Household Contents Insurance (Hausratversicherung) — Protection for Your Apartment

What is Hausratversicherung?

Hausratversicherung protects your apartment furnishings and personal belongings against damage caused by:

• Fire (fire, lightning strike, explosion)
• Water from pipes (burst pipes, leaking washing machine)
• Storm and hail (from wind force 8 onwards)
• Burglary and theft and vandalism following break-in
• Robbery (assault, including outside your home — limited)

The insurance reimburses the replacement value of damaged or stolen items — meaning you receive the amount a brand new equivalent item would cost.

Do I need Hausratversicherung?

Hausratversicherung is not mandatory, but highly recommended. Consider:

• What do you own? — Furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen, jewelry — it quickly adds up to €20,000–€50,000
• Could you replace everything? — If your apartment burns down or you're robbed, can you replace everything out of pocket?
• How high is the risk? — Ground floor, bad neighborhood, old building = higher risk

Who absolutely needs it?

• Families with substantial household contents
• Tenants on ground floors (higher burglary risk)
• Owners of valuable items (electronics, jewelry, musical instruments)

Who can skip it?

• Students in dorms — often covered by parents' insurance (up to age 25, only if registered in same household)
• Minimalist lifestyle people with few possessions

What is covered?

Covered items

• Furniture — beds, wardrobes, tables, sofas
• Electronics — TV, laptop, smartphone, gaming console
• Clothing — entire wardrobe
• Kitchen — stove, refrigerator, dishes, cookware
• Jewelry and cash — limited (typically: cash up to €1,500, jewelry up to €20,000, higher in safe)
• Bicycles — often up to 1% of the sum insured (e.g., €500 at €50,000 coverage), theft only with additional clause
• Valuables — art, antiques, collections (often limited)

NOT covered

• Building itself — covered by building insurance (landlord's responsibility)
• Cars and motorcycles — separate motor insurance
• Damage from negligence — e.g., you leave the bathtub running (liability insurance covers damages to third parties)
• Natural disasters — flooding, earthquakes only with Elementarschäden insurance (additional module)
• Theft without break-in — e.g., open window → not considered burglary

How much does Hausratversicherung cost?

Costs depend on:

Typical costs

Rule of thumb: approximately €650 Versicherungssumme per square meter of living space.

Calculating the correct Versicherungssumme

Method 1 — Flat rate per square meter

• €650/m² of living space
• At 60 m² = €39,000 Versicherungssumme
• Advantage: simple, underinsurance waiver often included

Method 2 — Room-by-room inventory

List all items and add up replacement prices:

• Living room: sofa (€800), TV (€600), books (€300) = €1,700
• Bedroom: bed (€500), clothing (€2,000), jewelry (€1,000) = €3,500
• Kitchen: appliances (€1,500), dishes (€500) = €2,000
• etc.

Tip: Take photos of your furnishings and keep receipts — this facilitates damage claims.

Important policy details

Underinsurance waiver

If your actual values are higher than the Versicherungssumme, the insurer reduces claims proportionally (Unterversicherung). With the underinsurance waiver (for flat-rate calculation per m²), full damage is always covered.

Deductible

• No deductible — insurer pays every claim from the first euro
• €150–€500 deductible — you pay smaller claims yourself, premium is cheaper
• Recommendation: €150 deductible is a good compromise

Important add-ons

• Bicycle theft — theft of locked bicycles, including at night
• Elementarschäden — flooding, earthquakes, landslides, snow damage
• Glass breakage — windows, ceramic cooktop, shower enclosure
• Outside coverage — protection outside apartment (e.g., travel luggage)

In case of damage — What to do?

1. Call police — in case of burglary call 110 immediately
2. Document the damage — take photos, list stolen/damaged items
3. Notify insurer — within 1 week (in case of burglary immediately)
4. Don't change anything — until police/insurer inspects the damage
5. Provide receipts — purchase receipts speed up settlement

Tips for foreigners

1. Compare — use online comparison portals (Check24, Verivox, Clark)
2. Sign contract in German — contracts are in German, ask for advice
3. Monthly payments available — many insurers offer monthly payment (small surcharge)
4. Annual cancellation — observe cancellation period (usually 3 months before expiry)
5. Combination discounts — some insurers offer discounts if you also have liability insurance with them

As of: March 2026. All information without guarantee.