Rental Insurance
There are several types of insurance to consider when renting a property in Germany. Before signing a contract, it is a good idea to compare the cover and cost of several insurance policies. Anyone moving to Germany from abroad should check with their existing insurance providers whether or not their current insurance offers them any cover in Germany. The two main insurances which prove useful for tenants are 'Privathaftpflichtversicherung', which is a type of liability insurance, and 'Hausratversicherung', a type of contents insurance.
Remember: damage to the building work of a rented property will often be covered by your landlord's buildings insurance. A small charge to cover your contribution to this insurance will usually be included by your landlord in the basic rent that you pay. There is no need to take out a separate insurance policy for damage to glass, unless there are unusually large or valuable windows in the property for example. If you consider that the property you are renting has any special features which should be covered by a separate policy, you are advised to check with your landlord.
Privathaftpflichtversicherung / Liability Insurance
It is a good idea to purchase private liability insurance. It tends to be inexpensive and covers you for damage to property or injury to people caused accidentally by you, your spouse, your children or pets. You should be able to purchase liability cover of €1,000,000 for around €40 a year; cover for singles is often even cheaper. German students who go on to student directly after their A-Levels (the 'Abitur') are automatically covered by their parents' liability insurance, unless they are married or have completed a traineeship before studying.
Liability insurance covers items which belong to the landlord, but are not specifically rented as part of the contract, such as electrical wiring and floor tiles. It is important to check the maximum cover your policy provides, since the cover limit for damage to the property is usually smaller than the cover limit for injury to other people. Remember also, that you may be entitled to less cover if it can be proved that you are responsible for damage caused to the property, such as leaving a candle burning which causes a fire, or leaving the tap running, causing the apartment to flood.
For details of home contents insurance, see:
