Home Contents Insurancein Germany 2026
Compare Hausratversicherung options and protect your belongings. Free quotes from German providers, in English.
At a glance
Updated: April 2026What it covers
- Furniture, electronics, clothing, personal items
- Fire, theft, water damage, storm, lightning
- Coverage typically €650 per m² of living space
- Most policies include worldwide travel coverage
Good to know
- Not mandatory, but very common and recommended
- Costs from about €3 to €15 per month
- Bicycle theft usually needs an extra add-on
- Some landlords require it in the rental contract
If you rent or own a home in Germany, everything inside it is your responsibility. If a pipe bursts, a break-in clears out your apartment, or a storm smashes your windows, you replace it all out of pocket. Unless you have household insurance.
Household insurance (German: Hausratversicherung) covers the cost of replacing your personal belongings when something goes wrong. Think of it this way: if you turned your apartment upside down, everything that falls out is "Hausrat." Furniture, electronics, clothes, books, kitchen equipment. That's what this insurance protects.
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See our insurance in Germany guide for a full overview of what you need. Make sure you also have personal liability insurance, which covers damage you accidentally cause to others. Need a small loan to cover a deposit or furnishing costs? Compare rates from German banks.
What household insurance covers
Fire damage
Your apartment catches fire or a neighbor's fire spreads. Your policy replaces damaged furniture, electronics, clothing, and documents.
Burglary and theft
Someone breaks in and takes your laptop, jewelry, or valuables. Your policy covers the loss, provided there are signs of forced entry.
Water damage
A pipe bursts, the washing machine leaks, or your upstairs neighbor's bathtub overflows. One of the most common claims in Germany.
Storm and hail
Strong winds or hailstones damage your belongings through broken windows. Wind force 8 or higher is the typical threshold.
Lightning and power surge
A lightning strike fries your electronics through a power surge. Your policy covers the replacement cost.
Bicycle theft (add-on)
If your policy includes Fahrraddiebstahl coverage, stolen bicycles are covered. This is usually an optional extra, worth adding if you cycle.
What is NOT covered
- Earthquakes and natural flooding (unless you add Elementarversicherung)
- Normal wear and tear (your sofa wearing out over 10 years is not a claim)
- Intentional damage (you break your own TV, no payout)
- Business items (home office equipment may need separate coverage)
- Pet damage (your cat scratching the couch is your problem)
- Mechanical breakdown (fridge stops working due to age, not covered)
- Cash above the sub-limit (most policies cap cash at €1,000 to €2,000)
Household insurance protects your belongings. For protection against accidents that happen to you, see our accident insurance comparison. If you drive, you will also need car insurance, which is legally required in Germany. If you own a house and rent it out, you also need landlord liability insurance (Grundbesitzerhaftpflicht) — household insurance does not cover liability claims from your tenants or visitors on your property.
How much does it cost?
Apartment size
Bigger apartment means more to insure. Standard calculation: €650 per m². A 60m² apartment = about €39,000 default coverage.
Location
Cities with higher burglary rates cost more. Munich and Hamburg tend to be pricier than rural areas.
Security features
Good locks, alarm systems, and security doors can lower your premium.
Deductible
Higher deductible = lower premium. A €300 deductible reduces your annual cost noticeably.
Payout basis
"New for old" (Neuwertversicherung) replaces items at current retail price. "Current value" pays what your item was worth at the time, minus depreciation. New for old costs more but pays more.
As a rough range: expect €3 to €15 per month. A 60m² apartment in a mid-sized city with basic coverage might cost €5 to €8 per month.
Real-life claim scenarios
None of these are unusual. They happen to normal people in normal apartments.
Pipe burst overnight
Living room flooded. Sofa, bookshelf, wooden floor ruined. Cost: €3,000 to €8,000+.
Apartment burglary
Laptop, camera, jewelry gone. Drawers emptied, furniture damaged. Loss: €2,000 to €10,000.
Kitchen fire
Pan catches fire. Kitchen damaged, smoke ruins items in other rooms. Cost: €5,000 to €15,000.
Bicycle theft
Bike stolen from locked basement. Over 250,000 bicycles are reported stolen in Germany each year. Covered only if Fahrraddiebstahl is included.
What to look for when comparing
Coverage amount (Versicherungssumme)
Standard: €650 per m². Some policies offer an underinsurance waiver (Unterversicherungsverzicht), which means they won’t reduce your payout even if your belongings exceed the insured amount.
"New for old" vs "current value"
Go with Neuwertversicherung if you can. It replaces your damaged 5-year-old laptop with a new equivalent. Current value gives you what the old one was worth, which is much less.
Bicycle coverage (Fahrraddiebstahl)
If you own a bike worth more than a few hundred euros, add this. Some policies only cover bikes inside the apartment; others cover them locked outside too.
Valuable items sub-limits
Jewelry, watches, and art often have a sub-limit (€2,000 to €5,000). If you own more, list them separately or buy additional coverage.
Natural hazard add-on (Elementarversicherung)
Standard policies do not cover flooding, earthquakes, or heavy snow. If your area is at risk, add this. Cost depends on your flood zone.
Five mistakes to avoid
Not adjusting coverage after a move
Bigger apartment means you need more coverage. Update your policy when you move.
Forgetting bicycle coverage
Standard policies often skip bicycle theft. If you cycle, add Fahrraddiebstahl explicitly.
Ignoring sub-limits for valuables
Check if your jewelry, electronics, or art exceeds the sub-limit. You might be underinsured without realizing it.
Choosing "current value" to save money
Premium difference is small, payout difference is massive. A 3-year-old laptop might be worth €200 at current value but €800 to replace.
Not documenting your belongings
Take photos, keep receipts, store them in the cloud. Without proof, claims get complicated.
How to file a claim
Report the damage to your insurer immediately. Most policies require notification within a few days.
Document everything. Photos, videos, a list of damaged or stolen items with approximate values.
File a police report for theft. Your insurer will require this.
Don’t throw anything away. Your insurer may want to inspect the damage first.
Make emergency repairs if needed (secure a broken window, for example). Keep receipts.
Wait for the assessment. Simple claims are often settled within 2 to 4 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
What you need to know about household insurance in Germany
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