR 33 to 157 a year for the whole policy
Contents insurance with bike cover up to EUR 2,000, 50 square metres, EUR 300 deductible
from about EUR 47 a year for the whole policy
Separate bike policy incl. damage, trekking bike EUR 1,500
about EUR 60 to 98 a year
Separate bike policy incl. damage, e-bike EUR 3,000
about EUR 70 to 149 a year
Separate bike policy, bike worth EUR 1,000, depending on cover
about EUR 50 to 450 a year
Guide values as of September 2026 from publicly quoted tariff examples.
In our experience the add-on alone costs about EUR 20 to 60 a year for a bike value of EUR 1,000
to 3,000 (Richtwert aus der Angebotspraxis, a guide value from our quoting practice).
We obtain the exact quote for you.
Worked example
Couple, 70 square metres, a city bike and a pedelec
The sum insured follows the flat rate of EUR 650 per square metre. The policy has the old bike clause with 2 percent.
Sum insured (70 × EUR 650)
EUR 45,500
Bike limit at 2 percent
EUR 910
Value of both bikes (EUR 800 and EUR 2,500)
EUR 3,300
Gap if both are stolen outside
EUR 2,390
An add-on with a EUR 3,500 bike sum closes the gap, in our experience for about EUR 30 to 60 more a year (guide value from our quoting practice). Crash damage to the pedelec would need a separate bike policy.
What basic contents cover does
Your bike counts as household contents, so it is insured against fire, burst pipes, storm and burglary like your furniture. If a thief breaks into your flat, your own locked cellar room or garage and takes the bike, the policy pays.
The most common case is not covered without the add-on: the bike is locked outside the station, the office or in an open courtyard and gone. A shared bike cellar without signs of forced entry is also a grey area.
Situation
Without bike add-on
With bike add-on
Break-in to flat or own cellar room
covered
covered
Stolen locked outside during the day
not covered
covered if locked
Stolen locked outside at night
not covered
depends on tariff, good ones around the clock
Shared cellar, no forced entry
usually not covered
usually covered if locked
Crash, accident, vandalism
not covered
not covered
The bike add-on and its limits
With the add-on, theft away from home is covered as long as the bike was secured with a separate lock. A frame lock fixed to the bike is not enough for many insurers. The payout is capped: traditionally 1 or 2 percent of your sum insured, today many insurers let you choose a bike sum, in some cases up to EUR 10,000.
Do the maths: with a sum insured of EUR 45,500, 2 percent is only EUR 910. That covers a city bike, not an e-bike. The cap often applies to all bikes in the household together.
What is different if you come from abroad
Bike theft is common in German cities, and police recover few stolen bikes. Keep your receipt, frame number and a photo. If you brought your bike from home, a receipt in another language is fine, but you may need to show what a comparable new bike costs in Germany.
After a theft, report it to the police straight away and ask for the case number, then inform your insurer. Without a police report there is usually no payout. Pedelecs up to 25 km/h count as bikes; S-pedelecs up to 45 km/h need a number plate and motor liability insurance and cannot be covered through contents insurance.
When you do not need the add-on
If your bike almost always stays in your flat or a private locked room and is not worth much, basic cover is enough. For an old bike under EUR 300 the add-on rarely pays off.
If you commute daily on an expensive bike or e-bike, take the add-on with a sufficient bike sum or a separate bike policy that also covers crash damage and stolen parts.
Step by step
Check your policy for a Fahrradklausel or Fahrradbaustein.
Convert the limit into euros if it is stated as a percentage.
Add up the replacement value of all bikes in the household.
Look for a night clause and lock requirements.
For an expensive e-bike, compare the add-on with a separate bike policy.
Checklist
Bike add-on in place if you park outside
Bike sum covers all bikes in the household
Cover around the clock, no night clause
Receipt, frame number and photo kept safe
Separate D-lock, chain or folding lock, not only a frame lock
Common mistakes
Assuming your bike is covered everywhere because it is part of your contents
Never converting the percentage limit into euros
Buying an e-bike and not raising the bike sum
Not reporting the theft to the police straight away
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is my bike covered in the cellar?
In your own locked cellar room after a break-in, yes.
In a shared bike cellar without forced entry usually only with the add-on.
Does the insurer pay the new price?
Contents insurance usually pays what a comparable new bike costs.
Some separate bike policies pay only the current value after a few years.
Does the bike have to be locked to something fixed?
Most tariffs only ask for a separate lock.
Some ask for more, so check the policy terms.
Are parts like the saddle or battery covered?
Through contents insurance usually only if stolen with the whole bike.
Theft of parts is better covered by a separate bike policy.
Do I need bike insurance by law?
No, not for bikes and pedelecs up to 25 km/h.
S-pedelecs need a number plate and motor liability insurance.
Contents add-on or separate bike policy?
For theft of a normal bike the add-on is usually enough.
If you also want crash, accident and wear covered, you need a separate bike policy.
