Why should you get a home contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) in Germany?

If you have any personal belongings in your house that you don’t want to be stolen or damaged you need a home contents insurance. In simple terms: Imagine your house or flat without a roof and turned upside down. Anything that would fall out is your „Hausrat“ (home contents). If it is lost or damaged by fire, water, theft, burglary, or vandalism, the costs for replacement or repair are covered by this insurance.

TV, computer, mobile phone, tablet, laptop, all other electrical devices, clothes, jewellery, furniture, books, carpets, musical instruments, jewellery etc. are insured in the event of damage or theft. The place connected to this insurance is your home including balcony, garage or terrace where most of your personal belongings are usually kept. (Please note: The car or motor bike in your garage is not insured. This requires a car insurance or a motorbike insurance respectively.)

But even outside your home your personal belongings are insured when you travel and take them with you (Außenversicherung).

For example, if there was a break-in in your hotel room and your notebook and Apple watch were stolen, the insurance will cover the replacement costs. It goes without saying: Any damage or loss through your own gross negligence (grobe Fahrlässigkeit), say, you leave your notebook in the bar – is of course not covered.

Which insurance sum (Deckungssumme) should be chosen?

In general the insurance sum depends on the value of the goods insured. This sum (Deckungssumme) is the maximum sum paid by the insurance in the event of loss or damage.

There are two ways to calculate this sum:

1. a flat rate charging a certain sum according to the size of you flat or house, for example 500 Euro per square meter. If you live in a flat with 50 sqm of living space, you should insure a sum of 25,000 Euro in order not to be underinsured. This way of calculation is the common one, it’s simple and requires little effort.
2. an individual rate according to the detailed value of you belongings. In this case you make a list of all your belongings and sum up their values. This effort could be worth taking when you live in a spacious flat but have comparatively few belongings of value. Then you would be overinsured and pay more than necessary if you choose the flat rate.

How much does a home contents insurance cost?

The rates vary a lot between insurance companies, but you get an insurance sum of 200.000 Euro from approx. 50-60 Euro a year. Many insurance companies offer a reduced rate for deductibles (Selbstbeteiligung). That means you pay a small amount of the damage (say, up to 200 Euro), and the insurance covers the rest.

The contract period is usually one year and will be automatically extended if you don’t give notice. Further discounts are granted if longer contract periods are concluded. Depending on the area where you live extended coverage of damages through over-voltage damage, flooding, avalanches, landslides can be included at – usually small – additional rates (Elementarschädenversicherung).

Bicycles are usually not covered and must be co-insured. Here, insurance conditions also vary.

We recommend to check different insurances and compare their rates according to your needs.