# Insurance for day spas, saunas and massage studios in Germany

> Heat, water and relaxed guests without shoes: exactly this mix makes a spa prone to liability claims. Falls on wet tiles, guests feeling faint in the sauna, an overheated sauna heater or valuables vanishing from a locker. This page shows what you should cover, what it costs and what is missing from many policies.

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

## Am I liable if a guest collapses in the sauna?

Not automatically. Anyone who uses a sauna knows the risk. You are liable if you failed in your duties: no supervision or emergency call system, a heater set too hot, no warning about health risks, a slippery floor by the plunge pool. Then your public liability pays. Posted sauna rules, an emergency button and regular rounds protect guests and lower your liability risk.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** No insurance is required by law. If you run showers and hot water systems commercially, you must, however, meet the duties of the German Drinking Water Ordinance (Trinkwasserverordnung), such as testing for legionella
- **Biggest risk:** Guests falling or collapsing, and fires caused by sauna heaters
- **Basic cover from:** about 80 euros a year for public liability for a self employed wellness massage therapist
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGW, the Berufsgenossenschaft for health and beauty, for massage and beauty; for pure sauna and bathing businesses another Berufsgenossenschaft may be responsible
- **Often forgotten:** Cloakroom and lockers: if a guest's watch or phone disappears, questions about your liability come quickly
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 96.23 Day Spas, Saunas, Dampfbäder

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Wet tiles:** Barefoot, damp and relaxed: falls in the wet area and by the plunge pool are the most common injury claims in a spa.
- **Heat and circulation:** A guest collapses during an infusion or burns themselves on the heater guard. The question is then whether supervision and equipment were in order.
- **The sauna heater:** Towels on the heater, faulty controls, wood drying out for years: sauna fires often destroy whole facilities.
- **Water with germs:** Whirlpools, showers and hot water tanks can spread legionella and other germs if maintenance and testing are neglected.
- **Valuables in lockers:** Lockers broken open, lost wristband keys, mixed up clothing. Guests want watches, phones and jewellery replaced.
- **Massage with consequences:** Too much pressure, hot stones, allergic reactions to oils. Even wellness massages can lead to injuries and claims.

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

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Covers falls, burns and treatment injuries to guests and, if included, liability for the cloakroom and lockers. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces loungers, sauna fittings, furnishings and products after fire, burst pipes and burglary. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): After a sauna fire a spa often stays closed for months. Business interruption pays rent, wages and lost profit. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Machinery breakdown** (Strongly advised): For sauna heaters, water treatment, whirlpool technology and ventilation, which shut down the whole business when they fail. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-machinery-breakdown.php
- **Commercial buildings** (Depends on the business): If you own the building, you need cover against fire, burst pipes and storm, with high limits for water damage given the wet areas. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-commercial-buildings.php
- **Cyber insurance** (Depends on the business): For your booking system, voucher sales and client data with health information. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-cyber-insurance.php
- **Company health insurance** (Depends on the business): Company health insurance helps you keep therapists and sauna masters. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-health-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

A massage practice is cheap to insure, a day spa with a sauna area considerably more expensive. The deciding factors are floor area, number of saunas and pools, turnover and the value of the equipment.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Self employed wellness massage therapist, no sauna | about 80 to 200 euros a year |
| Business liability | Day spa with two saunas, relaxation room and five employees | about 400 to 1,200 euros a year |
| Business contents | Furnishings, sauna fittings and products worth 100,000 euros | about 400 to 1,000 euros a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to twelve months after fire or water damage | about 250 to 800 euros a year on top |
| Machinery breakdown | Sauna heaters, water treatment and ventilation worth 60,000 euros | about 400 to 1,000 euros a year |

For comparison: Public liability for a small day spa costs roughly as much per year as five to ten day passes with a massage.

_Guide figures excluding German insurance premium tax, as of September 2026. The entry figure for massage is derived from publicly quoted tariffs for beauty and wellness businesses; spa facilities, contents and equipment are guide figures from our own quoting experience. Saunas with wood burning heaters are rated differently from electric ones._

- [Finanzchef24: Versicherungen für die Schönheitsbranche](https://www.finanzchef24.de/versicherung/schoenheitsbranche)
- [berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Kosmetikstudio](https://berufshaftpflichtversicherung-experten.de/betriebshaftpflicht-kosmetikstudio/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Massage** (massage practice or wellness massage without a sauna): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about 150 to 400 euros a year
- **Day spa** (spa with sauna, relaxation rooms and treatments, in rented premises): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Machinery breakdown. Together: about 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year
- **All round** (sauna complex or spa in its own building with online booking): Business liability, Business contents, Business interruption, Machinery breakdown, Commercial buildings, Cyber insurance. Together: about 5,000 to 12,000 euros a year

## The worst day at the day spa

Six things that really happen in spas, saunas and massage studios, all on one single Sunday. Tap through the day and see who pays.

- 10:20: A guest slips by the plunge pool, where there was no non slip mat. Bruised hip and broken wrist. (€9,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 11:45: During a hot stone massage a client suffers burns on her back. (€3,500, Paid by: Business liability)
- 13:30: The water treatment control fails and the whirlpool stays closed for a week. (€6,000, Paid by: Machinery breakdown)
- 15:10: A watch and a smartphone disappear from a locker that was broken open. The guest wants them replaced. (€4,200, Paid by: Business liability)
- 17:00: A towel on the sauna heater catches fire. The sauna burns out and the relaxation area is covered in soot. (€85,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 18:30: After the fire the spa stays closed for three months. Rent and wages keep running. (€60,000, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €167,700

## Practical tips from your broker

- Include liability for the cloakroom and lockers, with a limit that suits your guests.
- Name every treatment in the policy: massage, hot stone, beauty treatments, sauna infusions, scrubs, floating.
- Insure sauna fittings at new value, including the timber interior, heaters and controls.
- Agree a long indemnity period for business interruption. Rebuilding a sauna often takes longer than six months.
- Record your rounds, heater maintenance and legionella tests. After an accident this is your most important evidence.
- If you call your service massage, check the job title: Masseur is a protected title in Germany, wellness massage is not.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We know the gaps in wet areas:** Cloakroom, sauna heater, burst pipes, long closures: as a broker we compare several insurers exactly where spas are typically underinsured.
- **Claims handling from the inside:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves and know that water and fire lead to long procedures. We help you document a sauna fire properly.
- **Business, equipment and building aligned:** Liability, contents, machinery, buildings and business interruption are handled together, so no claim gets stuck between two policies.
- **A family business since 1989:** Our advice costs you nothing; the insurer pays our commission. You can reach us directly, even if something happened on a Sunday.

## FAQ

### Does a sauna business need public liability insurance?

It is not required by law. But when guests fall or get burnt, the sums quickly reach five figures, so it is indispensable.

### Am I liable for valuables in lockers?

That depends on your notices and locking systems. If you offer lockable lockers, you take on a certain duty of care. Have cloakroom liability included in your public liability policy.

### What does insurance for a day spa cost?

Public liability is usually between 400 and 1,200 euros a year, depending on size. With contents, equipment and business interruption a small spa comes to about 1,500 to 4,000 euros.

### Can I offer massages without training?

Wellness massages without a therapeutic claim, yes. But the title Masseur is protected, and medical massage is reserved for trained professionals. Your policy must match what you actually offer.

### Does insurance pay for the closure after a sauna fire?

Only with business interruption insurance. It pays rent, wages and lost profit until the business is running again, up to the agreed indemnity period.

### What if guests complain about legionella?

Then public liability pays if you are liable. If you neglect the tests required by the Drinking Water Ordinance, though, you risk trouble with the local health office (Gesundheitsamt) and your insurer.

## 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-spa.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.