# Insurance for gyms and fitness centres in Germany

> Your gym holds equipment worth hundreds of thousands of euros, and every day people you do not all know train on it. A cable snaps on the cable machine, a class is instructed wrongly, someone falls in the shower, burglars break in at night when no staff are there. This page shows what you should cover and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-gym.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Am I liable if a member is injured on a machine?

If the machine was faulty, had not been maintained or your trainer gave the wrong instructions, yes. Your public liability then pays treatment, loss of earnings and compensation. If someone gets hurt through their own misuse of an intact machine, you are usually not liable. What matters is that you can prove maintenance, induction and safety notices.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law. Landlords, franchisors and partnerships with health insurers often ask for public liability cover, though
- **Biggest risk:** Members injured by equipment, instruction errors and falls
- **Basic cover from:** about 285 euros a year for public liability for a small gym with around 100,000 euros turnover
- **Statutory accident insurer:** VBG, the Berufsgenossenschaft for service businesses; membership is compulsory from your first employee, including trainers on mini jobs
- **Often forgotten:** Business interruption: after a fire, members cancel while lease payments for the equipment keep running
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 93.13 Fitnesszentren

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Equipment gives way:** A cable snaps on the cable machine, a weight bench breaks, a treadmill stops abruptly. If you cannot prove maintenance, you are liable.
- **Wrong instruction:** Too much weight at the start, the wrong exercise for someone with back problems: mistakes by trainers and class instructors lead to injuries and claims.
- **Wet floors, heavy weights:** Falls in the showers and changing rooms, dumbbells dropped on someone else's feet. Lots of small claims, some large ones.
- **Heart and circulation:** A member collapses on the cross trainer. What counts then is whether a defibrillator was available and someone could give first aid.
- **Unstaffed at night:** Gyms that open around the clock are vulnerable to vandalism, burglary and theft from lockers.
- **Member data and direct debits:** Thousands of bank details and health records sit in the membership software. An attack shuts down entry and fee collection.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 4, Theft 3, Cyber 3, Downtime 4, Health 3

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers members injured by equipment, trainer errors and falls, as well as damage to rented premises. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces strength and cardio equipment, fittings and reception desk after fire, burst pipes, burglary and vandalism. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays rent, leasing, wages and lost membership fees while the gym is closed after an insured loss. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): For the entry system, cardio machines with electronics, cameras and the till system, against breakdown and power surges. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): Helps with attacks on membership software and the entry system, and with data leaks involving bank details. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes over membership cancellations, leases and employment law. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Company health insurance** (Depends on the business): Company health insurance suits a health business and helps keep good trainers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-health-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums depend on turnover, floor area and the value of the equipment. A class programme, sauna, childcare and unstaffed opening hours all change the premium.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Small gym, about 100,000 euros turnover, 1,000 euros excess | about 285 to 600 euros a year |
| Business liability | Gym with 1,500 members, classes and sauna | about 900 to 2,500 euros a year |
| Business contents | Equipment and fittings with a new value of 250,000 euros | about 700 to 1,800 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to twelve months | about 300 to 900 euros a year on top |
| Cyber insurance | Gym with membership software, direct debits and an app | about 500 to 1,200 euros a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a small gym costs roughly as much per year as the monthly fees of eight to fifteen members.

_Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The entry figure comes from a publicly quoted tariff example; the other figures are guide figures from our own quoting experience. Gyms that open around the clock often pay surcharges on contents cover._

- [berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Fitnessstudio](https://berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de/betriebshaftpflicht-fitnessstudio/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Gym** (small gym or boutique studio in rented premises): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about 700 to 1,600 euros a year
- **Centre** (gym with class rooms, sauna and permanent trainers): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Electronic equipment. Together: about 2,500 to 6,000 euros a year
- **All round** (large gym open around the clock, with an app and several sites): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Electronic equipment, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about 6,000 to 15,000 euros a year

## The worst day at the gym

Six things that really happen at gyms, all on one single Monday in January, when everyone starts again. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 06:30: A worn cable snaps on the cable machine. The weight hits a member on the shoulder. (€14,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:15: After an induction session with too much weight, a new member has a slipped disc and blames the trainer. (€8,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 12:40: A woman slips on a loose tile in the shower. Broken ankle. (€7,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 15:00: The membership software is encrypted, the turnstile will not open and direct debit collection has stopped. (€12,000, Paid by: Cyber insurance)
- 18:20: A power surge after a lightning strike: four treadmills and the entry system are damaged. (€22,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 23:50: Late at night burglars break into the unstaffed gym, mirrors and machines are damaged and the till is empty. (€18,000, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €81,500

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have trainers, class instructors, personal training and the sauna expressly named in the policy, including freelancers.
- Keep a maintenance log for every machine and record inductions with a signature.
- Insure equipment at new value and include leased machines; the leasing company often asks for proof.
- Choose an indemnity period of at least twelve months for business interruption. A new site cannot be fitted out in three months.
- If you open without staff, check the conditions for burglary and vandalism; some insurers require cameras or an alarm system.
- Keep a defibrillator on site and train your team. It saves lives and strengthens your position when liability is in question.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We check trainers, classes and sauna:** Many gyms have a policy that fits the gym they were five years ago. As a broker we match what you offer today against several insurers.
- **Claims handling we do ourselves:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. When maintenance logs and witnesses count after an equipment accident, we know what matters.
- **Gym, equipment and team together:** Liability, contents, equipment, business interruption and benefits for your staff are handled by us from one source.
- **A family business since 1989:** Our advice costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission. You have a fixed contact person instead of a hotline.

## FAQ

### Does a gym need public liability insurance in Germany?

Not by law. In practice it is indispensable, because any injury to a member quickly leads to five figure claims.

### What does insurance for a gym cost?

Public liability starts at about 285 euros a year for small gyms. With equipment, business interruption and electronics, a medium sized gym is usually between 2,500 and 6,000 euros.

### Are freelance trainers covered by the gym's policy?

Only if they are included in the policy. Otherwise self employed personal trainers working in your gym need their own liability cover.

### Is the gym liable for theft from lockers?

Usually only if you failed in your duties, for example with faulty locks. Notices, good locks and cameras help avoid liability.

### Is leased equipment insured?

Only if you declare it in your contents policy. Leasing companies usually require you to insure the equipment yourself.

### Which statutory accident insurer is responsible?

For gyms it is the VBG. Your employees, including mini jobbers on reception, are covered there for accidents at work.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-gym.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.