What does 'unnamed perils' mean in contents insurance?
In short
What does 'unnamed perils' mean in contents insurance? German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) normally pays only for named perils such as fire, burst pipes, storm or burglary. With the unnamed perils add on (unbenannte Gefahren) any sudden, unforeseen damage is covered unless it is expressly excluded, for example a TV knocked over. Exclusions, payout caps and an excess set the limits.
Base premiums for German contents insurance from published tariff examples. The unnamed perils add on comes on top.
Example
Typical range
80 square metres in Dresden, basic cover
about EUR 23 to 25 a year
80 square metres in Düsseldorf, basic cover
about EUR 51 to 54 a year
75 square metres, medium tariff zone, with gross negligence
about EUR 90 to 120 a year
Surcharge for unnamed perils
about 10 to 40 percent on the base premium
Base premiums from publicly quoted tariff examples, October 2026.
The surcharge for unnamed perils is a guide value from our quoting practice and depends on the cap
and excess of the add on.
Worked example
Family, 90 square metres, two small children
The new TV falls off the stand while the children play, the screen is cracked.
Replacement price of the TV
EUR 1,200
Contents cover without add on
EUR 0, no named peril
With unnamed perils, excess EUR 150
EUR 1,050
Annual surcharge, example
about EUR 20 to 40
A single claim like this pays for the add on for many years. Without children and with older devices the benefit would be much smaller.
Named perils: what contents insurance normally pays
The German insurance association's model terms for contents insurance list the insured perils one by one: fire, lightning, surge from lightning, explosion and related events, then burglary, robbery and vandalism after a break in, plus escaping tap water (Leitungswasser), storm and hail. Natural hazards such as flood only come with an add on.
Anything not on that list is not covered by classic contents insurance. If your TV falls off the wall while you are dusting, none of the named perils applies and you pay yourself.
How unnamed perils cover works
The unnamed perils add on turns the principle of contents insurance around. The policy no longer lists what is insured but only the exceptions. Anything that happens suddenly and unforeseeably and is not excluded is covered.
That makes it easier for you to judge a claim: instead of looking for a matching peril, you only check whether an exclusion applies. How far the cover goes depends on the list of exclusions in the wording.
Damage
Contents cover without add on
Contents cover with unnamed perils
Kitchen fire
covered
covered
TV knocked over by a child
not covered
usually covered unless excluded
Juice spilled on a laptop
not covered
depends on the exclusions
Phone dropped on the floor
not covered
depends on the exclusions
Sofa worn out
not covered
not covered
Where unnamed perils cover stops
Even the broadest unnamed perils add on does not pay for everything. Usually excluded are intentional damage, gradual wear and tear and damage that existed before the policy began. Also check whether items such as phones or glasses are excluded or capped.
Look out for a maximum per claim and a separate excess for this add on. Both are in the policy wording, often in a clause of their own, and can limit the benefit considerably.
When the add on pays off and when it does not
Unnamed perils cover in contents insurance pays off most with small children, pets and a lot of expensive electronics in the living room. That is where the everyday accidents happen that none of the classic perils cover.
You probably do not need it if your belongings are modest and you could replace a broken TV yourself. If expensive devices are already covered by separate electronics insurance, you would be paying twice.
Unnamed perils versus personal liability
If your child breaks the neighbours' TV during a visit, that is a case for personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht), not contents. Unnamed perils in contents insurance only apply to your own belongings.
Personal liability never pays for your own things that you damage yourself. That is exactly the gap the add on closes, if it is in your policy.
Step by step
Check in your terms whether your contents insurance only knows named perils.
Read the exclusions of the unnamed perils add on point by point.
Note the payout cap and the excess of the add on.
Check whether phones, glasses or laptops are capped separately.
Compare the surcharge with the value of your electronics.
Avoid double cover with electronics insurance.
Checklist
List of exclusions read
Maximum per claim known
Separate excess of the add on known
Rules for phones and glasses checked
No double cover with electronics insurance
Common mistakes
Assuming unnamed perils means everything is covered
Overlooking the separate excess of the add on
Claiming damage to other people's things on contents instead of liability
Buying the add on although expensive devices are already insured elsewhere
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Is unnamed perils the same as all risks cover?
Essentially yes.
Both cover everything that is not excluded.
How far the cover goes depends on the wording in both cases.
Does contents insurance pay for a dropped phone?
Not without the add on.
With unnamed perils only if phones are not excluded or capped.
That is in the terms.
Who has to prove what after a claim?
You have to show the sudden damage to your item.
If the insurer refuses, it has to show that an exclusion applies.
Does the add on apply outside the home?
Each policy decides.
Check whether unnamed perils also apply under cover away from home (Außenversicherung) or only at
home.
Can I add it later?
That is a change to the contract which your insurer can offer but does not have to.
