Hausratversicherung in Germany: The Complete Guide

You have the keys to a German flat, a renewal letter, or a comparison site open in another tab — and the word Hausratversicherung keeps appearing without anyone explaining whether it's compulsory, what it actually pays for, or how much it should cost. It is one of the first insurances people set up in Germany, and also one of the most misunderstood by internationals: it is not legally required, it does not cover the building you live in, and the "right" amount to insure follows a simple rule most English guides never mention. This guide answers the core questions in one place, then points you to the deeper breakdown for whichever decision you're actually facing.

What Hausratversicherung actually is — and what it is not

Hausrat means, roughly, everything you would take with you if you moved: furniture, electronics, kitchen equipment, clothing, and most other movable possessions. Hausratversicherung replaces those things at their Neuwert (replacement-as-new value) after a covered event. What it never touches is the fabric of the building — walls, roof, fixed installations. That belongs to the property owner's Wohngebäudeversicherung, and your landlord's building policy will never pay for your stolen laptop or fire-damaged sofa. If you are unsure which policy owns which risk, the split is worked through in full in Wohngebäude vs. Hausrat, explained.

The four standard covered perils are fire, tap-water damage, burglary/theft, and storm/hail. Exactly what sits inside each — and the sub-limits on cash, valuables, and bicycles — varies more than most people expect, which is covered in detail in what Hausratversicherung actually covers.

Do you actually need it?

Hausratversicherung is optional, so the honest answer is: it depends on what you own and what you could afford to replace at once. Someone in a sparsely furnished first apartment with a second-hand desk and a phone has little to protect; someone with a full kitchen, a laptop, a bike, and a few years of accumulated belongings has a four- or five-figure replacement bill waiting behind a single burst pipe. The policy generally suits renters and owners whose contents would be expensive or disruptive to replace all at once — the renter-specific version of this decision, including when it's reasonable to skip it, is laid out in do renters need home contents insurance.

One point worth clearing up early: Hausratversicherung and Privathaftpflicht (personal liability) are separate contracts covering separate risks. Hausrat pays when your things are damaged; Haftpflicht pays when you damage someone else's — see what Haftpflicht actually covers. New arrivals typically set up both in the same first few weeks, alongside health cover — the running order is walked through in the insurances nobody explains when you arrive.

What it costs — and the 650 €/m² rule

The single most useful number in Hausratversicherung is the Versicherungssumme — the total value you insure your contents for. Set it too low and, at claim time, the insurer can reduce even a small payout in proportion to how under-insured you were. The industry's standard cross-check avoids this: insure roughly 650 € for every square metre of living space, and the Unterversicherungsverzicht applies — the insurer simply doesn't check for under-insurance. Households with high-value contents are generally advised to use 800 €/m² or to itemise instead.

Flat size	Versicherungssumme at 650 €/m²	Notes
60 m²	≈ 39,000 €	Typical one-bedroom / small two-room flat
90 m²	≈ 58,500 €	Standard family flat
120 m²	≈ 78,000 €	Larger flat or small house

That insured sum is only one of three levers on the premium. The second is your Tarifzone — a location factor tied to your postcode that reflects local burglary and claims rates, and which can double or triple the price of an otherwise identical policy. The third is your Selbstbeteiligung (deductible): accepting a higher excess lowers the monthly premium in exchange for paying more yourself on a claim. Real premiums for typical flats land anywhere from a few euros a month to around €150 a year once all three combine. The full worked math — including how each lever moves the number on your bill — is in what home contents insurance actually costs.

Comparing providers: HUK, HUK24, Allianz and the rest

Once you know your insured sum, the question becomes which insurer to buy it from — and the honest differences are less about headline price than about what's included at a given tier: the sub-limits on valuables and cash, whether Elementarschutz is bundled or extra, how grobe Fahrlässigkeit (gross negligence) is treated, and the deductible options. A side-by-side of three of the most common names, and what genuinely differs between them, is in HUK, HUK24 and Allianz compared. Rather than chase the lowest premium, it's usually more productive to compare policies at matching coverage and deductible levels.

The one gap that catches people: Elementarschutz

This is worth isolating because it's the exclusion people assume they're covered for and aren't. The distinction between a covered "tap-water" claim and an excluded "natural-hazard" flood is explained inside what Hausratversicherung covers.

Already have a policy? Switching and cancelling

If you're renewing rather than buying, you're not locked in for life. A standard contract runs for a year and needs three months' notice to cancel — but a premium increase, a claim, or (in narrower cases than most expats assume) a move can open an early exit. The trap is sequencing: cancel the old policy before the new one is confirmed and you can create an uninsured gap. The full no-gap switching sequence and the exact legal grounds are in how to cancel or switch your Hausratversicherung.

Is it tax-deductible?

For most people, Hausratversicherung is a private expense and not deductible. The exception is a genuine home office (Arbeitszimmer): where part of your home is used for work, a corresponding share of the premium can sometimes be claimed. The rules — and the common mistakes — are set out in is Hausratversicherung tax-deductible.

The full Hausratversicherung guide series

Everything above is the overview. Each decision has its own deep-dive — start with the one that matches your situation:

If you want to know…	Read
What it actually costs and how the 650 €/m² math works	What home contents insurance costs in Germany
How HUK, HUK24 and Allianz differ	Home contents insurance compared
Whether a renter like you needs it at all	Do renters need contents insurance
Exactly what's covered, excluded, and sub-limited	What Hausratversicherung covers
Whether you can deduct it from tax	Is Hausratversicherung tax-deductible
How to cancel or switch without a coverage gap	How to cancel or switch Hausratversicherung

How to get a policy — or a better one

Whether you're setting up cover for the first time or checking whether your current tariff still fits, the practical step is the same: compare policies at matching coverage and deductible levels rather than on premium alone, and confirm whether Elementarschutz is included before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Hausratversicherung mandatory in Germany?

No. Unlike health insurance, Hausratversicherung is optional. It is widely held because replacing a flat's entire contents after a fire or burglary is expensive, but no law requires it and no landlord can force you to buy it.

What does 650 €/m² actually mean?

It's the insured-sum benchmark the GDV recommends: multiply your living space by 650 € to set your Versicherungssumme. Insure at least that much and most insurers waive the under-insurance check (Unterversicherungsverzicht), so a valid claim is paid in full rather than cut. High-value households are generally advised to use 800 €/m² or itemise.

Does it cover my bike and valuables outside the home?

Sometimes, and usually only up to sub-limits. Bicycles, cash, and valuables typically carry percentage caps, and cover away from home (Außenversicherung) is limited. The specifics vary by policy — the coverage and sub-limit detail is in what Hausratversicherung covers.

Can renters get Hausratversicherung?

Yes — renters are the core buyers. The policy covers your belongings regardless of whether you own or rent the property; the building is the landlord's concern. Whether it's worth it for your specific situation is covered in do renters need contents insurance.

Can I cancel early if my premium goes up?

Usually yes. A premium increase without more cover generally opens a one-month special cancellation right, and a claim can too. The sequence that avoids a coverage gap is in how to cancel or switch.

This guide is general information for people navigating insurance in Germany and is not individual insurance advice (keine individuelle Versicherungsberatung). Figures are orientation ranges, not quotes; confirm current terms and premiums with the insurer or a licensed adviser before deciding.