Household Contents Insurance in Germany: How It Works

Hausratversicherung, or HRV, insures household contents in Germany: furniture, electronics, clothing, bicycles, dishes, books, and other belongings in an apartment or house. The policy is not legally mandatory, but it helps you avoid paying out of pocket to replace your home setup after a fire, burglary, leak, storm, hail, or other risks included in the contract.

The main idea is simple: it is not the building itself that is insured, but the belongings inside it. If you were to turn the apartment upside down, everything that would “fall out” generally counts as household contents. Walls, floors, the roof, and built-in construction elements belong to other types of insurance.

When Hausratversicherung is genuinely useful

HRV is especially useful if losing your belongings would cause a serious financial problem. After a fire, major leak, or burglary, you may have to buy clothing, furniture, laptops, household appliances, dishes, mattresses, and many small items needed for normal daily life all over again.

Consider taking out a policy if:

your apartment or house contains a lot of electronics, furniture, and personal belongings;
you own bicycles, prams, tools, musical instruments, or sports equipment;
there is a noticeable risk of burglary in your area;
your home is on the ground floor, near a body of water, in a flood-prone area, or you keep belongings in the basement;
your family could not quickly replace all of its belongings from its own funds;
your rental agreement or personal financial strategy calls for additional protection.

If you own few possessions, your electronics are inexpensive, and a potential loss could easily be covered from savings, insurance may not be your first priority. However, it is important to assess not only the value of individual items, but the full set of belongings in the apartment.

Which risks HRV usually covers

The basic package depends on the insurer and tariff, but Hausratversicherung most often covers damage caused by:

fire, lightning strike, explosion, and sometimes implosion;
tap water, if there is a water leak from pipes or connected appliances;
burglary, robbery, and vandalism after a break-in;
storm and hail, usually when wind force is at least 8 on the Beaufort scale;
damage caused by smoke, soot, or firefighting, if included in the terms;
clean-up, disposal, temporary storage of belongings, and hotel costs if the home is temporarily uninhabitable.

Natural hazards such as flooding, heavy-rain flooding, sewer backflow, landslides, avalanches, or earthquakes are often not included in a standard policy. They usually require additional Elementarschäden cover.

What is usually not considered household contents

HRV does not replace building insurance and does not cover everything indiscriminately. The following are usually checked or insured separately:

walls, floors, roofs, and other building components;
built-in elements that are part of the property rather than movable belongings;
expensive artworks, collections, and antiques;
cash, securities, and jewellery above the limits in the contract;
professional equipment used for business;
belongings in a separately accessible office, garage, or outbuilding;
damage caused intentionally or by a breach of the policyholder’s obligations.

For expensive items, check the limits in advance: sometimes the insurer covers them only up to a certain amount, requires a safe, or requires them to be separately listed in the contract.

How to calculate the sum insured

The sum insured should be close to the replacement value of your belongings. If it is too low, there is a risk of Unterversicherung (underinsurance): in the event of major damage, the insurer may reduce the payment in proportion to the underinsurance.

There are two practical approaches.

Calculation by floor area

Many German insurers offer a calculation based on living area. Tariffs often use a guideline amount per square metre, for example around €650 per m², but this is neither a universal “legal rate” nor a guarantee for every contract. Look for the term Unterversicherungsverzicht in the conditions: if it is included and the sum is selected according to the insurer’s rules, the company generally waives an underinsurance review.

Example: an 80 m² apartment at a guideline of €650 per m² gives a sum insured of €52,000. However, if a small apartment contains expensive electronics, designer furniture, or collections, this calculation may not be enough.

Individual assessment of belongings

A more accurate method is to go through the apartment and compile an inventory. Assess not the old purchase price, but the cost of replacing each item with a new equivalent of comparable quality.

The list usually includes:

furniture, kitchen cabinets, beds, mattresses, armchairs, and shelves;
household appliances, TVs, computers, phones, and game consoles;
clothes, shoes, bags, suitcases, and accessories;
dishes, books, musical instruments, and sports equipment;
bicycles, prams, tools, and garden equipment;
carpets, curtains, lamps, mirrors, and decorative items;
food, beverages, cosmetics, and the contents of cupboards.

Receipts, bank statements, warranty documents, and photos of your belongings help prove what you owned after an insured event. It is useful to update photos or a video of the apartment once a year.

What determines the cost of a policy

The cost of Hausratversicherung is calculated individually. It is affected by:

the address and local risk statistics;
the type of home: apartment, house, second home, or holiday home;
the living area and sum insured;
the selected level of cover: basic, comfort, or extended;
protection against Elementarschäden;
cover for bicycles, glass, theft from a car, or belongings away from home;
limits for cash, jewellery, and valuables;
alarms, locks, and other security measures;
previous insurance claims;
the contract term and payment method.

It is best to compare exact annual premiums across several current offers. Old examples with fixed prices quickly become outdated: the tariff depends on the address, area, deductible, limits, and selected options.

Gross negligence: why it matters

German contracts often use the term grobe Fahrlässigkeit — gross negligence. This is when a person clearly disregards basic care: leaving a window open during heavy rain, leaving home with the door unlocked, leaving candles unattended, or trying to repair plumbing without the necessary skills.

If damage results from gross negligence, some insurers may reduce the payment. It is therefore useful to choose a tariff that fully waives a reduction for grobe Fahrlässigkeit, or at least provides a sufficient amount of cover for it.

Burglary and robbery

Theft is not always covered. For an insured event, the offender usually must have entered the home by overcoming an obstacle: breaking a door or window, using a stolen key, or forcing open a cupboard or room. If the door was open and someone simply walked in, the insurer may refuse cover.

Robbery differs from ordinary theft because an item is taken through force or threat. For example, if a watch or phone is taken from you on the street under threat of violence, this may be covered by extended outside-the-home protection. If you simply left your phone on a café table, HRV normally will not help.

Crime in Germany is generally low, but the risk of burglary remains a practical insurance risk. According to insurance-market data, damage from residential burglaries has again amounted to hundreds of millions of euros per year in recent years, so the risk should not be judged solely by a general feeling of safety in the neighbourhood.

Water, basements, and natural hazards

Standard HRV usually covers tap water: a burst pipe, a leak from a washing machine or dishwasher, or damage to belongings caused by an internal leak. But a flooded basement after heavy rain, a river overflow, or sewer backflow often falls under Elementarschäden.

Illustration of insurance correspondence concerning water damage: such cases depend on the cause of the leak, the contract terms, and documented proof of the costs.

For a basement, checking the contract is particularly important. Belongings in the Keller may be insured against burglary, but not always against flooding. If bicycles, electronics, tools, or furniture are stored in the basement, clarify the limit and storage conditions.

Elementarschäden and risk zones

Protection against natural hazards is arranged as an additional module to Hausratversicherung or as part of an extended tariff. It may cover flooding, heavy rain, sewer backflow, landslides, avalanches, earthquakes, and other natural events if listed in the terms.

In Germany, insurers use the ZÜRS Geo system to assess the risk of floods, inundation, and heavy rain. A property may be assigned to different risk classes, which affects policy availability, price, and deductible.

Risk-zone diagrams help explain why protection against Elementarschäden is more expensive for some addresses or is available only with restrictions.

If the apartment is on the ground floor, belongings are stored in the basement, there is a stream nearby, or the area has already experienced flooding, this module is worth checking separately. Do not rely on the everyday meaning of “flood”: for an insurer, the legal cause of the damage matters.

Bicycles, e-bikes, and belongings away from home

A bicycle can be part of household contents, but cover often applies only to theft from a locked space or with a separate Fahrradversicherung option. Expensive bicycles and e-bikes usually require a higher limit, a good lock, and compliance with storage conditions.

Check in the contract:

whether protection applies outdoors;
whether there is a nighttime restriction;
the limit for one bicycle and for all family bicycles;
whether Zubehör is covered: the battery, child seat, bags, and bicycle computer;
whether a separate serial number or proof of purchase is required.

Belongings away from home are covered only under Außenversicherung. For example, luggage in a hotel room may be insured, while a phone left unattended in a café is not. A ship’s cabin, car, tent, and motorhome may be governed by separate rules.

Cash, jewellery, and valuables

There are almost always limits for cash, securities, jewellery, watches, coins, and artworks. They often depend on how the items are stored: openly in a room, in a locked cabinet, or in a certified safe.

If you keep many valuables at home, do not rely on the standard limit. Instead, in advance:

photograph the items;
retain invoices and certificates;
clarify the limit without a safe and with one;
discuss separate insurance for expensive items;
avoid keeping large amounts of cash without need.

What to do after an insured event

After a fire, leak, or burglary, it is important not only to remove the danger but also to document the damage correctly.

Steps to take:

Ensure safety first: call the fire brigade, police, emergency service, or Hausverwaltung if necessary.
In the event of burglary, report it to the police and obtain confirmation.
Notify the insurer about the insured event promptly.
Do not dispose of damaged belongings before coordinating with the insurer, where possible and safe.
Take photos and videos of the damage.
Collect receipts, invoices, bank statements, warranty documents, and an inventory of belongings.
Record costs for accommodation, cleaning, drying, storage, and disposal.

Notification requirements and deadlines differ by contract. If there is a risk of further damage — for example, water is still flowing — take reasonable measures to mitigate it.

How to choose or change a policy

Older tariffs can sometimes look cheap but omit important modern options: Elementarschäden, a full waiver of reductions for grobe Fahrlässigkeit, adequate bicycle cover, belongings away from home, or sufficient limits for valuable items.

Before choosing, compare:

the sum insured and the presence of Unterversicherungsverzicht;
the list of basic risks;
Elementarschäden and Rückstau;
limits for bicycles, cash, jewellery, and electronics;
gross-negligence cover;
the deductible;
the contract term and Kündigungsfrist;
the cancellation rules after an insured event.

After a major loss, the contract may sometimes be terminated by either the policyholder or the insurer if the terms and law allow it. Frequent small claims can also make moving to another company more difficult. For minor damage, it is therefore worth assessing in advance whether filing an insurance claim makes sense.

Checklist before signing

The living area and sum insured match the real value of your belongings.
The contract includes Unterversicherungsverzicht.
Elementarschäden are included or consciously excluded.
Bicycles and e-bikes are covered for the required amount.
Cash, jewellery, and valuables do not exceed the limits.
Grobe Fahrlässigkeit is covered without a substantial reduction in payment.
The basement, garage, garden furniture, and belongings away from home are clearly described.
The deductible, contract term, Kündigungsfrist, and notification procedure are clear.

FAQ

Is Hausratversicherung mandatory in Germany?

No, it is voluntary insurance. However, a tenant or homeowner bears the risk of losing their belongings if there is no policy.

Does HRV cover damage to neighbours?

Usually not. If you flood your neighbours, it is more often a matter for personal liability insurance — Privathaftpflichtversicherung. HRV covers your own belongings if the cause of damage is included in the contract.

Is the standard amount of €650 per m² enough?

It is a common tariff guideline, but not a universal rule. For expensive possessions, calculate individually and check Unterversicherungsverzicht.

Is Elementarversicherung needed for an apartment above the ground floor?

It depends on the address, basement, storage of belongings, risk of sewer backflow, and building conditions. Even if the apartment itself is higher up, belongings in the Keller can be damaged by heavy rain or flooding.

What matters more: a low price or broad cover?

For HRV, clear limits and risks that genuinely match your home matter more. The cheapest policy may turn out to be useless if it excludes the events you need covered.