# Insurance for caretaker services and facility management in Germany

> As a caretaker you take over the owner's duties: winter clearing, keeping the property safe, keys, small repairs. Take on the duties and you take on the liability. The fall on an icy pavement, the lost master key, the badly connected tap all land with you. This page shows how to protect yourself.

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

## Am I liable if someone falls on a pavement I was supposed to clear?

Yes, if you took on winter clearing by contract and did not grit in time or well enough. The duty then passes from the owner to you. Your public liability pays treatment, loss of earnings and compensation, provided winter clearing is named in the policy. Keep a clearing log with times; in a dispute it is often the deciding evidence.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law, but property managers ask for proof of public liability cover including winter clearing and loss of keys
- **Biggest risk:** Falls on paths that were not cleared, because the owner's duty to clear and grit has passed to you by contract
- **Basic cover from:** about 150 euros a year for public liability for a sole trader
- **Statutory accident insurer:** usually the VBG, the Berufsgenossenschaft for service businesses; if you mainly do trade or building work, often BG BAU
- **Often forgotten:** Damage caused by repair work: the water damage after replacing a tap is not always included in basic tariffs
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 81.10 Hausmeisterdienste

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Black ice at the front door:** A pensioner falls on the ungritted pavement at seven in the morning and breaks a hip. Winter clearing accidents are the most expensive classic in this trade.
- **Keys to every door:** Caretakers often carry master keys for whole housing estates. If one is lost, the locking system is replaced.
- **Repairs with consequences:** A new cistern, a replaced trap: if the joint does not seal, water runs into ceilings and walls for days.
- **The stone from the mower:** While mowing, a stone flies against a parked car or a window. Small claims, but lots of them.
- **A hazard overlooked:** A loose banister, a broken stairwell light: if you took on the inspections, you are liable if you do not report the defect.
- **Ladders, roofs and backs:** Clearing gutters, changing bulbs, dragging bins. Falls from ladders are the most common serious accidents in this work.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 5, Fire and water 2, Theft 3, Cyber 1, Downtime 2, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers winter clearing, the duty to keep the property safe, loss of keys and damage from small repairs, as long as these activities are named in the policy. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): For ride on mowers, sweepers and snow blowers, which are expensive and easily damaged in use. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces tools and materials in your workshop and store after burglary, fire or water damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Car insurance** (Strongly advised): The van and trailer are your workplace, and tools in the vehicle can be insured against theft. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Accident insurance** (Strongly advised): The statutory accident insurer only pays for accidents at work, and only if you are insured as an employer. Private accident cover applies around the clock. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes with property managers over terminated contracts or unpaid invoices. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Occupational disability** (Depends on the business): Protects your income if your knees or back no longer allow physical work. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-occupational-disability.php

## What it costs: example prices

Premiums for caretaker services are moderate. They rise with winter clearing for many sites, repairs to water and electrics, and more employees.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Sole trader, about 25,000 to 60,000 euros turnover, 3 million euros cover | about 150 to 300 euros a year |
| Business liability | Caretaker service with winter clearing for 20 sites and three employees | about 450 to 1,100 euros a year |
| Machinery breakdown | Ride on mower, sweeper and snow blower worth 25,000 euros | about 300 to 700 euros a year |
| Business contents | Workshop with tools and materials worth 15,000 euros | about 80 to 200 euros a year |
| Accident insurance | Owner, 150,000 euros base sum with progression | about 150 to 400 euros a year |

For comparison: A caretaker's public liability policy costs roughly as much per year as five to seven hours you bill to a property manager.

_Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The liability examples come from publicly quoted tariffs; machinery, contents and accident are guide figures from our own quoting experience. Your premium depends on sites, activities and insurer._

- [Finanzchef24: Betriebshaftpflicht für Hausmeister](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/hausmeister)
- [berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Hausmeister](https://berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de/betriebshaftpflicht-hausmeister/)
- [finanzchecks.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Hausmeisterservice](https://www.finanzchecks.de/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung/hausmeisterservice)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Start** (sole trader with a few sites and no large machines): Business liability, Accident insurance. Together: about 300 to 700 euros a year
- **Service** (caretaker service with winter clearing, grounds maintenance and a workshop): Business liability, Accident insurance, Machinery breakdown, Business contents. Together: about 900 to 2,200 euros a year
- **All round** (facility services company with staff, vehicles and many sites): Business liability, Accident insurance, Machinery breakdown, Business contents, Car insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: about 2,500 to 5,500 euros a year

## The worst day for a caretaker service

Six things that really happen to caretakers, all on one single winter's day. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 06:50: Outside a housing estate where you handle winter clearing, a woman falls on black ice. Broken hip, rehab, compensation. (€35,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 09:20: While replacing an angle valve the joint comes loose. Water runs for hours into two flats below. (€16,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:45: The master key for an estate with 60 households is gone. The management company has the locking system replaced. (€18,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:30: The snow blower sucks in a stone and the gearbox is ruined. (€3,800, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 15:10: While clearing a gutter the ladder slips. You break your wrist and are off work for eight weeks. (€12,000, Paid by: Accident insurance)
- 22:40: Break-in at the workshop: cordless tools, brush cutter and leaf blower are gone. (€7,500, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €92,300

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have winter clearing and the duty to keep premises safe named expressly in the policy, together with the number of sites you look after.
- Agree at least 50,000 euros for third party keys, and preferably 100,000 euros for large housing estates.
- Check for cover for damage to water, gas and electricity lines if you take on small repairs.
- Choose at least 5 million euros cover for bodily injury. A fall with lasting consequences costs six figures.
- Record clearing and gritting times, ideally in an app with time stamp and photo.
- Check your employer's cover with the Berufsgenossenschaft: as the owner you are not always protected automatically.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We check what you actually do:** Winter clearing, grounds maintenance, repairs, keys: every activity has to be in the policy. As a broker we match that against quotes from several insurers.
- **We know claims files:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves. We know which records count after a black ice accident and help you put them together.
- **Business and vehicle together:** Liability, van, machinery and your private cover all come together with us, with one contact person.
- **A family business since 1989:** You pay nothing for our advice; the insurer pays our commission. And you reach people, not a hotline.

## FAQ

### Does a caretaker service need public liability insurance?

It is not required by law. Without it, though, you will hardly get work from property managers, and a single black ice accident can end your business.

### Is winter clearing covered automatically?

Often yes, if it is done for the sites you look after. Pure winter clearing for other areas or roads must be declared separately.

### What does insurance for a caretaker cost?

For sole traders, public liability starts at about 150 euros a year. With winter clearing for many sites and staff you are usually between 450 and 1,100 euros.

### Which statutory accident insurer is responsible?

For typical caretaker services usually the VBG. If you mainly carry out trade or building work, you often belong to BG BAU. The Berufsgenossenschaften decide based on the work you actually do.

### Can I do electrical or plumbing work as a caretaker?

Only small jobs that do not require a master craftsman's qualification. Doing more risks trouble with the Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) and your insurance cover.

### Who pays if a car is damaged while I am mowing?

Your public liability policy. Stone chip damage like this is common and covered without restriction in good tariffs.

## 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-facility-services.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.