What insurance do I need as a tenant in Germany?

In short

What insurance do I need as a tenant in Germany? Above all personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht) that covers damage to the rented flat, for about EUR 40 to 120 a year. Contents insurance (Hausrat) is worthwhile, often from about EUR 25 a year. You do not need building insurance: your landlord takes it out and may pass the cost on through the service charges.

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What it costs

What tenant insurance costs in Germany, guide values from published tariff examples and operating cost figures.

Example	Typical range
Personal liability for singles, including rented property damage	about EUR 40 to 120 a year
Contents, 75 to 80 square metres, depending on the city	about EUR 25 to 120 a year
Natural hazards module in contents, low risk zones	about EUR 18 to 27 a year
Tenancy legal expenses as a single module	about EUR 40 to 90 a year
Building insurance passed on to tenants, average	around EUR 0.31 per square metre a month

Guide values as of October 2026 from published tariff examples and the operating cost index.

The totals in the worked example are guide values from quoting practice.

Norman Nammert obtains quotes as an insurance broker.

Worked example

Single, 60 square metre rented flat on the first floor

Cover for a tenant who sets the contents sum by the rule of thumb.

Personal liability with rented property damage	about EUR 50 to 80 a year
Contents, 60 × EUR 650 = EUR 39,000 sum insured	about EUR 50 to 90 a year
Natural hazards module, low risk zone	about EUR 18 to 27 a year
Building insurance via service charges, 60 × EUR 0.31 × 12	around EUR 223 a year, already in the rent

Your own policies together cost about EUR 120 to 200 a year, roughly EUR 10 to 17 a month.

What tenants need and what they don't

As a tenant in Germany you insure two things: your liability towards the landlord and others, and your own belongings. The building itself is not yours, so you do not insure it.

The table shows which policy plays which role for tenants and what it roughly costs.

Insurance	For tenants	Cost per year
Personal liability with rented property damage	essential	about EUR 40 to 120
Contents (Hausrat)	important if you could not easily replace your things	about EUR 25 to 120
Natural hazards module (Elementar) in contents	depends on location, important on the ground floor and in the cellar	about EUR 18 to 27 in low risk zones
Tenancy legal expenses (Mietrechtsschutz)	if you do not want to carry a dispute with the landlord yourself	about EUR 40 to 90 as a module
Building insurance	not needed, landlord's job	via service charges

Liability: damage to the rented flat matters

A tenant is liable for damage to the flat caused through fault: the shelf that scratches the parquet, the cracked washbasin, the leak from a forgotten hose. In German policies this is called Mietsachschäden. Many liability tariffs include it, some only up to a low limit.

As a tenant, look for a high limit for rented property damage and check that lost keys are covered too. Window glass, heating and electrical appliances of the flat are excluded in many tariffs.

Normal wear and tear is not insured, but you do not have to pay for it either: under section 538 BGB a tenant is not responsible for changes caused by normal use.

Contents: your things, not the flat

Contents insurance replaces furniture, clothing and electronics at new value after fire, burst pipes, storm, hail, burglary and robbery. Useful for tenants to know: a fitted kitchen you paid for yourself counts as contents under the model terms of the German insurers' association, not as part of the building.

Many insurers use EUR 650 per square metre as a rule of thumb for the sum insured. If you own little and could replace everything from savings, you can skip contents insurance.

The landlord insures the building, you pay through service charges

If the house burns or a pipe bursts in the wall, the landlord's building insurance pays for the repair. Under section 2 no. 13 of the Operating Costs Ordinance (Betriebskostenverordnung) the landlord may pass the premium on to tenants if the lease says so. On average this is around EUR 0.31 per square metre a month.

Your belongings are not covered by that policy. If water from a pipe ruins your rug, your own contents insurance pays for the rug.

Natural hazards, glass and legal cover: only depending on your situation

If you live on the ground floor or in a basement flat, or keep things in the cellar, the natural hazards module in your contents policy protects against heavy rain and sewage backflow. On the top floor in a low risk zone tenants can often do without it.

Glass insurance rarely pays off for tenants, rather if you own a ceramic hob or large glass furniture. Tenancy legal expenses help with disputes over service charges, defects or notice; a tenants' association (Mieterverein) offers advice for about EUR 60 to 100 a year instead.

What you don't need as a tenant

Building insurance and homeowner's liability (Haus- und Grundbesitzerhaftpflicht) are for the owner. A rent deposit guarantee (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) only makes sense if you lack the money for a cash deposit; you pay a fee every year that you do not get back.

If your landlord asks for proof of liability insurance, a confirmation from your insurer is usually enough. You do not need a second liability policy just for the flat.

Step by step

Check your lease to see which insurance is passed on through the service charges.
Check your liability policy: are rented property damage and lost keys covered, and up to what limit?
Multiply your living space by EUR 650 and set the contents sum accordingly.
Check your location: ground floor, cellar or a nearby stream speak for the natural hazards module.
Decide whether tenancy legal expenses or a tenants' association suits you better.
When you move, report the new address and size to your contents insurer.

Checklist

Liability with a sufficient limit for rented property damage
Lost keys included
Contents sum matches the living space
Your own fitted kitchen included in the contents sum
Natural hazards module if you live low down or near water
No separate building insurance taken out

Common mistakes

Having liability cover without rented property damage and paying for damage to the flat yourself
Thinking the landlord's building insurance also pays for your furniture
Not raising the contents sum after moving into a bigger flat
Looking for insurance against normal wear and tear, which tenants are not liable for anyway

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

Is contents insurance compulsory for tenants in Germany?

No.

Neither the law nor the standard lease requires it.

It only protects your own belongings.

Do I have to have liability insurance as a tenant?

Not by law,

but it is the most important policy for tenants because damage to the flat quickly gets expensive.

Who pays for water damage in a rented flat?

The landlord's building insurance pays for the building,

your contents insurance for your wet furniture.

Your liability policy comes in if you caused the damage and someone claims compensation from you.

May my landlord pass on the building insurance to me?

Yes, if the lease provides for operating costs to be passed on.

Section 2 no.

13 of the Operating Costs Ordinance expressly lists property and liability insurance.

Do I need glass insurance as a tenant?

Usually not.

It can make sense if you own a ceramic hob or large glass furniture.

Is my cellar compartment covered by contents insurance?

Under the model terms yes, if it can be locked.

Against water from below only the natural hazards module helps.

Sources

NAMMERT insurance broker

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