“I don’t own anything valuable.” Many people say that – until they work out what it would cost to refurnish a whole flat. Five-figure sums add up quickly. That is what household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) is for.
What counts as contents?
Everything that would come with you when you move. Anything fixed to the building belongs to the building insurance. Contents include items in the cellar, garage and on the balcony.
Insured risks
Fire (including lightning, soot and firefighting water), tap water (burst pipes, leaking machines, frost), storm from wind force 8 and hail, burglary (including vandalism afterwards) and robbery. Not in the basic cover: flooding, heavy rain and sewer backflow.
The sum insured
The German insurance industry uses a market rule of thumb of about 650 euros per square metre of living space (some insurers 700–750). For 80 m² that is 52,000 euros – a convention, not an official figure.
If the sum is clearly too low, you are underinsured and every payout is reduced proportionally, even for small claims (§ 75 VVG). The fix is an underinsurance waiver: agree the sum using the per-square-metre rule and state the floor area correctly. The sum still remains the maximum.
Contents insurance pays new-for-old: what a comparable new item costs today.
Natural hazards (Elementarschäden)
Flooding, heavy rain, sewer backflow, earthquake, landslide and snow pressure are only covered through the natural hazards add-on. According to the German insurers’ association (GDV), around 59 % of residential buildings had this cover at the end of 2025; no comparable official figure exists for contents. Backflow cover usually requires a working backflow valve.
Bikes, holidays, valuables
- Bike theft: from a locked cellar = burglary, covered. From the street = add-on only, often capped.
- Away from home: belongings in hotels or at friends’ are insured, usually up to three months and with limits. Hotel break-in: yes. Bag taken from a café chair: usually no.
- Valuables: jewellery, cash and watches are often limited to 20 % of the sum insured.
Where claims go wrong
- Gross negligence (unattended candle): the insurer may reduce the payout (§ 81 VVG). Good tariffs waive this. Intent is never covered.
- Duties: close windows and doors (tilted is not closed), turn off water when away for long, report burglaries to the police, report claims promptly.
- After a claim, both sides may cancel up to one month after settlement (§ 92 VVG) – see notice periods.
How to proceed
- Determine the floor area from the lease or plan.
- Set the sum: square metres × rate, then check whether kitchen, tech and hobbies exceed it.
- Check add-ons: natural hazards, bikes outdoors, gross negligence waiver, valuables limit.
- Make an inventory: photos or a short video of each room, receipts stored online.
- Review once a year.
General information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Sources: German Insurance Contract Act (§§ 75, 81, 92 VVG), German Insurance Association GDV (06/2026), consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentrale, 11/2025 and 07/2026) – as of October 2026. Unsure whether your sum still fits? Get in touch.
