Insurance · Germany
Household insurance in Germany
Start with your belongings and the events that could damage them. Then check the insured address, replacement value and the exclusions behind the quote.
Sources checked: 26 October 2026
Start with these three checks.
Identify whose property
Hausrat covers household contents; liability and building cover answer other questions.
Read the insured events
Water damage, burglary and flood protection have different definitions.
Check the full replacement cost
The sum insured and any underinsurance waiver need careful reading.
What is household insurance in Germany?
Household insurance usually means Hausratversicherung: insurance for movable belongings in the home against the events specified in the contract. Furniture, clothing and household equipment are the starting point for understanding the contents risk. A policy does not cover every loss simply because an object was inside your apartment.
The insurer asks both what was damaged and how it happened. Read the policy schedule, conditions and extensions together. The GDV model conditions provide a useful example of the structure, but GDV explicitly states that its models are non-binding and insurers may agree different terms.
Hausrat, liability or building insurance?
| Question | Cover to examine |
|---|---|
| Your furniture is damaged in an insured fire | Household contents insurance |
| You are legally responsible for another person’s loss | Personal liability, within its scope |
| The building itself is damaged | Building insurance and the relevant ownership arrangement |
For renters, the landlord’s building policy should not be treated as proof that your belongings are insured. Likewise, your own personal liability insurance is not a general replacement policy for your own possessions. In a furnished rental or shared flat, write down which belongings are yours and ask how the policy treats other people’s property.
Which events should you look for?
Typical contents cover addresses fire, defined escape of tap water, burglary, robbery, vandalism following a burglary, and storm or hail, within the wording. The definitions matter: a pipe-related water loss and external flooding are different events. The consumer guidance also distinguishes burglary from simple theft.
For example, compare a laptop stolen after a forced entry with one left unattended in a café. They should not be assumed to have the same coverage outcome. Note the facts and ask which clause applies. Accidental damage, wear and unexplained disappearance also need their own wording checks rather than an assumption of protection.
Is flood damage included?
Check for an agreed extension for additional natural hazards, often called Elementarschäden or extended natural-hazard cover. GDV explains that this may be added to contents or building insurance and can already be included in some newer contracts. Ordinary storm cover is not evidence that flood or backwater damage is included.
Read the exact listed hazards, deductible, exclusions and duties. Ask specifically about possessions kept in a basement and the treatment of backwater. A label such as “weather protection” is too imprecise for comparing two offers.
Replacement value and underinsurance
Neuwert generally concerns the cost of replacing an item with an equivalent of the same type and quality in new condition. It is not automatically the original receipt price, a cash allowance for any upgrade or a promise to pay beyond the contract limits.
Underinsurance can reduce a payment where the sum insured is significantly below the insured value. Section 75 VVG sets out a proportional rule. If the insured value were €40,000 and the sum insured €20,000, their ratio would be 50%. That illustrates the mechanism; it does not determine a real settlement, where policy terms and any valid waiver must be considered.
If the offer includes an underinsurance waiver, ask what information and conditions it depends on. Check the floor-area definition and the entered address. A waiver should not be read as removing every limit for every category of property.
The clauses to compare before the premium
- Valuables: record sublimits and any storage requirements for jewellery, cash or collections.
- Bicycles: ask about theft outside the home, locks, locations and the precise extension.
- Temporary cover away from home: check the territory, duration, property and insured events.
- Deductible: record the amount or percentage for each relevant part.
- Consequential costs: check any hotel, clearance or other cost limits.
- Moving and absence: ask how a new address, storage or a long unoccupied period must be reported.
This is a comparison worksheet, not a list of benefits present in every tariff. Copy the relevant clause and amount beside each answer.
Make a small inventory before you need it
Work room by room. List the categories you would have to replace after a major loss, then keep photographs, receipts and model details where you could still reach them if the home were damaged. Keep copies securely rather than uploading them to Finanz2Go.
Use the inventory to ask focused questions about a proposed sum insured. Update it after moving in with a partner, buying expensive equipment or changing the way the home is used. For a claim, follow the insurer’s reporting and evidence instructions; preserve relevant documentation and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage.
Questions renters often ask
Does household insurance replace personal liability insurance?
No. One concerns insured damage to contents; the other concerns qualifying third-party liability. Read each scope separately.
Are all water losses treated alike?
No. Defined tap-water losses, flooding and backwater require different wording checks.
Which insurer is cheapest?
This guide does not rank providers or quote premiums. Compare the same address, contents value, deductible and extensions before comparing annual totals.
Put the separately paid premium into your budget. Keep a cash buffer for deductibles and uninsured costs rather than treating insurance as a substitute for every reserve.
Sources and scope
Checked on 26 October 2026. General information; individual eligibility and contract outcomes require the relevant authority, payroll team or insurer to assess the facts. No provider ranking or personal advisory service is offered.