# Insuring a gym or training business in Germany: liability, equipment and downtime > If you coach, correct, stretch and put people on machines, you are liable when someone gets hurt. A studio also needs cover for its fittings and equipment and for the weeks after a fire when nothing earns money. What matters most is that the policy names the classes, places and trainers that actually exist. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-gym-insurance.php Updated: 2026-11-14 ## Do gyms and personal trainers in Germany have to be insured? There is no statutory duty to carry liability insurance for gyms or trainers in Germany. Liability itself, however, has no ceiling: injure a client through poor instruction or a faulty machine and you are liable under section 823 of the German Civil Code and under the training contract, as a sole trader with your private assets. Landlords, corporate clients and many studios that book freelance instructors ask for proof of cover. ## At a glance - **Compulsory?:** No statutory duty, but proof is often requested - **Core of the cover:** Injuries to members and class participants - **Key modules:** Business or professional liability, contents, business interruption - **Rating basis:** Floor space, members, turnover or number of trainers - **Staff accident cover:** statutory, for gyms through the VBG accident insurer ## What actually goes wrong in training Most claims in this trade are not dramatic accidents but injuries a client blames on instruction: a slipped disc after deadlifts, a strain during partner stretching, a fall from a treadmill set too fast. Whether the trainer is really liable is often disputed, and that is when liability cover earns its keep: the insurer examines the claim and defends it in court if necessary. The wording of the insured activity is decisive. A policy that only says gym may not cover the back class at a client's office, the bootcamp in the park or the yoga session streamed online. Hands-on assists, nutrition advice and massage are expressly included by some insurers, excluded by others and not mentioned at all by many. ## Studio, class room or on the road: three different risks A studio with a training floor is also liable for the condition of its premises and machines. The DIN EN ISO 20957 series sets safety requirements for stationary training equipment, and some insurers make maintenance and inspection a policy condition. Breach it and the payout can be cut. For unstaffed 24 hour gyms, insurers ask about supervision and access control. Freelance trainers and yoga teachers often work in other people's studios, in clients' homes, outdoors and online. They need different modules: damage to rented class rooms, to items in a client's home, lost keys entrusted to them and their own kit in the car. A trainer's liability policy is usually far cheaper than a studio package but must cover those places. ## Contents and business interruption Weight machines, cardio units with screens, mirror walls and till systems are expensive and often leased. Contents cover pays for fire, burglary, escaping water and storm; further natural perils such as heavy rain only when added. Electronic equipment insurance can also cover operator error and power surges. If a fire closes the studio for weeks, rent, lease payments and wages keep running while members cancel. Business interruption cover replaces lost gross profit and fixed costs for the agreed indemnity period. A closure ordered by the authorities because of an epidemic is a separate matter and needs a business closure policy, where available at all. ## Employees and freelance trainers If an employed trainer is injured at work, statutory accident insurance pays; for gyms the competent body is the VBG. The employer's own liability towards staff is limited by section 104 of Social Code VII, but the accident insurer can claim recourse after gross negligence under section 110. Good policies include that recourse. Freelance trainers are often not covered personally by the studio's policy, or only for the studio's liability for them. Studios should check this and otherwise ask freelancers for their own certificate. Freelancers in turn should not rely on the studio's policy. ## What is covered - Injuries to members and participants caused by instruction, correction or assists - Accidents due to faulty or badly set up equipment - Slips and falls in changing rooms, showers and sauna where the gym is liable - Defence against unjustified claims, in court if necessary - Damage to rented class rooms and premises, depending on the policy - Damage in clients' homes and lost third party keys, where included - Fittings, machines and stock against fire, burglary, escaping water and storm - Lost income and running costs after an insured property loss ## What is not covered - Intentional damage - Medical or therapeutic treatment such as physiotherapy, unless expressly insured - Promised results such as guaranteed weight loss, and liability assumed by contract - Supplying medicines, doping substances or steroids - The trainer's own injuries, which need accident cover - Closure ordered because of an epidemic, unless a separate closure policy applies - Higher risk activities such as martial arts or trampolining if not declared ## Who needs it - Gyms with a training floor and class space - Yoga, Pilates and boutique studios - Self-employed personal trainers working in clients' homes, outdoors or online - Freelance instructors teaching in other studios - EMS and health studios with special equipment ## Who does not need it - Employed trainers who only work in their employer's gym and are covered by its policy ## What it costs The premium depends mainly on whether a whole studio with contents and business interruption is insured or just one trainer's liability. For a self-employed trainer without premises, German comparison sites quote annual premiums from about 80 euros up to a few hundred euros. A gym with equipment costs considerably more. **What drives the premium:** - Type of business: gym with equipment, class studio or mobile trainer - Floor space, members, turnover or number of trainers - Extras such as sauna, massage, EMS or childcare - Limit of indemnity and deductible - Replacement value of fittings and machines, indemnity period for business interruption - Claims in recent years _We do not quote sample premiums because studios vary too much in size and offer. Your premium is fixed in the quotation we obtain from your details._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Trainer liability:** Liability for a single trainer or yoga teacher, valid at clients' homes, outdoors and online. The right start for freelancers without premises. - **Studio package:** Liability, contents and business interruption in one policy, tailored to gyms and class studios. The usual route for small and mid-sized studios. - **Tailored programme:** High limits, electronics, wellness area, several sites and freelance trainers expressly included. For chains and large facilities. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Limit of indemnity | 3 million euros combined | 5 to 10 million euros combined | A spinal injury in a gym causes costs for decades. | | Insured activities | gym operation and group classes | plus personal training at clients' homes, outdoor, online, yoga and Pilates | Anything not described is the first thing an insurer checks after a claim. | | Hands-on assists | not mentioned | expressly included, including stretching and correction with physical contact | Yoga assists and spotting are typical causes of claims. | | Freelance trainers | only the studio's liability for them | freelancers' personal liability included | Otherwise the freelancer stands alone after an accident. | | Damage to rented premises | small sublimit | up to the full limit, including fire and escaping water | A leaking shower area quickly damages the floor below. | | Lockers and keys | excluded | members' locker contents and third party keys with their own limit | Broken lockers and lost keys are the most frequent small claims. | | Business interruption | not included | indemnity period of 12 to 24 months, short waiting period | Rebuilding after a fire often takes longer than six months. | | Exclusions | martial arts, EMS and therapy excluded across the board | your own classes and equipment expressly included | An exclusion matching your offer makes the policy worthless when it counts. | ## Insurers on the German market Many German property insurers write gyms and trainers through small business and service provider schemes, some with packages for the trade. The list describes the German market and says nothing about which insurers we work with. - **Allianz**: dedicated cover for yoga teachers plus trade packages through agents and brokers - **Württembergische**: business package for gyms with liability, contents and loss of income - **Markel**: service provider scheme naming fitness trainers and yoga teachers, broker only - **Gothaer**: commercial lines through agents and brokers - **HDI**: part of the Talanx group, focus on small business and professions - **Haftpflichtkasse**: mutual specialising in liability, sold through brokers - **AXA**: commercial lines through agents and brokers - **Zurich**: German entity of the Zurich group, based in Frankfurt 152 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Allgemeine Haftpflicht, Feuer). Source: BaFin company database, 2026-09-18; EU insurers without a German office excluded. ## Typical claims and who pays - **Client hurts back after a correction** (a few thousand euros, far more with lasting harm): Injury from instruction is the core case of trainer liability, as far as the trainer is liable. - **Cable snaps mid set** (a few thousand to five figures): The operator is liable for faulty equipment. If required servicing was skipped, the insurer may reduce the payout. - **Locker forced, phone gone** (a few hundred euros): Without fault the gym is not liable. Good policies still pay locker contents up to a set limit. - **Kettlebell cracks a client's tiles** (a few hundred to a thousand euros): Damage in a client's home needs a specific inclusion to be safely covered. - **Fire shuts the gym for months** (often six figures with lost income): Contents cover pays for machines, only business interruption pays for lost income. - **Promised weight loss not reached** (fees reclaimed): Promised results are contractual, not a liability loss. No policy pays for them. ## Myth or truth - „Gyms in Germany must have liability insurance by law." ✘ False, there is no statutory duty. Landlords and partners often ask for proof, and liability itself is unlimited. - „Freelance trainers are always covered by the studio's policy." ✘ False, many studio policies only cover the studio's own liability. The contract says whether freelancers are covered personally. - „Anyone injured on a machine always gets money from the gym's insurer." ✘ False, the insurer only pays if the gym is liable. An accident on safe equipment after proper induction is the user's own risk. - „Liability insurance also pays legal costs when a claim is unjustified." ✔ True, defending unfounded claims is part of the cover, in court if necessary. - „After a fire, contents insurance does not pay the ongoing rent." ✔ True, it pays for fittings and machines. Rent, wages and lost income are for business interruption cover. ## Common mistakes - Adding EMS, martial arts or bootcamps without telling the insurer - Assuming freelance trainers are automatically covered by the studio policy - Choosing a policy as a mobile trainer that only knows your own premises - Not documenting equipment maintenance although the policy requires it - Forgetting leased machines in the contents cover - Skipping business interruption and paying rent and wages yourself after a fire ## FAQ ### Does the insurance pay if a member gets hurt training? Only if the gym or trainer is liable, for example through wrong instruction or a faulty machine. Someone injured despite proper induction usually bears the risk. The insurer checks this and fights unjustified claims. ### Do I need business or professional liability as a personal trainer? German product names vary. What matters is that the policy covers bodily injury and property damage from your training work, including at clients' homes, outdoors and online. Financial loss from training plans or nutrition advice is an extra point some policies include. ### Am I covered by the studio's policy when I teach yoga there? Do not rely on it. Many studio policies only cover the studio's liability, not yours as a freelance instructor. Ask, or take out your own trainer liability, which usually costs little. ### Are hands-on yoga assists covered? That depends on the wording. Some policies expressly include assists and physical contact, others say nothing, some exclude therapeutic treatment. If you adjust and stretch clients regularly, get the inclusion in writing. ### Are online classes covered? Not automatically. Live classes and recorded programmes are a separate activity, and participants may be abroad. Make sure online training and the territorial scope fit. ### What if valuables are stolen from a locker? A gym is only liable if it was at fault, for instance with unsafe locks. Some policies include members' locker contents with a separate limit, others do not. ### Do I have to have the machines serviced? As operator you must keep equipment safe, otherwise you are liable for accidents. Some insurers also make servicing a policy condition. Keep records so you can show after a claim that everything was in order. ### Is an EMS studio insured like a normal gym? Often not. EMS training, cryo and sunbed units are excluded in some wordings or need a separate inclusion. Always declare such equipment. ### Does contents cover include leased machines? Only if third party property is included. Lessors usually require the equipment to be insured; check that your policy names it and the sum reflects replacement value. ### Why use a broker for gym insurance? Because the differences lie in activity wording, exclusions and policy conditions. We describe your business in full, compare wordings and handle the claim with the insurer for you. ## 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-gym-insurance.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.