Renters insurance in Germany: Complete expat guide for 2026
Renting in Germany? Then you've probably been told you need liability insurance, and maybe household insurance too.
This can be confusing, though, because Germany doesn't actually have renters insurance as a single policy. You can, however, replicate renters insurance by buying two separate policies which together can cost less than 15 euros per month, and you can set both up online in English in a couple of minutes.
Feather offers internationals living in Germany a variety of insurance, depending on their needs and lifestyle. In this guide, they explain what renters insurance means in Germany, whether you need it and how to choose the best coverage.
What is renters insurance in Germany?
In Germany, renters insurance is a bundle of two separate policies:
- Household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung), which covers your belongings.
- Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung), which covers damage you cause to other people and their property (including your rented apartment!).
Your landlord's building insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) covers the walls, roof and pipes. It doesn't cover your laptop, sofa or the parquet floor you scratched while moving in.
|
Policy |
What it protects |
Typical price in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
|
Household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) |
Your belongings: furniture, clothes, tech, bikes |
From about €2 a month |
|
Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) |
Other people, their property, and your rented apartment |
From about €5 a month |
|
Building insurance (Wohngebäudeversicherung) |
The building itself |
Paid by your landlord |
Is renters insurance mandatory in Germany?
Unlike health insurance, neither policy is required by law. Landlords can, and do, ask for proof of liability insurance. But a lease clause forcing you to take out insurance is generally invalid under German consumer law.
Still, in practice, a German landlord will almost always favour the rental application which contains proof of liability insurance instead of the one that doesn't. Plus, around 90 percent of German households have personal liability insurance and 78 percent have household contents insurance.
The reason is a legal one. Under German law, you are liable for damage you negligently cause with your entire assets and future income, with no upper limit.
For example, say you're cycling to work, don't see a pedestrian stepping onto a zebra crossing and you knock them over. They break a wrist and can't work for six weeks. You must pay their medical bills, their lost income and any compensation.
What does household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) cover?
- Fire, lightning and explosions
- Tap water damage, like a burst pipe or a leaking dishwasher
- Storms and hail
- Burglary, robbery and vandalism after a break-in
German household insurance pays “new-for-old” (Neuwert), meaning you get the price of a new laptop, not what your four-year-old one was worth.
Belongings are also covered outside the home for up to three months, for example against burglary from a hotel room.
If your apartment becomes uninhabitable, most policies pay for a hotel for up to 100 days (Feather’s contents insurance covers up to 180).
What it doesn't cover
- Simple theft (a phone taken from a café table)
- Normal wear and tear
- Damage to the building
- Intentional damage.
Bike theft on the street needs the bike add-on, and insurers paid out for 115.000 stolen bikes in 2025, averaging 1.270 euros each.
What does personal liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung) cover?
For renters, the important part is damage to rented property (Mietsachschäden). This covers a scratched floor, burnt kitchen countertop or a cracked sink, so your deposit stays safe.
Good policies come with 10 million to 50 million euros in coverage. Your partner and children can also be added to the same policy. Dogs need separate dog liability insurance, which is mandatory in several states, including Berlin and Hamburg.
What it doesn't cover
- Intentional damage
- Your own belongings
- Damage while driving (that's car insurance)
How much does renters insurance cost in Germany in 2026?
Household insurance is priced on living space, postal code (burglary risk), add-ons and deductible.
Stiftung Warentest compared 237 tariffs in April 2026. Good coverage for a 100-square-metre apartment starts around 61 euros a year in a low-risk city (Ingolstadt). Digital insurers like Feather start at about 2 euros a month for small apartments.
For liability insurance, good tariffs start at around 25 euros a year for singles and 37 euros for families. Expect 4 to 8 euros a month for the most comprehensive policies.
For a 60-square-metre city apartment, budget 8 to 15 euros a month for both.
How much coverage do you need?
Household insurance
Insure at least 650 euros per square metre of living space (some insurers suggest 750 euros).
Liability insurance
How to get renters insurance in Germany
- Find your living space: Your lease lists the Wohnfläche in square meters. That's all a household policy needs.
- Pick your add-ons: Bike, natural hazards, glass. Skip what you don't need.
- Choose a provider you can read: Compare coverage sums, deductibles, and cancellation terms in English. Feather's renters insurance bundles both policies online, in English, with no deductible.
- Sign up online: You'll need your address, a start date and an IBAN. Coverage can start the next day.
- Document your things: Film each room with your phone and keep receipts for anything expensive. Claims go faster.
How to cancel or switch
Traditional insurers sell one-year contracts that renew automatically, with three months' notice.
Renters insurance in Germany vs. the US
|
|
Germany |
US |
|---|---|---|
|
Structure |
Two policies (contents + liability) |
One policy (HO-4) |
|
Payout for your belongings |
New-for-old by default |
Actual cash value, unless you add replacement cost |
|
Deductible |
Often none, or €150 to lower the premium |
Usually $500 to $1,000 |
|
Liability limit |
€10 million to €50 million |
$100,000 to $500,000 |
|
Theft outside the home |
Only burglary and robbery; bike theft is an add-on |
Covered, often capped (commonly 10% of your limit) |
|
Landlord can require it |
No, such lease clauses are generally invalid |
Yes, common |
Frequently asked questions about renters insurance
Does my landlord's insurance cover my belongings?
No. Building insurance covers the structure. Anything that would fall out if you turned the apartment upside down is yours to insure.
Are roommates covered?
One household policy covers everyone in your household. For liability, pick a family or partner tariff and name your partner. In a shared apartment (WG), some insurers cover everyone under one shared policy while others want one per person.
Does household insurance cover my bike?
Is it worth it in a furnished apartment?
What happens when I leave Germany?
Set up your insurance today
Renters insurance in Germany is two policies, not one. Liability insurance protects your deposit and savings from claims with no upper limit. Household insurance replaces your belongings at today's prices. Together, most renters pay under €15 a month.
If you'd rather set up both in English, Feather's renters insurance bundles household and liability insurance online in a few minutes. Support is in English, and you can cancel monthly.