# Glass insurance in Germany: when cover for hobs, windows and aquariums pays off > German glass insurance, Glasversicherung, pays when glass breaks for any everyday reason: a pan dropped on the hob, a ball through the patio door, a cracked aquarium. Your contents and buildings policies only pay for broken glass after fire, storm or burglary. Glass cover is voluntary and usually added to one of those two policies. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-glass-insurance.php Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Do I need glass insurance in Germany? It is not compulsory. It makes sense if your home has a lot of expensive glass: a ceramic or induction hob, a conservatory, large glass fronts, a glass shower screen or a big aquarium. With ordinary windows and no glass ceramic hob, a breakage usually costs a few hundred euros that you could carry yourself. If you rent, remember that windows and doors belong to the building, and the landlord has often insured them already. ## At a glance - **Compulsory?:** No, voluntary - **What it covers:** breakage of furniture glass and building glass, depending on the policy - **Ceramic hob:** counts as furniture glass, belongs with contents cover - **How it is sold:** mostly as an add-on to Hausrat or Wohngebäude - **Tenants:** landlords may pass building glass cover on as service charges - **Typical premium:** about €20 to €80 a year for a flat ## Furniture glass and building glass: two halves, often two policies German insurers split glass into two groups. Gebäudeverglasung, building glass, is everything fixed into the structure: windows, glass doors, conservatories, glass roofs and shower screens. Mobiliarverglasung, furniture glass, is what you would take with you when you move: glass table tops, display cabinets, mirrors, picture glass, aquariums and terrariums, plus the ceramic or induction hob, even though it is built into the kitchen. That is why furniture glass is normally attached to contents insurance (Hausrat) and building glass to buildings insurance (Wohngebäude). Homeowners need both halves. Some insurers sell glass cover on its own, many only together with one of their own contents or buildings policies. ## What your contents and buildings policies already pay If a pane breaks in a fire, a storm, a hailstorm, through escaping water or during a burglary, the Hausrat or Wohngebäude policy already pays, depending on who owns the glass. Glass insurance is for everything else: the dropped pan, the knock with the vacuum cleaner, the stress crack, the hand that hits the door. If someone else broke the glass, for example the neighbour's child with a football, they are liable and their personal liability insurance pays. Your own glass cover helps when nobody is liable or the culprit is unknown. ## Renting in Germany: who owns the window In a rented flat, the windows, balcony door and glass shower belong to the landlord. Many landlords insure the building's glass and pass the premium on through the service charge statement (Nebenkostenabrechnung). The German operating costs regulation, § 2 No. 13 BetrKV, lists glass insurance explicitly, and it can be charged if your tenancy agreement says so. As a tenant, what usually remains for you is the furniture glass: hob, glass table, mirrors and aquarium. Extra cover for the flat's building glass is worth it if the landlord has none and you are responsible for glass damage yourself. ## What is covered - Breakage of windows, glass doors and glass roofs, if building glass is included - Glass table tops, display cabinets, mirrors and picture glass - Ceramic and induction hobs - Aquariums and terrariums - Cost of emergency glazing or boarding up until the repair - Depending on the policy, conservatories, shower screens, plastic panes and skylights - Depending on the policy, scaffolding, cranes and removing obstacles ## What is not covered - Scratches, chips and other surface damage - Drinking glasses, vases, light bulbs and tableware - Spectacles, optical lenses and screens of phones, tablets and TVs - Frames and fittings, unless expressly included - Damage while the glass is being fitted, altered or moved - Breakage from fire, storm or burglary that Hausrat or Wohngebäude already pays ## Who needs it - Households with a ceramic or induction hob - Homeowners with a conservatory, glass roof, large glass fronts or a glass shower - Owners of large aquariums and terrariums - Families with small children, pets or keen footballers in the garden - Tenants whose landlord has not insured the building glass ## Who does not need it - If you only have standard windows, no glass ceramic hob and little glass furniture, the premiums over the years often exceed what a breakage would cost. ## What it costs Glass cover is one of the cheaper add-ons in Germany. The premium depends on whether only furniture glass or building glass as well is covered, on the size of the home and on whether you agree an excess. | Example | Typical range | | --- | --- | | Glass cover for a flat, as an add-on | about €20 to €80 a year | **What drives the premium:** - Furniture glass only, or building glass as well - Floor area; some insurers charge a flat rate regardless of glass surface - Conservatory, glass roof and special glazing - Excess per claim - Add-on to an existing policy or standalone contract _Guide figure from published German market comparisons, 2026. Lower with an excess, clearly higher with a large conservatory. Your premium is only fixed in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Furniture glass:** Hob, glass table, mirrors, cabinets and aquarium. The usual choice for tenants, mostly linked to Hausrat. - **Furniture and building glass:** Adds windows, glass doors and shower screens. For owners, and for tenants whose landlord has no glass cover. - **Extended glass cover:** Also conservatories, glass roofs, plastic panes and skylights without tight size limits, including scaffolding and crane costs. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Glass covered | furniture glass | furniture and building glass in one policy | Covering only one half leaves a gap you notice when the patio door breaks. | | Ceramic hob | included | included, induction too, no age limit | In many homes the hob is the most expensive piece of glass. | | Conservatory and glass roof | not covered | included, no size limit | Large overhead panes are costly and often need scaffolding. | | Plastic glazing | real glass only | acrylic, polycarbonate and skylights too | Carports, canopies and conservatories often use plastic panes. | | Additional costs | emergency glazing | emergency glazing, scaffolding, crane and removing obstacles | With large panes, the work around the glass often costs more than the glass. | | Excess | €150 per claim | none | Many glass claims are a few hundred euros, so a high excess swallows a large share. | ## Insurers on the German market Almost every contents and buildings insurer in Germany offers glass cover, most of them only as an add-on to one of their own policies. Documents are usually in German only, and what counts as covered glass differs from policy to policy. This list is a market overview. - **Allianz**: several product lines, tied agents and brokers - **HUK-COBURG**: own branch offices only, does not work with brokers - **ERGO**: part of Munich Re, agents, brokers and direct sales - **Württembergische**: part of the W&W group in Stuttgart, agents and brokers - **HanseMerkur**: Hamburg insurer, also sells glass cover on its own - **VHV**: Hanover insurer with strong broker distribution - **Interlloyd**: property insurer of the ARAG group, broker distribution - **AXA**: German arm of the French AXA group 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 - **Cast iron pan cracks the hob** (new hob, often several hundred euros): The hob is furniture glass. Any glass add-on to Hausrat pays for the breakage; Hausrat on its own does not. - **Football through the patio door** (new pane including fitting): The patio door is building glass, so furniture-only cover does not pay. If the kicker is known, their liability insurance does. - **Crack in the conservatory roof** (pane, scaffolding and fitting): Only extended policies include conservatories and glass roofs, often with scaffolding and crane costs. - **Aquarium bursts in the lounge** (tank and possibly the water damage): Furniture glass cover pays for the tank. Damage to the floor from the water depends on your Hausrat terms. - **Scratches in the glass table** (polishing or a new top): Only breakage is insured. No glass policy pays for scratches or chips on the surface. - **Shattered phone screen** (repair by the manufacturer): Screens of phones, tablets and TVs are not insured glazing. Separate device insurance covers those. ## Myth or truth - „My contents insurance pays for a broken glass table top anyway." ✘ Only if it breaks through fire, escaping water, storm or burglary. If it simply falls over, only glass insurance pays. - „A crack right through the hob counts as breakage, even if it still works." ✔ True. The policy covers breakage of the glass, and a crack is breakage. You should still stop cooking on it to avoid further damage. - „As a tenant in Germany I may already be paying for the building's glass insurance." ✔ Correct. The operating costs regulation names glass insurance explicitly, and landlords may charge it if the tenancy agreement provides for it. - „I always have to pay for emergency glazing myself." ✘ Wrong. The usual terms reimburse the cost of temporarily closing the opening until the repair. - „If my neighbour breaks my window, my own glass insurance has to pay." ✘ No. Whoever is liable pays through their liability insurance. You need your own glass cover when nobody is liable or the culprit stays unknown. ## Common mistakes - Assuming Hausrat pays for any broken glass, when it only pays after fire, storm or burglary - Insuring the flat's windows twice as a tenant although the landlord already charges for it - Covering only furniture glass and forgetting the new conservatory - Choosing an excess almost as high as a typical claim - Carrying on cooking on a cracked hob and risking further damage ## FAQ ### Does German contents insurance pay for a cracked ceramic hob? Only if the crack was caused by an insured peril such as fire or burglary. For a dropped pan or a stress crack you need glass cover that includes ceramic hobs. ### Does a crack count as breakage? Yes. Under the usual terms, a crack through the glass counts as breakage even if the hob still heats. Scratches and small chips on the surface are not covered. ### As a tenant, do I have to insure the windows? Usually not. The windows belong to your landlord, and many landlords insure the building's glass and pass the premium on through the service charges. Your Nebenkostenabrechnung shows whether you already pay for it. ### Who pays if a neighbour's child kicks a ball through my window? The child or the parents are liable if they failed in their duty of supervision, and their liability insurance pays. If nobody is liable, your own glass cover steps in. ### Is my aquarium covered, and what about the water? The tank glass is furniture glass. Whether the water damage to the floor is paid depends on your Hausrat policy. Some name aquarium water explicitly, many do not. ### How much does glass insurance cost in Germany? Published market comparisons put it at about 20 to 80 euros a year for a flat. A conservatory, large glass areas or no excess make it more expensive. ### What should I do after a pane breaks? Report the damage straight away, take photos and secure the opening. Most policies pay for emergency glazing or boarding up. Agree the replacement with the insurer before you commission it. ### Are the policy documents available in English? Rarely. Most German insurers issue their terms in German only. We explain the relevant clauses to you in English before you sign. ## 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-glass-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.