# Insurance for car parks, underground garages and parking operators in Germany

> In a car park hundreds of cars, pedestrians, barriers, ramps and pay machines meet every day. A slippery floor, a barrier closing too early, water coming through the ceiling: the claims end up with the operator. If you run car parks, underground garages or parking lots in Germany, German law applies. This page shows how parking operators protect themselves and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-car-park-operator.php  
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Are we liable if a customer's car is damaged or stolen in our car park?

That depends on the contract. If you only rent out a space, you are mainly liable for the safe condition of the building and equipment, for example a barrier that comes down on a car. If you take the car or the keys into your care, as with valet parking, a custody contract arises with much wider liability. Your public liability policy should then expressly include damage to customers' vehicles in your care.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law to run a car park or parking lot; lease and operator contracts often require liability cover
- **Custody:** If you take vehicles or keys into your care, for example with valet parking, you enter a custody contract under German law and must keep the item safe, which widens your liability considerably
- **Biggest risk:** Injuries from falls and damage to customers' cars from barriers, doors and parts of the building
- **Basic cover from:** about €600 to €1,500 a year for public liability on a parking lot with a barrier, a guide figure from our quoting practice
- **Often forgotten:** The equipment: barriers, pay machines, number plate recognition and charging points fail after power surges or vandalism, and each day without entry costs revenue

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Pedestrian falls:** Ice on the top deck, oil on the ramp, a dark stairwell: customers who fall claim pain and suffering and lost earnings.
- **Barriers and doors:** The barrier comes down on a car roof, the roller door lowers onto a van.
- **Falling parts:** Spalling concrete, lamps or signs fall onto cars or people.
- **Water and fire:** A car fire or a burst pipe damages ceilings, concrete and equipment, and repairs take weeks.
- **Pay machines broken open:** Pay machines are broken into, and cash and equipment are gone.
- **System failures and attacks:** A power surge or an attack on the parking system shuts down entry, payment and number plate recognition.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers injury and property damage from running the site and keeping it safe, from falls to barriers; with valet parking, including damage to customers' vehicles in your care. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Strongly advised): For your own car park against fire, water damage, storm and hail; car fires are the big threat to the structure. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Strongly advised): For barriers, pay machines, cameras, number plate recognition and charging points against power surges, vandalism and operating errors. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Replaces lost parking fees if the car park stays closed after a fire or water damage. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Business contents** (Depends on the business): For cash in machines, the booth and furniture against burglary and robbery. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For parking systems with app, number plate recognition and card payment. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Business legal expenses** (Depends on the business): For disputes with landlords, customers over fees and damages, and staff. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-legal-expenses.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Depends on the business): For car lifts, parking lifts and ventilation against breakdown. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php

## What it costs: example prices

Insurers price by number of spaces, construction, valet service, charging points and claims history. An underground garage with a car lift costs more than an open lot with a barrier.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Parking lot with 150 spaces and barrier, €5 million cover | about €600 to €1,500 a year |
| Business liability | Car park with 500 spaces and valet service, custody damage included | about €3,000 to €8,000 a year |
| Commercial buildings | Car park with €5 million rebuild value | about €3,500 to €9,000 a year |
| Electronic equipment | Barriers, pay machines and cameras worth €150,000 | about €1,200 to €3,000 a year |
| Business interruption | Car park with €800,000 annual turnover | about €800 to €2,000 a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a parking lot with a barrier costs about as much a year as two or three spaces bring in over a month.

_Guide figures from our quoting practice, excluding German insurance premium tax, as of October 2026. Insurers publish no tariff examples for car parks because they rate each site individually. The duty to keep items in custody is set out in section 688 of the German Civil Code._

- [German Civil Code (BGB), section 688: duties under a custody contract](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__688.html)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Parking lot** (Open parking lot with barrier and pay machine): Business liability, Electronic equipment, Business contents. Together: about €1,200 to €3,000 a year
- **Car park** (Own multi storey car park or underground garage with staff): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Electronic equipment, Business interruption. Together: about €7,000 to €18,000 a year
- **Operator** (Operators of several sites with valet service, app and charging points): Business liability, Commercial buildings, Electronic equipment, Business interruption, Cyber insurance, Business legal expenses. Together: individual, usually from about €20,000 a year

## The worst day in the car park

Six things car park operators really go through, all on one Saturday before Christmas. Tap through and see who pays.

- 07:10: A customer slips on the icy top deck and breaks her wrist. (€9,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 10:30: The exit barrier closes too early and dents the roof of an SUV. (€3,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:45: A thunderstorm surge knocks out barriers and pay machines. (€14,000, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 16:20: A car catches fire on level 2, damaging the ceiling and cables. (€85,000, Paid by: Commercial buildings)
- 16:30: After the fire the car park stays closed for three weeks, and the takings are lost. (€45,000, Paid by: Business interruption)
- 02:15: During the night two pay machines are broken open. (€6,500, Paid by: Business contents)

**Damage so far:** €162,700

## Practical tips from your broker

- Record gritting, cleaning and inspection rounds; in a dispute about safety duties, proof decides.
- If you offer valet parking, have damage to customers' vehicles in your care included expressly.
- Insure cash in machines with a sufficient limit and empty them regularly.
- Check buildings and equipment cover after installing new charging points.
- Base business interruption cover on a realistic repair time after a car fire, often several weeks.
- If you lease the site, clarify who insures the building and equipment.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We settle the liability question first:** Space rental or custody, lease or ownership: this decides what cover you need. As brokers we clarify it before comparing.
- **Building, equipment and interruption together:** We match buildings, electronics and business interruption so that no gap remains after a fire.
- **Several insurers compared:** We approach several insurers and lay out cover and excesses side by side, in English if you prefer.
- **Family run, brokering since 1989:** Norman Nammert arranges your cover as an insurance broker. It is free for you; the insurer pays our commission.

## FAQ

### Is insurance compulsory for car parks in Germany?

Not by law. Lease and operator contracts almost always require public liability cover.

### Are we liable for theft from parked cars?

With plain space rental, usually not for the contents. If you take the car or keys into your care, liability is wider, so your public liability should include custody damage.

### What does public liability cost for a parking lot?

For a lot with 150 spaces and a barrier about €600 to €1,500 a year; a large car park with valet service pays considerably more.

### Who pays if a car burns in the car park?

Buildings insurance is there for the damage to the structure, business interruption cover for lost takings. Whether the vehicle owner is liable is checked by the insurer afterwards.

### Are barriers and pay machines insured?

Against power surges, vandalism and operating errors under electronics insurance, against burglary under contents insurance.

### Do we need cyber insurance?

If parking runs through an app, number plate recognition and card payment, yes: an attack can halt entry and payment for days.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-car-park-operator.php#anfrage

---

Your broker: Norman Nammert, trading as NAMMERT. Insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act. Broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH is a separate company. It does not arrange your contract.

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