# Home emergency cover in Germany: the Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief explained > Locked out, toilet blocked, heating dead on a Sunday night: in Germany none of these is a claim under contents or buildings insurance. The Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief fills that gap. It sends a tradesperson through a 24 hour helpline and pays the call-out up to a fixed limit. If you know home emergency cover from the UK, the idea is similar. Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-home-emergency-cover.php Updated: 2026-11-13 ## Does my German contents insurance pay the locksmith? Usually not. Hausratversicherung pays for your belongings after fire, escaping water, burglary, storm or hail. Many policies also pay to change the locks when keys are taken in a burglary or robbery. Simply locking yourself out, or losing your keys on the way home, is not covered there. That is what the Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief is for: it pays the door opening and usually a temporary lock, up to the limit in your policy. ## At a glance - **Compulsory?:** No, voluntary - **How it is sold:** as an add-on to contents or buildings insurance, or as a separate policy - **Limit per call-out:** often €500, some policies up to €3,000 - **Yearly cap:** often an annual maximum or a fixed number of call-outs - **Price as an add-on:** often around €20 to €60 a year ## Where contents and buildings insurance stop German home insurance is split in two. Hausrat covers what you would take with you when moving out, Wohngebäude covers the building itself. Both pay for damage. A blocked drain where nothing has leaked, or a boiler that simply stops working, is not damage in their sense, so neither of them pays the plumber. The Schutzbrief pays for the emergency call-out, not for the damage. If a pipe bursts and soaks the wall, it may pay the plumber who stops the water. Drying, the new pipe and the ruined floor are claims under buildings and contents insurance. ## Call the helpline first Almost every German policy works through an assistance company with a helpline. You call, they send a tradesperson from their network and settle the bill directly. For newcomers this solves a real problem: finding a trustworthy locksmith at night, in German, is hard. If you hire someone yourself, many policies pay less or nothing at all. Some reimburse a much lower amount against an invoice, others require that the insurer's service partner organises the help. Save the number in your phone on the day you buy the policy. ## Tenants and the landlord's duties Most expats in Germany rent. You can buy the cover as a tenant, usually as an add-on to your Hausrat policy. Watch one clause: where the landlord or the property management is responsible for a repair, for example the central heating or pipes in the shared parts of the building, some policies exclude or limit the service. A holiday flat or second home is not included automatically. It has to be named in the policy. ## What is covered - Locksmith when you are locked out or your keys are lost or stolen - Temporary lock or securing the front door - Clearing blocked drains, toilets and main sewer pipes - Emergency plumber, electrician and heating engineer - Pest control and removal of wasp or hornet nests, depending on the policy - Hotel costs if the home becomes uninhabitable after damage, depending on the policy - A helpline that is reachable around the clock ## What is not covered - Costs above the limit per call-out - Repairs to the system itself, wear and tear, missing maintenance - Defects that existed before the policy started - Repairs the landlord or property management must do, depending on the terms - A new high security lock instead of the temporary one - The damage itself, which belongs to buildings and contents insurance - Premises used for business ## Who needs it - Tenants and owners who do not want to search for a tradesperson in an emergency - Newcomers to Germany without local contacts or fluent German - Owners of houses with an older boiler or older drains - Commuters and frequent travellers who are not home when something goes wrong ## Who does not need it - A second Schutzbrief when contents and buildings insurance already include one: one per household is enough - People with savings and reliable local tradespeople can pay small emergencies themselves ## What it costs As an add-on to contents or buildings insurance, the Schutzbrief often costs around €20 to €60 a year. Separate policies cost more, and prices vary widely between insurers. **What drives the premium:** - Add-on or separate policy - Limit per call-out and per year - Scope, for example pests, hotel and household appliances - Flat or whole house, second home included - Excess, if agreed _The range comes from German comparison sites and insurers. Your premium is fixed only in the quote._ ## The policy levels on the market - **Basic emergency add-on:** Locksmith, drain clearing and emergency trades with a low limit per call-out, often €500. - **Extended cover:** Higher limits, plus pests, wasp nests, hotel costs and help when you go to hospital, such as childcare or pet care. - **Separate policy:** Bought independently of your contents or buildings insurer, useful when your insurer does not offer an add-on. ## How to recognise a good policy | Criterion | Minimum standard | Strong policy | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Limit per call-out | €500 | €1,000 or more | A weekend heating call-out with a spare part can exceed €500. | | Yearly cap | two or three call-outs | no cap on call-outs, annual maximum of €3,000 or more | One winter can bring a heating failure and a blocked drain. | | Locksmith | only after loss or theft of keys | also when locked out, with temporary lock | The door that swings shut is the most common case. | | Materials | call-out and labour only | materials and spare parts up to the limit | Parts are often the largest part of the bill. | | Self-arranged help | only via the helpline | reimbursement also when you hire someone yourself | If you cannot reach the helpline, you would otherwise pay everything. | | Tenant clause | excluded where the landlord is responsible | service even when the landlord cannot be reached | At night and at weekends, property managers rarely answer. | ## Insurers on the German market Many German property insurers offer the Schutzbrief as an add-on to contents and buildings insurance, some as a separate policy. The helpline is often run by an assistance company. This list is a market overview, not a recommendation. - **ADAC**: home Schutzbrief as a separate policy - **ARAG**: separate Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief - **Allianz**: add-on to contents and buildings insurance, agents and brokers - **ERGO**: add-on to contents and buildings insurance - **HUK-COBURG**: add-on, sold through its own offices only, not through brokers - **Interlloyd**: broker insurer, Schutzbrief as an add-on - **ROLAND Schutzbrief**: specialist insurer, often the risk carrier behind other brands 163 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance. (Beistandsleistungen auf Reisen, 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 out, keys inside** (locksmith, extra at night): Some policies pay the locksmith only after loss or theft of keys. Stronger ones also pay when you are simply locked out. - **Toilet blocked on Saturday night** (depends on the work, weekend surcharge): Drain clearing is core cover in almost every Schutzbrief. Contents and buildings insurance do not pay it while nothing is damaged. - **Heating fails in January** (call-out plus part, often over €500): With a €500 limit you may pay the rest. Higher limits and loan heaters make the difference. - **Wasp nest in the shutter box** (specialist, depends on access): Basic add-ons leave out pests and wasps. Extended cover includes them. - **Burst pipe soaks the wall** (drying and repair): The Schutzbrief pays the emergency plumber. The damage is a claim under buildings and contents insurance. - **Old boiler finally gives up** (a new boiler): No Schutzbrief pays for wear and replacement. It bridges the emergency, it does not renovate. ## Myth or truth - „German contents insurance pays the locksmith when I lock myself out." ✘ Usually not. Hausrat may pay new locks after a burglary or robbery, but a lockout belongs to the Schutzbrief. - „One Schutzbrief per household is enough." ✔ True. It covers the home, so a second add-on on another policy mostly means paying twice. - „Home emergency cover replaces buildings insurance." ✘ No. It pays for the call-out, up to a small limit. Damage to the building is only covered by Wohngebäude insurance. - „Hiring your own tradesperson can cost you the reimbursement." ✔ True. Many policies require the insurer's service partner to organise the help, and pay less or nothing otherwise. - „The cover pays any bill in full." ✘ False. There is a limit per call-out, often €500, and often a yearly cap. ## Common mistakes - Calling a locksmith yourself when the policy requires the helpline - Buying the add-on twice, for contents and for buildings - Expecting the Schutzbrief to pay for a burst pipe's damage - Assuming it pays for a new high security lock - Not checking the tenant clause in a rented flat ## FAQ ### Is this the same as the car Schutzbrief? No. The car Schutzbrief covers breakdown and accident help on the road. The Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief covers emergencies in your home. They only share the name. ### Is home emergency cover worth it for tenants in Germany? It can be, mainly for lockouts and blocked drains in your flat. Check whether the policy excludes repairs your landlord is responsible for, such as central heating. ### Do I have to call the helpline? Under most policies, yes. The helpline sends the tradesperson and pays directly. If you arrange help yourself, you may get only part of the cost back, or nothing. ### Are spare parts covered? It depends on the policy. Some pay only the call-out and labour, others also the temporary lock and spare parts up to the limit. ### Who pays when a pipe bursts? Buildings insurance pays for the building and the new pipe, contents insurance for your damaged belongings. The Schutzbrief pays at most for the emergency plumber who stops the water. ### Does it cover my holiday flat? Only if the flat is named in the policy. Cover normally applies to the address in the contract. ### Can I cancel the add-on on its own? Often yes, sometimes only together with the main policy. If you cancel your contents or buildings insurance, the add-on usually ends with it. ## 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-home-emergency-cover.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.