# Company bike insurance in Germany: what the leasing cover really protects

> A leased company bike (Dienstrad) belongs to the leasing company, and it insists that the bike is insured against theft and damage. That is why almost every German bike leasing scheme, JobRad being the best known, comes with comprehensive cover, often with wear and tear and a breakdown service. How good that cover is depends on the provider your employer picked, and the rules you have to follow usually sit in a short leaflet in German.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-company-bike-insurance.php  
Updated: 2026-11-14

## Does a company bike in Germany have to be insured?

Not by law, as long as it is a bicycle or a pedelec assisted up to 25 km/h. Only the S-pedelec, assisted up to 45 km/h, needs motor liability cover with an insurance plate. The leasing company, however, requires insurance because it owns the bike, so practically every leasing contract includes comprehensive cover with theft protection. The real question is how good it is: which lock rule applies, whether battery and wear are included, and who pays if the insurer reduces a claim.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory?:** Not by law, except motor liability for S-pedelecs; the lease requires comprehensive cover
- **Policyholder:** usually the leasing company or the employer under a master policy, riders are included
- **Term:** tied to the lease, usually 36 months
- **Tax with salary sacrifice:** 0.25 % of the list price rounded down to full 100 euros per month, for bikes provided until the end of 2030
- **Most common dispute:** how the bike was locked when it was stolen

## Who owns the bike and who is insured

German company bike leasing involves three parties. The leasing company buys the bike and stays its owner, the employer leases it and hands it to the employee, who usually pays through salary sacrifice (Gehaltsumwandlung) from gross pay. The insurance is normally taken out by the leasing company or the employer under a master policy that includes the rider. You will rarely see the policy itself, only a leaflet (Merkblatt) with the key rules.

For employers this means that choosing a leasing company also means choosing the insurance for every bike in the company. Several providers offer different packages, and whether wear, servicing or protection against loss of salary is included is up to the employer. Asking for the full terms rather than the marketing summary saves your staff arguments later.

## Theft: locks, parking and proof

Almost all terms require the bike to be locked whenever it is parked. Many also require it to be locked to a fixed object, while others accept a frame lock. The JobRad leaflets, for example, spell out the duty to lock and secure the bike as an obligation of the rider. On top of that you will need a police report and the purchase receipt with the frame number.

Leaving the bike unlocked may count as gross negligence, and German insurers may then reduce the payment in line with the degree of fault unless the policy waives that right. Whatever the insurer does not pay ends up with the employer under the lease and, under the user agreement, usually with the employee. A waiver of the gross negligence defence is therefore one of the most valuable points when comparing schemes.

## Battery, wear, breakdown cover and tax

Comprehensive cover pays for theft, accidents, falls and vandalism. Wear on chain, brakes and tyres is a separate module that not every scheme includes, often tied to regular servicing. For the battery the wording matters: some terms replace it only after external damage, others also when capacity falls below a stated threshold. Breakdown cover (Mobilitätsgarantie) brings roadside help, transport to a workshop or a taxi, with limits on distance and number of call outs.

If you lease through salary sacrifice, private use is taxed at 0.25 percent of the recommended retail price, rounded down to full 100 euros, per month, for bikes provided until the end of 2030. If the employer provides the bike on top of the salary already owed, the benefit is tax free under § 3 No. 37 of the Income Tax Act. S-pedelecs do not count as bicycles for tax purposes; the rules for motor vehicles apply.

## What is covered

- Theft of the properly locked bike, including burglary from a cellar or shared bike room
- Accident and fall damage, even if you caused it yourself
- Vandalism by others
- Damage to motor, controller and display, depending on the package
- Battery damage from a fall or defect, loss of capacity only if included
- Wear parts such as chain, brake pads and tyres, if the package includes them
- Roadside help, transport and onward travel under the breakdown cover
- Settlement of the lease after total loss or theft

## What is not covered

- Theft of a bike that was not locked as required, fully or partly depending on the terms
- Damage after tuning or tampering with the drive
- Races and competitions
- Intentional damage and misappropriation by the rider
- Cosmetic damage that does not affect function
- Liability for damage to others, which falls under your personal liability insurance

## Who needs it

- Employers in Germany introducing a company bike scheme or switching provider
- Companies that buy bikes outright and provide them to staff
- Freelancers and self-employed people with a business bike
- Employees from abroad who want to understand their obligations before ordering

## Who does not need it

- Riders of a leased bike who want a second private bike policy for the same bike: during the lease it is already insured

## What it costs

In German bike leasing the insurance is usually built into the monthly rate and not shown separately. Its price depends less on the individual bike than on the package the employer chooses. Bikes outside a leasing scheme are quoted as a fleet or individually.

**What drives the premium:**

- Purchase price of the bikes and the share of e-bikes and cargo bikes
- Package: comprehensive only, or with wear, servicing and breakdown cover
- Deductible, especially for theft
- Number of bikes in the scheme
- Theft risk where riders live and work

_We do not publish sample premiums because leasing companies rarely disclose the insurance share of their rates. For bikes outside a lease we obtain quotes based on your details._

## The policy levels on the market

- **Comprehensive:** Theft, accident, fall and vandalism. Wear and battery ageing stay with the rider, breakdown cover is often missing.
- **Comprehensive with wear:** Adds chain, brakes, tyres and often an annual service. The usual choice for daily commuters.
- **Full package:** Comprehensive, wear, breakdown cover and protection of the rate during illness or parental leave, sometimes without deductible.

## How to recognise a good policy

| Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lock rule | locked with a lock | locked is enough, no minimum lock price | Most rejected theft claims fail on how the bike was secured. |
| Gross negligence | reduction by degree of fault | insurer waives the defence | What the insurer deducts is usually paid by the employee in the end. |
| Battery | only after external damage | also loss of capacity below a stated threshold | A new battery is one of the most expensive spare parts of an e-bike. |
| Wear | not included | chain, brakes, tyres and sprockets with no age limit | Daily commuting wears these parts out several times during a lease. |
| Breakdown cover | roadside help beyond a minimum distance | from your front door, with onward travel and generous call out limits | Breakdowns happen on the way to work. |
| Deductible | fixed amount per claim | none, also for theft | The rider pays the deductible. |
| Loss of salary | not included | rates covered during illness, parental leave or after leaving | Without salary there is nothing to sacrifice. |

## Insurers on the German market

You rarely buy cover for a leased bike yourself: it sits in the leasing company's master policy, and the leaflet often does not name the insurer behind it. If your company provides bikes without leasing, or you ride a business bike as a freelancer, you insure it directly. The list shows German insurers that write bicycle cover; it is a market overview, not a list of our partners.

- **Ammerländer**: comprehensive fleet cover for company bikes of employers and leasing companies
- **WERTGARANTIE**: company bike leasing with full cover through its subsidiary linexo
- **Barmenia**: own bicycle insurance, part of Barmenia Gothaer since 2025
- **Die Bayerische**: bicycle policies through brokers and direct sales
- **HDI**: part of the Talanx group, focus on business and professions

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

## Typical claims and who pays

- **Locked e-bike gone from the station** (the settlement value of the lease): The core case of comprehensive cover. The insurer pays the leasing company once the police report and proof are in.
- **Fall on a wet road, bent wheel** (a few hundred euros in repairs): Accident and fall damage is part of comprehensive cover, even if it was your own fault.
- **Battery range down by half** (a new battery costs several hundred euros): Loss of capacity is only covered with battery wear included, and then only below a stated threshold and age limit.
- **Chain and brake pads worn out** (a workshop bill): Wear is a separate module and often requires regular servicing.
- **Flat tyre two km from the office** (pick up or taxi): Breakdown cover helps, but some versions only beyond a minimum distance from home or a few times a year.
- **Motor burnt out after tuning** (motor and controller, often four figures): Tampering with the drive removes cover in every package, and the bike may no longer count as a bicycle.

## Myth or truth

- „A leased company bike is fully insured, so there is nothing I need to do." ✘ False. The cover comes with duties: lock rules, police report, notice periods. Breach them and the insurer may reduce the payment, with the rest landing on you.
- „A private bike policy on top of the leasing cover pays out twice." ✘ False. A loss is paid only once. During the lease the master policy already covers the bike.
- „With salary sacrifice, private use is taxed at 0.25 percent per month." ✔ True, 0.25 percent of the recommended retail price rounded down to full 100 euros, for bikes provided until the end of 2030.
- „An S-pedelec also needs an insurance plate." ✔ True. An S-pedelec up to 45 km/h is a motor vehicle and needs motor liability cover. The leasing company's comprehensive cover does not replace it.
- „If I keep the bike at the end of the lease, the master policy still covers it." ✘ False. The cover is tied to the lease and ends with it. Once you own the bike you need your own policy.

## Common mistakes

- Choosing a leasing company on the rate alone without reading the insurance terms
- Not giving staff the leaflet, so they learn the lock rule only after a theft
- Leaving out wear cover although most riders commute daily
- Not agreeing who pays the rate when salary stops during illness or parental leave
- Keeping the bike at the end of the lease and forgetting that the cover ends

## FAQ

### Do I need my own bike insurance for a leased company bike?

Usually not during the lease, because the bike is covered by the master policy. A second policy does not pay twice for the same loss. Your own cover becomes relevant when you buy the bike at the end of the lease.

### What do I do if my company bike is stolen?

Report it to the police straight away and notify the leasing company or its claims service with the police reference, purchase receipt and frame number. The insurer then settles the lease. With JobRad, for example, the leaflet says you can get a new bike on a new 36 month contract, with part of the rates already paid credited.

### Do I have to lock the bike to a fixed object?

That depends on the terms. Many require it explicitly, others accept a frame lock. Since the rule differs between providers, locking to a fixed object is the safe choice, even for short stops.

### Who pays if the insurer refuses?

Towards the leasing company, your employer. The user agreement usually passes the loss on to you if you caused it through gross negligence. For lighter fault, German employment law limits how far an employee can be held liable.

### What applies to an S-pedelec?

It needs motor liability cover with an insurance plate, renewed every year on 1 March, and the rider needs a class AM licence. Whether the leasing company's comprehensive cover includes S-pedelecs varies. For tax purposes they are treated as motor vehicles.

### What happens if I change jobs?

The lease runs through your employer and normally ends with your employment. Often you can buy the bike out or must return it. Read the user agreement (Überlassungsvertrag) before ordering.

### Why use a broker for company bike insurance?

Because the differences are buried in German master policy terms that few people read in full. We compare packages for employers, check lock rules, battery, wear and rate protection, and insure bikes outside a leasing scheme.

## Legal basis and sources

- [Insurance Contract Act (VVG, German)](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vvg_2008/)
- [BaFin company database (licensed insurers)](https://portal.mvp.bafin.de/database/InstInfo/)

## Request quotes

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

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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.