Best Home Contents Insurance in Germany – Compare the Top 5 in 2024

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Wondering if you need home contents insurance in Germany? In this article, you will find out all you need to know about home contents insurance in Germany, including the coverage, the price, factors to consider before signing your contract, etc. I will also explain the difference between home contents insurance and liability/ building insurance in Germany, which many may find confusing. You will also find a comparison of the 5 best home contents insurance offers in Germany.

A short comparison of the 5 best home contents insurance providers in Germany

If you don’t have much time, here are the highlights of the 5 best home contents insurance providers in Germany: 

Getsafe: English support, great coverage, cancel anytime, easy to use, and no paperwork. 

Feather: 100% digital. English services. Any time cancellable. Low price and you can purchase add-on coverage. 

Gothaer: Very established with a 200-year history. Comprehensive coverage at a low cost. Manage everything online.

Helden: One simple plan with comprehensive coverage. 500k € insured sum regardless of home size. Sign up in 3 minutes. No paperwork. Free changing services.

Adam Riese: Backed by the big W&W Group in Germany. 100% online with no paperwork. Update guarantee for future condition improvements. Best performance guarantee with the XXL plan. Support of social projects.

Keep on reading for more details about home contents insurance in Germany. Scroll down for a detailed comparison table of the best home contents insurance providers.



Disclaimer
: Please be aware that this article is intended to provide you a brief overview of home contents insurance in Germany. This blog is not an insurance broker platform and is not qualified to give you any financial advice according to German law. If you need more details and specific advice on your personal situation, please refer to the insurance companies’ websites directly or contact an independent financial adviser.

Introduction

Home contents insurance is not compulsory in Germany. It is not as important as other insurances like health insurance, car insurance, and liability insurance. However, home contents insurance is still important if you want to protect your possessions in your home in Germany.

There are so many different types of insurance in Germany. Want to know which insurance you really need in Germany? Check out this post: Insurance in Germany – Which one do you need?

Home contents insurance can protect your belongings in case of fires, storms, and flooding. I have been living in Germany for 12 years now and I would say that storms are really common here. And we all know that flooding does happen.

On top of natural disasters, home contents insurance also protects you against theft, burglary, and vandalism. Even though Germany is a relatively safe country, burglary is actually the number 1 risk in terms of the number of reported cases (GDV 2021), followed by water damage and fire.

A fire or water leakage can easily destroy all your furniture and electronics at home. It is better to be on the safe side, especially if you cannot afford to buy all your belongings new again (this can be many thousand Euros!). Home contents insurance can cost as low as 2 Euros per month. It can give you the peace of mind that in case of a disaster, your home contents are protected.

Read also: Moving to Germany –  Complete Guide

What items are covered by home contents insurance in Germany?

A home contents insurance policy in Germany covers your movable belongings at home. Your movable belongings are those that you can take with you in case you move to a new apartment. To make it simple, imagine if you turn your whole flat upside down, anything that falls out will be covered under your home contents insurance policy in Germany.

Below are some examples of household goods that can be covered with a home contents insurance policy in Germany:

  • Furniture (including your own built-in kitchen)
  • Sports equipment
  • Clothing and shoes
  • Carpets
  • jewelry
  • Kitchen equipment (e.g. coffee machine, fridge, etc.)
  • Electronics (e.g. TV, personal computers, etc.)
  • Lawnmowers
  • Stroller
  • Other personal belongings

Your home contents insurance in Germany doesn’t only cover your household goods in the flat, but also your belongings in your garages, balcony, garden, terraces, etc. You will be covered financially (up to a certain value) if your movable belongings get damaged or lost.

In some cases, your home contents insurance policy (e.g. Feather) may even pay for the locksmith if you lose your keys. Note that not all the mentioned items above may be covered by every home contents insurance policy in Germany. You should read the fine prints to understand what items are covered before signing any contracts.

Coverage for other people

Some home contents insurance policies in Germany cover not only your belongings but also those of the other people whom you live with in the same household. Sometimes, the personal belongings of your children that are outside of your home can also be covered (usually up to a certain period).

Coverage outside of your home (Außenversicherung)

Besides, many home contents insurance policies in Germany also cover your personal belongings when you travel. For example, you are covered in case of theft from a hotel room you are staying in while on vacation.

What risks are insured by home contents insurance in Germany?

In general, a home contents insurance policy in Germany covers the below risks:

Fire: A fire in your flat damaged your furniture at home. Your home contents insurance will cover the costs of replacing the furniture. This also includes damages caused by an explosion, implosion, or lightning strike.

Water: If a pipe in your kitchen breaks, water leaks out, and damages your expensive carpet, your home contents insurance will pay for the replacement costs.

Storms and hail: Your home contents insurance will cover the damage of your home contents if they are damaged by natural hazards like windstorms and hail. For example, a storm broke your windows and caused damage to your furniture.

Burglary, theft, and vandalism: if someone broke into your home, stole your valuables, and damaged your walls deliberately, your home contents insurance will cover the damage.

Some home contents insurance policies also include the below risks:

Financial loss due to phishing: If scammers use your personal data to do bank transfers after you fell victim to a phishing attack, your financial damage will be insured up to a certain amount.

Phone fraud after a burglary: If you are burgled and the burglar uses your phone to make expensive international calls, you are covered.

Data recovery: If your electronics are damaged due to an insured risk like water or theft, your home contents insurance will cover the cost for the recovery of your data.

Note that every home contents insurance policy in Germany covers different things. So, not every home contents insurance insure the above-mentioned risks. Make sure you read the fine prints to find the best home contents insurance policy that best suits your individual situation.

Which costs will be covered by home contents insurance in Germany?

If your belongings are lost or destroyed, your home contents insurance will either

  • pay for repairing your items, or
  • pay for a reduction in value if your items are still usable, or
  • pay for the replacement costs if your items are lost or cannot be repaired anymore.

The good thing about home contents insurance in Germany is that your insurance will pay you the replacement value of your belongings, instead of the current value. This is very important because electronics such as computers lose their values very fast. Getting paid the replacement value of your computer means that you will surely be able to get a new equivalent computer at today’s price after your old computer is damaged.

Besides, home contents insurance will also pay for the below costs in general:

Cleaning costs: these are costs relating to cleanup, removal, and disposal of your insured items.

Movement and protection: moving and protections costs of items when your damaged flat is being restored.

Lock change: Your home contents insurance will pay for the costs relating to the change of a lock in the case of a break-in.

Transport and storage: If your apartment is uninhabitable after the damage, your home contents insurance will pay for the transportation and storage of your insured items.

Security costs: In case your apartment is uninhabitable after the damage, your home contents insurance will pay for the guarding costs if your apartment cannot be protected by any other security measures.

Relocation costs to another apartment: If your home is unlivable after an event, your home contents insurance will pay for your living costs in your temporary accommodation.

Read the fine prints

Note that standard home contents insurance policies usually have limits on the maximum payout amount. You should make sure that the insured sum in your policy is suitable for your individual situation. As mentioned before, every home contents insurance policy in Germany is different. It may or may not cover all the costs above. Make sure to read the fine prints before signing up any insurance contract.

Who needs a home contents insurance policy in Germany?

Anyone who wants to protect his personal belongings at home against damage and loss should consider taking out a home contents insurance policy in Germany. You may not realize how many valuable belongings you have at home until something happens to them.

Let’s say a fire broke out and the firefighters were here to put out the fire. Now, your whole home is destroyed by soot, smoke, and water. Can you afford to replace all your furniture and appliances at home? If the answer is no, you should consider getting home contents insurance in Germany. It probably costs more than you think to replace all your belongings at home. And most people cannot afford to pay all the replacement costs.

Your home contents insurance in Germany doesn’t only protect you against damage to your belongings, but also against burglary. Depending on your personal situation, your chance of being burgled may also be higher

  • if your flat is located on the ground floor
  • if you live in a city
  • if you are often not at home, e.g. at work or on business trips
  • during the holiday periods

Keep in mind that your home contents insurance doesn’t only cover your belongings, but also those from people who live with you. Some may even cover your children who live outside your household. Considering the small monthly insurance premium, it is advisable to get a home contents insurance policy in Germany to protect your valuable belongings.

The 5 best home contents insurance providers in Germany

We have chosen the below as the 5 best home contents insurance providers for expats in Germany. The below table can be moved sideways depending on your screen.

 GetsafeFeatherGothaerHeldenAdam Riese
Zero deductible amount possible✔✔✔150 €✔
English website✔✔ΧΧΧ
Daily cancellable✔✔Χ✔✔
External coverage (e.g. Hotel room)Up to 12 monthsUp to 3 monthsUp to 12 monthsUp to 24 monthsUp to 12 months
Bike coverage outside of your homeOptionalOptionalOptionalUp to 12k €Optional
Monthly price from2.58 €2.5 €1.94 € 2.92 €2.39 €
Features🔺Low price with comprehensive coverage

🔺Low price with optional add-on coverage

🔺If you are moving, both apartments are temporarily covered

🔺Your bike is covered if it is locked common area

🔺You are covered if you are robbed outside of your home

🔺If you are moving, both apartments are temporarily covered

🔺One comprehensive plan regardless of home size

🔺High insured sum (500k €)

🔺Free changing services

🔺Update guarantee for future condition improvements

🔺Best performance guarantee in the XXL plan.

🔺Support social projects

 More InfoMore InfoMore InfoMore InfoMore Info

We picked these best home contents insurance in Germany based on our personal experience, online review, and in-depth research. We do not provide a complete market overview. Note that the data in this article is accurate as of the date when this article is written and is subject to change any time in the future.


Getsafe

Getsafe was founded in 2015. It started originally as an insurance broker and changed to building its own digital insurance products. You can sign up in a few minutes and manage everything in one app without the paper trail.

Some highlights:

    • Low price with great coverage
    • Very good mobile app
    • Daily cancellable
    • Full English support
    • 0 deductible amount possible

Getsafe home contents insurance coverage:

    • 100% of the insured sum for damages caused by gross negligence
    • Compensation for the value of a new item
    • Cash outside a safe is covered for up to 5,000 Euros (or 2,500 Euros with the Comfort plan)
    • Valuables outside a safe like jewellery or precious stones are covered for up to 50,000 Euros (or 25,000 Euros with the Comfort plan)
    • Unlike other insurance companies, Getsafe has no limit in the worthiness of an item. You will get up to 100% compensation for items locked in an approved safe (or 50% if you use the Comfort plan)
    • Worldwide coverage
    • Your belongings are covered even outside of your home (for up to 12 months)
    • Cover theft of belongings from your car except for electronic goods, jewelry, or cash
    • Cover credit card fraud (if you are burgled and the thief purchased with your credit card)
    • Cover civil unrest and strikes
    • Cover financial loss due to phishing (scammers used your data to make bank transfers)
    • Two plans: Comfort or Premium
    • Additional extensions possible: Glass, bike theft, and natural disaster

Sign up with Getsafe now!

getsafe home insurance 15 EUR discount germany
Disclosure: If you click this link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Feather

Feather also offers home contents insurance in Germany and it provides English services. It is digital, easy to use, and you can sign up in a few minutes.

Some highlights:

    • Daily cancellable
    • 0 deductible possible
    • Full English support
    • Low price with optional add-on coverage

Feather home contents insurance coverage:

    • Cash outside a safe is covered for up to 1,500 Euros in the basic plan
    • Your belongings are covered even outside of your home (for up to 3 months and 25% of the insured sum)
    • Cover civil unrest and strikes
    • 3 plans: Basic and extended coverage
    • Additional extensions possible: Glass, bike theft, negligence, and moving expenses

Sign up with Feather now!

Gothaer

Gothaer is a large German insurance company with 4.6 billion euros in premium income and 4.1 million insured members. With a 200-year history, the company is committed to providing high-quality and personalized customer service.

Some highlights:

    • Very established with a 200-year history
    • Very good customer rating
    • Manage everything online with its customer portal
    • 0 or 150 EUR deductible
    • One-year contract with a 3-month cancellation notice

Gothaer home contents insurance coverage:

    • Three different plans: Basic, Plus, and Premium
    • Your bike is covered if it is locked in a common area
    • Worldwide coverage, e.g. in a hotel
    • Cover you in case you are robbed outside
    • Cover events caused by gross negligence
    • Both apartments are temporarily covered if you are moving
    • Cover financial losses due to
      • Conflicts with online retailers when shopping online
      • Theft of means of payment or identification data
      • Replacement of your bank card
    • Your children are covered if they are still studying
    • The premium plan also covered your work-related second home
    • Additional extensions possible: broken glass, bike theft, and natural hazards such as floods

Sign up with Gothaer now!

Gothaer_best home contents insurance germany_my life in germany_hkwomanabroad
Disclosure: If you click this link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Helden

Helden was founded in 2016 and is based in Hamburg. It offers only one comprehensive policy regardless of your home size.

Some highlights:

    • One simple plan with comprehensive coverage
    • 3 minutes sign-up
    • 100% digital with no paperwork
    • Daily cancellable
    • Free changing service if you have a home contents insurance policy already

Helden home contents insurance coverage:

    • One comprehensive policy with a high insured sum (500k Euros)
    • Bikes and e-bikes are insured with 12k Euros
    • Cash outside a safe is covered for up to 5,000 Euros
    • Damages caused by gross negligence are also covered
    • Damages due to internet fraud such as phishing or hacking are covered (for up to 5,000 Euros)
    • Damages of glass are included
    • Cover theft of belongings from your car (also for electronic goods)
    • Cover civil unrest and strikes
    • Cover the replacement cost for your music, videos, audios, or image that you downloaded legally from the internet (up to 5,000 EUR)
    • Cover the technical cost for data recovery
    • Your belongings are covered even outside of your home (for up to 24 months)
    • Extreme weather such as flooding and snow pressure is covered

Sign up with Helden now!

helden home insurance germany banner
Disclosure: If you click this link and make a purchase, we will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Adam Riese

Adam Riese is a German company founded in 2017. It is backed by a big and established financial service company called W&W Group in Germany. The goal of Adam Riese is to make insurance simple, digital, and fitting for its customers.

Some highlights:

    • 100% online with no paperwork
    • 0 deductible amount possible
    • Easy sign-up process
    • Daily cancellable
    • Update guarantee (Any future change in conditions that are favorable to customers will apply to your current contract)
    • Best performance guarantee* with the XXL plan
    • Support social projects

Adam Riese home contents insurance coverage:

    • 100% of the insured sum for damages caused by gross negligence
    • Your belongings are covered even outside of your home (for up to 12 months)
    • Cover theft of belongings from your car (up to 1,000 EUR and excluding high-value items)
    • Cover civil unrest
    • Cover financial loss due to phishing (up to 2,500 EUR)
    • Cover the technical cost for data recovery (up to 2,500 EUR)
    • Two plans: XL or XXL
    • Additional extensions possible: Glass, bike theft, and extreme forces of nature

*Best Performance Guarantee means that even if your insurance policy does not cover a specific type of damage, you will still receive insurance cover if you can prove that another insurance company will cover this kind of damage. This guarantee ensures that you always get the best coverage available and save you time from comparing all the different policies on the market.

Sign up with Adam Riese now!

How much does home contents insurance cost in Germany?

In general, home contents insurance can cost around 50 to 150 Euros per year. Depending on your situation, you may even find a home contents insurance policy that costs only around 2 Euros per month. The cost of home contents insurance in Germany depends on the below factors:

Your home address

Living in a big city in Germany means a higher risk of burglary. Therefore, home contents insurance can be more expensive there.

Value of your belongings at home

If you have more valuable belongings at home, you may want to have a higher insured sum. It also means a higher premium.

The level of coverage

Based on your individual situation, you can purchase add-on coverage such as bike coverage. The more add-on coverage you choose, the higher your premium will be.

The size of your home

Many home contents insurance providers in Germany calculate your insured sum based on the size of your home. You will likely have more belongings when your home is bigger. Therefore, your premium will be higher if you have a bigger home.

The deductible amount

The deductible amount is what you have to pay out of pocket before you can get paid from your home contents insurance in Germany. You will pay a higher insurance premium if you choose a higher deductible amount.

Security measures at home

If you have security measures at home such as an alarm system, your insurance premium can be lower.

Bundled insurance policy

Some insurance providers offer bundled insurance policies such as home contents insurance plus liability insurance, or home contents insurance plus building insurance. If you are looking for other types of insurance as well, getting a bundled insurance policy can be a better deal for you.

The length of the contract period

Some insurance providers give you a discount if you choose a longer contract period. We recommend not to choose a contract period longer than a year so that you are flexible to switch to a better policy in the future.

The number of claims you have made in the past

The more claims you made, the more expensive your policy will be.

How to apply for home contents insurance in Germany?

Applying for home contents insurance in Germany is quite straightforward. In general, you can do so online or by phone.

  1. Find the home contents insurance provider and decide on which policy you would like to get.
  2. Go to the website of the home contents insurance provider.
  3. Answer questions like your address, building type, size of your flat, etc. You may also need to indicate if you have been insured in the last 5 years and how many claims you have made in the past.
  4. Enter your personal data such as name, birthday, contact details, etc.
  5. Decide whether you want to buy any add-on coverage such as bicycle, gross negligence, natural hazards, etc.
  6. Depending on your home contents insurance provider, you may need to choose how much deductible you want to pay.

If your application is approved, you should receive your home contents insurance policy shortly. Different home contents insurance companies in Germany may have different application procedures. You should be able to see the procedure required on the website of your preferred home contents insurance provider.

How to determine the insured sum (Deckungssumme)?

The insured sum is the maximum amount your home contents insurance policy pays out in case of damage or loss. This sum should be based on the value of your insured items. There are two ways to calculate your insured sum.

1. Use a simple flat rate

To calculate your insured sum, many home contents insurance companies use a simple calculation based on your flat size in square meters, times a fixed amount (between 500€ to 650€). For example, if you live in a flat with 80 square meters, your insured sum will be 80 * 600€ = 48,000€. It means that your home contents insurance will pay out a maximum of 80k€ if everything is destroyed in your flat.

2. Do an individual calculation

If you live in a big flat but do not own so many expensive items, it may be cheaper for you to calculate the insured sum based on the detailed value of your belongings.

First, think about those belongings that are expensive and important to you (e.g. your guitar, camera, etc.). Use a spreadsheet to write them down with their values. Take pictures of these belongings. If you still have the receipts, take pictures also of the receipts.

For all the other items (clothing, shoes, chairs, etc.), write them down on your spreadsheet as well and estimate roughly how much they would cost. The easiest is to go through your flat and take pictures everywhere. Keep these pictures and also your digital receipts on a cloud so that they won’t get lost in case your phone is lost or destroyed.

Add up all the values in your spreadsheet and now you have your insured sum. And you should review your spreadsheet annually to keep the value of your belongings up to date.

This way of calculation requires more time and effort. But you may save money by calculating a lower insured sum than using a flat rate when you do not have many expensive belongings. On the other hand, if you have many valuable belongings at home, doing an individual calculation will make sure that you do not underinsure your belongings.

High-value items at home

If you have expensive items at home such as jewelry, precious stones, art collection, etc., you should let your home contents insurance company know the exact values of these items. Note that some home contents insurance companies will pay only 20% of the insured sum for these items. So, you need to decide if your insured sum is appropriate to prevent being underinsured.

Every home contents insurance company has a different policy. For example, some insurance companies will pay for items worth up to 5,000€ each. In case you have items worth more than 5,000€, you will have to contact the insurance companies to get them approved.

Other insurance companies such as Getsafe will pay 100% for valuables locked in an approved safe. For valuables and cash outside the safe, Getsafe will pay up to a certain limit.

Therefore, if you have expensive items at home, make sure you check with your home contents insurance company to understand the payout policy.

What is not covered by home contents insurance in Germany?

Items that may not be covered

Before getting your home contents insurance in Germany, you should understand what is not insured by your policy. In general, the below items may not be covered:

Bicycles

Even when I live in a small town in Germany, bike thefts are very common. If you want to insure your bike, make sure your policy does cover it. You should also understand under what situation bike theft is covered. It is because many home contents insurance policies only cover your bike if it is stolen within your apartment or garage.

If you want a more comprehensive coverage for your bike, you can include coverage for your bike outside of your home as an add-on. Alternatively, you can purchase a separate bike insurance policy. For more details, check this out: Bike Insurance in Germany – Compare the Best 4 Offers

Cars, aircraft, and boats

Aircraft and boats are not covered by your home contents insurance. For your car, you need to get a car insurance policy. Check this out for more details: Car Insurance in Germany – 13 Ways to Save Money

Note that if your valuables are stolen from a locked car, your home contents insurance may pay for household contents inside your car, e.g. your sunglasses. But this usually does not apply to valuables like cash or jewelry.

Expensive valuables

For high-value items such as cash, jewelry, art collection, many home contents insurance policies will only pay around 20% of the insured sum. Some other policies may insure them for up to a certain value. So, if you have expensive items, make sure to check with your provider beforehand to see if they can be insured.

Items that do not belong to you

Remember that home contents insurance only covers items owned by you. Items such as your rental furniture and equipment should be covered by your liability insurance in Germany.

Fixtures and fittings

Home contents insurance covers only your movable belongings. Walls, floors, ceilings, fixtures and fittings, and other building components are excluded and they should be covered by your building insurance if you own your flat.

Glass

If you have big window panes, you may want to purchase an add-on to include glass in your home contents insurance policy in Germany. Glass is easy to break, and repairing glass is very expensive. This also applies to any glass furniture, kitchen equipment, mirrors, and aquariums.

Business equipment

If you are self-employed and work from home, your office equipment will not be covered. You need to have separate insurance for business equipment.

Things that are normally not kept at home or in your garden

Things that are normally kept in other places like at your office or in a storage room will not be covered if they are damaged at your home. Similarly, if you leave things in the garden that normally do not belong there, they will not be insured either. For example, if you forgot your mobile phone in the garden and it was stolen, it will not be covered by your home contents insurance.

Items that you lend to others

For example, if you lend your camera to your friend, it will not be covered. The valuables need to be in your possession.

Items that are outside of your home

If your phone is stolen when you eat at a restaurant, it will not be covered. Robbery outside of your flat may be covered by some policies but usually only up to a certain amount of your insured sum.

Intangible assets

Intangibles things like your identity, health, reputation, etc. are not covered.

Insured items caused by certain damages may not be covered

Note that even insured furniture may not be covered if the damaged or loss is caused by certain circumstances. In general, damages caused under the below situations may not be covered by your home contents insurance in Germany:

Gross negligence

Not all home contents insurance policies in Germany cover damage that is caused by your negligence. For example, if you forgot to close your window or door, and someone came into your home and stole everything. This was damage that occurred through your fault and your insurance may not cover it. Note that some home contents insurance policies do cover incidences due to gross negligence, but the coverage is often not 100% of your insured sum.

Natural hazards

Many home contents insurance in Germany does not cover damage caused by natural disasters such as rain, snow, flooding, or earthquakes. Some may insure these damages if you purchase an add-on.

Damages caused by your pets

If your pets knock down your expensive vase, the cost of the vase will not be covered by your home contents insurance in Germany.

If you want to protect yourself from damages caused by your pets to other third parties, you would need a separate pet liability insurance. Check this out: Best Pet Insurance in Germany | Pet Health and Liability Insurance

Damages caused by you deliberately

If you intentionally destroy your valuables at home, they will of course not be covered by your home contents insurance.

General wear and tear

These are damages that occur naturally and inevitably as a result of normal wear and aging.

Simple theft

If your cleaner or a friend steals something from your flat, this will not be covered as it is just a regular theft but not burglary (break-in) or robbery (use or threat of force). If your valuables just disappear mysteriously, the costs will not be covered either.

An extended period away from home

The longer you are away from home, the higher is the risk of water damage, fire, and theft. Many home contents insurance policies in Germany require you to inform the providers in case you are away for longer than 60 days.

Inadequate security measures

Some insurance providers require that you have some security measures at home to safeguard your properties. This may include a safe for your valuables. Or smoke detectors in case of fire damage.

Illegal properties

Any illegal properties like firearms at home will not be covered.

War, terrorism, nuclear damage, civil unrest

In general, damages caused by these events will not be covered by your home contents insurance in Germany.

Incomplete information

When damage occurs, you should inform your home contents insurance provider timely. Make sure you provide all the details and accurate information. Otherwise, they may refuse your claim.


Note that every home contents insurance provider has a different policy. Some of them may insure the above-mentioned items or risks, especially if you purchase an add-on. Make sure you read the fine print and understand if your belongings will be covered by your policy or not.

How long is the contract term?

Many traditional home contents insurance policies in Germany have a contract term of one year. You may even find contracts that last for 3 to 5 years. Even though you will get some discount by signing up for a longer period, this kind of contract is not flexible and you cannot cancel your contract early without a good reason (e.g. selling your flat or moving to another place).

Like many other contracts in Germany, if you do not cancel your home contents insurance contract on time, it will be automatically renewed. So, you should always check your policy regarding the cancellation policy and notice period. Cancellation should be done in writing (e.g. by letter or email).

I recommend finding a home contents insurance policy that has a maximum contract term of one year. You won’t want to lock yourself in a long contract term and become unable to switch to another provider when a better insurance policy is available. That is why all the home contents insurance offers recommended in this article allow you to cancel at any time.

How to make a home contents insurance claim in Germany?

The procedure to make a claim varies depending on the home contents insurance companies in Germany. When damage or loss happens, you should inform your home contents insurance company without delay. Depending on the situation, you should also call the relevant authorities such as the fire department or police to help. You are responsible to take any reasonable steps to minimize the damage, e.g. moving valuables away from the damage if possible.

In general, you can make a claim online or by phone. You need to provide details of the claim and what has been damaged or lost. That is why it would be useful to keep receipts of your expensive items so that you can prove their value.

In case of burglary, you will also need to inform the police and provide a detailed police report to your home contents insurance provider. Your home contents insurance provider will investigate the case and let you know how much you can claim.

What to do if I have a conflict with my home contents insurance provider in Germany?

If you are unhappy with your home contents insurance provider in Germany, the first thing you should do is to contact your provider and try to sort things out. If that doesn’t work out, you can try to resolve the disputes out of court using the financial ombudsman services. The ombudsmen are mainly former judges who make independent and impartial decisions. You can find more details about how to contact an ombudsman here.

Alternatively, you can also file your complaint with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). Bafin is an independent federal institution that supervises financial companies including banks, financial service providers, insurance companies, and securities trading. You can fill out an online complaint form here.

Read also: Legal Insurance Germany – English Guide (+ 3 Best Offers)

Factors to consider when choosing your home contents insurance in Germany

When choosing your home contents insurance policy in Germany, you should consider the following factors in addition to the monthly premium:

Deductible: The deductible amount is what you have to pay out of pocket before you can claim from your home contents insurance in Germany. The higher the deductible amount, the lower your insurance premium. You should choose the right deductible amount based on your financial situation.

Coverage: Different home contents insurance policies can vary a lot on the coverage. Only you know what coverage is important to you. You should choose the right coverage based on your personal situation and the belongings you own.

Reputation: Check the home contents insurance provider and make sure they have good reviews and positive feedback.

Combined policy: Some providers offer a combined policy with home contents insurance and liability insurance/ building insurance. Getting a combined policy may be a better deal for you if are looking for such insurances as well.

Cancellation policy: You should know how long is your contract term and how long is your notice period. It is better to choose a policy with a short term to remain flexible.

Claim process: In case of a claim, what is the procedure and how fast can you get paid? Check the review to see if other people have difficulties when they are making the claims.

English support: Most insurance providers in Germany only support their customers in the German language. If German is an issue for you, you should find a provider that provides English customer support. For example, providers like Getsafe, or Feather, have English websites. Their insurance contract, signup, and claim procedure are also in English.

Home contents insurance vs liability insurance in Germany

Liability insurance covers you if you cause any damages to third parties. Below are some examples:

  • Your washing machine leaks and causes damage to the wooden floor of your rental apartment.
  • You lose your apartment key. The locks in your whole building may need to be replaced. (This can easily cost thousands!)
  • You hurt someone while biking/ running/ skiing. The person needs surgery and will suffer long-term. You are responsible to pay for the medical cost and his potential loss of income.

As you can see, you can easily go bankrupt without liability insurance if an accident happens. You may need to pay compensation to the damaged parties for the rest of your life. In fact, liability insurance is one of the most important insurances in Germany, even though it is not required by law. If you don’t have one yet, you definitely need to get one now! It can be as cheap as 2 Euros per month(!). For a full guide, check this out: Liability Insurance Germany – English Guide

In contrast to liability insurance, home contents insurance insured the belonging you own. It is there to protect your properties, while liability insurance protects you from claims made by third parties.

Home contents insurance vs building insurance in Germany

What is the difference?

Building insurance is called “Gebäudeversicherung” in German. While home contents insurance protects your movable items at home, it does not cover building components such as floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, foundations, etc. This is when building insurance comes into place. It protects your building components against damages like fire, water, storm, and explosion.

Though building insurance is not mandatory in Germany, it is strongly recommended for property owners. We all know that it is very expensive to buy a property in Germany. When there is damage in your building, the repair costs can easily turn your finance upside down. Therefore, almost all property owners in Germany have building insurance.

Note that if you are renting your home, you do not need to have building insurance as this will be the responsibility of your landlord.

Why building insurance is extremely important

We moved into our house 4 years ago and we have already used our building insurance twice. Two years ago, there was a big storm across Germany. Trains were stopped. A lot of fallen trees everywhere. Even the nursery for my daughter closed on that day because it was too dangerous to go outside. The next day, our neighbor knocked on our door and we realized that the blind from our window on the roof has flown to his garden! Our window was broken and water was dripping inside our room. We called our building insurance and someone came to replace our window and the blind.

The second incident happened a few months ago. The pipe in our toilet leaked and when we realized this, the water was already spreading through the wall into our workroom. The water pipe and our wall had to be replaced, and also all the wooden floor in our workroom! Imagine how much this would have cost us. Luckily, our building insurance took care of all the work and the costs.

How much does building insurance cost?

The price of building insurance depends on different factors like the type of your house construction, the size of your home, the build year, the address, the use of the building, etc. It can range from 150 € to 450€ per year. You can compare different building insurance offers here.

Conclusion

It is better to be safe than sorry. Home contents insurance in Germany is definitely worth it as you can protect your home contents without breaking the bank. Even the most affordable and basic home contents insurance plan can help you out a lot in case of an incident. I hope you find this guide helpful and now have a better understanding of home contents insurance in Germany.

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Disclaimer

Please be aware that this article is intended to provide you a brief overview of home contents insurance in Germany. The information and tips in this article are based on personal experiences and thorough research.

This blog is not an insurance broker platform and this article does not represent professional advice. Before purchasing, you should read the fine print of the insurance policy to make sure you understand the details.

This blog is not qualified to give you any financial advice according to German law and we do not accept any form of liability resulting from reading this article. Our blog makes no guarantee as to the accuracy or timeliness of the information in this article.

If you need any more details or the latest information, please refer to the insurance companies’ websites directly. If you need personal insurance advice, please contact an independent financial adviser.


Do you have home contents insurance in Germany? Have you ever made any claims? Leave a comment and share your experience below!

About the author

Originally from Hong Kong, Sindy spent 13 years in Germany before moving to the US. Her blog is your ultimate resource for navigating Germany, offering pro tips on bureaucracy, job hunting, education, culture, family life, and more.

With a "been there, done that" attitude, Sindy, a certified public accountant, draws on her extensive finance and accounting background to provide professional insights with a friendly touch.

Having navigated German life with her German husband and raising two kids there, Sindy brings a personal touch to her advice. Let this blog help fellow expats like you navigate the ins and outs of life in Germany!

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