German contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) pays nothing if the risk is not covered, such as flooding without the natural hazards add-on or theft without a break-in, or if you caused the loss on purpose. It pays less for gross negligence, if your sum insured is too low and often if you miss duties after a loss. Most of these gaps can be closed when you choose the policy.
Figures at which claims often fail or are reduced.
Example
Typical range
Waiver of underinsurance at many insurers
from about EUR 650 sum insured per square metre
Cut for gross negligence without a waiver
in court rulings mostly about 30 to 75 percent
Cash outside a safe
about EUR 1,000 to 2,000 depending on the tariff
Flat empty and unsupervised
report as increased risk usually after 60 days
Complaints about the amount of the loss, success rate 2025
75 percent
As of September 2026 from public sources.
Your own limits and deadlines are in your policy terms.
The worked example uses assumed figures.
Worked example
Kitchen fire with too low a sum insured
The belongings in an 80 square metre flat are worth EUR 60,000 new, but only EUR 40,000 is insured and there is no underinsurance waiver. A fire causes EUR 9,000 of damage.
Ratio of sum insured to value
40,000 to 60,000, two thirds
Loss
EUR 9,000
Payout after underinsurance cut
EUR 6,000
Further 50 percent cut, pan left unattended on the hob
EUR 3,000
Instead of EUR 9,000 you get EUR 3,000. With EUR 52,000 insured (EUR 650 per square metre) and a gross negligence waiver it would have been the full EUR 9,000.
Four reasons you get less or nothing
First, the risk is not covered. Second, you caused the loss through gross negligence or on purpose. Third, your sum insured was too low. Fourth, you broke one of the duties in your contract before or after the loss, called Obliegenheiten in German.
Only in the first case and with intent is the payout reliably zero. In the others the insurer usually cuts the payment according to how serious the mistake was.
Situation
Result
Flooding or heavy rain without natural hazards cover (Elementarschaden)
no payout
Theft without forced entry, for example from an unlocked flat
no payout unless your tariff includes simple theft
Pan left on the hob, candle left burning
cut by severity unless your tariff waives it
Sum insured too low
cut in proportion
Stolen goods list given to police weeks late
cut, up to no payout
Cash above the limit
paid only up to the limit
First premium not paid
often no cover at all
What contents insurance never covers
Standard cover is fire, burst pipes, storm and hail, burglary, robbery and vandalism after a break-in. Everything else needs an add-on: flooding and backflow, power surges from lightning in older tariffs, bike theft outside your home, glass breakage.
Damage to the building itself is for the owner's buildings insurance, and damage you cause to other people is for personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflicht). If you come from a country where one renters policy covers both, this split is the most common surprise.
Gross negligence and underinsurance
Since 2008, German law (section 81 of the Insurance Contract Act, VVG) no longer allows all or nothing for gross negligence: the insurer cuts according to how serious your fault was. Many tariffs waive this cut entirely, which is one of the most valuable features to compare.
Underinsurance means your sum insured is below the new value of your belongings. The insurer then pays only in proportion under section 75 VVG, even for small losses. If you insure at least EUR 650 per square metre, many insurers agree not to make this deduction.
Duties that catch newcomers out
After a loss you must report it without delay, keep the damage small and, after a burglary, call the police and give them a list of stolen items. Breaking these duties through gross negligence allows the insurer to cut the payout under section 28 VVG.
Before a loss, the main trap is a longer absence. If you go home for the summer and the flat stays empty and unsupervised for more than about 60 days, tell your insurer in advance.
When to push back
A rejection is not always final. At the German insurance ombudsman almost one in four contents complaints in 2025 was about the amount of the loss, and three out of four of those ended positively for the customer.
The procedure is free for consumers, and correspondence is in German. We can check with you first whether the rejection matches your policy terms.
Step by step
Compare your sum insured with the new value of your belongings, at least EUR 650 per square metre.
Check whether your tariff waives the cut for gross negligence.
Add missing cover: natural hazards, power surge, bike.
Compare the limits for cash and jewellery with what you own.
After a loss, report it at once, call the police after a burglary and collect evidence.
Checklist
Underinsurance waiver agreed
Gross negligence waived up to the full sum insured
Natural hazards cover if you live near water or on a slope
Premium paid by direct debit so you never fall behind
Long absences reported to the insurer
Receipts and photos of important items saved outside the flat
Common mistakes
Assuming contents insurance also covers damage you do to others
Never updating the sum insured after moving or buying furniture
Handing in the stolen goods list too late after a burglary
Accepting a rejection without having the reasons checked
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does it pay for water damage from heavy rain?
Only with natural hazards cover.
Without it, water from burst pipes is covered, water from outside is not.
Can the insurer refuse completely for gross negligence?
Only in very serious cases.
The rule is a cut according to severity, and a waiver in your contract removes it.
What if I have not paid the premium?
If the first premium is unpaid there is often no cover yet.
For later premiums cover ends after a formal reminder with a deadline.
Does it pay if my child breaks something at home?
Usually not.
Accidental damage to your own things is not a covered risk like fire or burglary.
Where can I complain if the insurer says no?
Object in writing first, then go to the insurance ombudsman.
It is free for consumers, and up to EUR 10,000 its decision is binding on the insurer.
Can I get policy terms in English?
Some insurers offer English versions, but the German terms are legally binding.
