Arenja & Raj FinanzWhat it covers, and what your landlord's policy does not
This is the distinction that catches almost every new arrival. Your landlord insures the building — walls, roof, pipes, fixed installations. You insure the contents — everything that would fall out if you turned the building upside down.
Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) pays for furniture, electronics, clothing, kitchen equipment, bicycles and valuables when they are destroyed or taken. The standard perils are fire, burglary, storm, hail, and water escaping from pipes.
A burst pipe is the instructive example. The landlord's policy repairs the pipe and the wall. Your sofa, your laptop and your rug are your problem.
What it costs
| Home | Typical cost per year in 2026 |
|---|---|
| 35 m² flat | €50 – €90 |
| 65 m² flat | €70 – €140 |
| 90 m² flat | €90 – €190 |
| 140 m² house | €140 – €280 |
Three things move the price: the size of the home, where it is, and which extras you include.
The underinsurance trap
The sum insured is normally set at around €650 per square metre of living space. A 70 m² flat therefore insures for about €45,500.
It is tempting to set that lower to save a few euros. Do not. If the sum insured falls short of the real value of your contents, German insurers apply what is called proportional settlement: insure for half of what you own and every claim is cut in half — including the small ones, not just the total loss.
Setting it at the standard rate also buys a practical benefit. At €650 per square metre most insurers waive the underinsurance check entirely, which means claims are simply paid.
The extras worth having
| Add-on | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Bicycle theft | Anyone with a decent bike, and essential for e-bikes |
| Elemental damage | Flooding and heavy rain — increasingly relevant, and not included as standard |
| Glass cover | Ceramic hobs, large mirrors, glass tables |
| Away-from-home cover | Belongings taken on holiday or to a second residence |
E-bikes deserve a specific mention. They are frequently the single most valuable item in a German household and are frequently not covered by a standard policy at their real value.
Is it worth it for you?
The honest test is one question: could you replace everything in your flat out of savings tomorrow, without it hurting?
For someone who arrived last year with two suitcases and rented furnished, possibly yes — and we will tell you so rather than sell you a policy you do not need. For a household with furniture, bikes, instruments and equipment, the answer is almost always no, and €80 a year is a straightforward trade.
Where it becomes worth a conversation is the detail: the right sum insured, which add-ons apply to how you actually live, and whether your bike, your jewellery or your home office equipment is properly covered. Fifteen minutes, in English, at no cost.
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Run your own numbers
Contents cover is usually a question of what you could replace out of savings. Start with what actually reaches your account each month:
Want this checked against your own situation?
Fifteen minutes, free, and genuinely non-committal. We work with people building a life in Germany, and we speak English, German and Hindi.
Book a free callPick a time that suits youCommon questions
Does my landlord's insurance cover my belongings?
No. The landlord's buildings policy covers the structure — walls, roof, pipes and fixed installations. Everything you brought into the flat is yours to insure, which is what contents insurance does. After a burst pipe the landlord's insurer repairs the pipe and the wall while your furniture and electronics remain your own loss.
How much does contents insurance cost in Germany?
Roughly €50 to €90 a year for a small flat, €70 to €140 for a two-room flat, €90 to €190 for three rooms and €140 to €280 for a house. Location and optional extras move the figure; the size of the home is the main driver.
How is the sum insured calculated?
Normally at about €650 per square metre of living space, so a 70 m² flat is insured for roughly €45,500. Sticking to that figure matters: if the sum insured is lower than the actual value of your contents, insurers reduce every claim in proportion — a half-insured household gets half of even a small claim paid.
Is my bicycle covered?
Only if bicycle theft is included, and it usually is not by default. For an e-bike this is the single most important thing to check, since it is often the most valuable item in the household. The cover also frequently comes with conditions about locking and time of day, which are worth reading before you rely on them.
Do I need contents insurance if I rent a furnished flat?
Often not, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a policy. If the furniture belongs to the landlord and your own possessions amount to a laptop and some clothes, savings will cover a loss. Once you have furnished a place yourself, the arithmetic changes quickly.
Does it cover damage I cause to the flat itself?
No — that is private liability insurance, which is a separate policy. Contents covers your own things; liability covers damage you cause to other people's property, including a rented flat. Most households need both, and they are usually arranged together.