In Germany a simple rule applies: if you cause damage to someone else, you have to pay for it – without any upper limit, if necessary for years out of your income (§ 823 German Civil Code). Personal liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) costs only a few euros a month and covers such claims. It is especially worthwhile for newcomers living in a new flat or shared accommodation.
As of October 2026. General information, not legal or insurance advice. Prices are rough guide values.
In short: personal liability insurance pays if you accidentally cause damage to other people – to their health, their belongings or their finances. It also defends you against unjustified claims. Good policies for single people often cost only around 20 to 60 euros a year. Look for cover of at least 10 million euros, damage to rented property and loss of other people’s keys. Your own belongings and your car are not covered.
What personal liability insurance pays for
The insurance steps in if you cause damage to someone else in your private life. Typical examples:
- You bump into a shelf in a shop and a bottle of oil breaks.
- Your bike falls against a parked car and scratches the paint.
- Your washing machine leaks and water drips into the flat below.
- You knock over a pedestrian on the pavement who gets injured – this can quickly mean medical costs, compensation for pain and suffering or lost earnings.
- You drop a colleague’s phone that they lent you.
The insurer also checks whether the claim is justified at all. If it is not, the insurer rejects it – in court if necessary. This is called passive legal protection.
Why it matters especially for newcomers
- New place, new risks: a new flat, unfamiliar appliances, shared rooms with colleagues, cycling in city traffic.
- Flat or shared accommodation: a water leak, a burn mark in the floor or a broken door can easily cost several thousand euros.
- Keys: if you lose a key to a master key system (Schließanlage), the landlord can demand that all locks be replaced.
- Landlords ask for it: some want proof when you sign a tenancy agreement. More in Documents for renting a flat.
- A policy from home is often not enough: check whether a policy from Romania, Poland or Ukraine is valid in Germany at all, and permanently.
Key components
| Component | What it is about | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Sum insured | Maximum paid per claim | At least €10 million combined for personal injury, property and financial loss |
| Rented property damage | Damage to rented rooms (floors, doors, walls, sanitary fittings) | Good policies with a high limit; normal wear and tear is never covered |
| Furnished accommodation | Damage to rented furniture and appliances | Not included in every policy – check the terms |
| Loss of other people’s keys | Private keys and master key systems | Often capped; work keys (from your employer) sometimes only as an add-on |
| Damage while doing a favour | Damage while helping, e.g. friends moving house | Included in many good policies, often capped |
| Borrowed items | Damage to things you have borrowed | Not included in every policy |
| Default cover | You suffer damage and the person responsible cannot pay | Useful extra |
| Deductible | Your own share per claim | Lowers the premium, e.g. €150 |
Tip for employees in employer-provided accommodation: before signing, ask whether damage to the furnishings (bed, wardrobe, kitchen appliances) is covered and what the limit for keys is. This matters especially in accommodation shared by several people.
How much does it cost?
Prices vary widely. As a rough guide (2025/2026, based on consumer portals and tests):
- Single people: good policies often around 20 to 60 euros a year; very young singles sometimes pay a little more.
- Couples and families: frequently around 50 to 80 euros a year. Stiftung Warentest found very good family policies from just under 50 euros a year.
What affects the price:
- scope of cover and sum insured,
- deductible,
- payment frequency – yearly is usually cheaper than monthly,
- sometimes age.
More expensive does not automatically mean better: compare the cover, not just the price.
Single, couple or family?
- Single policy: for you alone.
- Partner / family policy: also covers your spouse or partner and children. Unmarried couples are usually covered if they live together and the partner is named in the contract.
- Children are usually covered until the end of their first vocational training. Look out for damage caused by children under seven: legally, small children are often not liable – good policies pay anyway.
If your partner joins you in Germany later, a single policy can usually be switched to a partner or family plan.
What it does not cover
- Your own belongings: your own phone, laptop or bike. That is what household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) is for – burglary, fire, water damage.
- Damage with a car or motorbike: this is covered by the compulsory motor liability insurance (Kfz-Haftpflicht).
- Damage at work: what you damage on the job is generally not covered by personal liability insurance – employee liability rules apply here.
- Intent: no insurance pays for damage caused on purpose.
- Damage within the family: damage between people insured under the same policy is usually excluded.
- Normal wear and tear in the flat, such as scratches from everyday living.
- Dogs and horses: these need separate animal owner’s liability insurance.
How to take out a policy
- Decide on the cover: sum insured of at least €10 million, rented property damage, keys, and for furnished accommodation also the furnishings.
- Compare: online comparison sites and independent tests (e.g. Stiftung Warentest, Finanztip, consumer advice centres) help you choose. Comparison sites do not always list every insurer.
- Apply: usually online in a few minutes. You will normally need an address in Germany and an IBAN for the direct debit. Some insurers only accept German IBANs – see Opening a bank account.
- Choose a start date: cover can often begin the next day.
- Keep the documents: save the policy and terms. After signing you normally have 14 days to withdraw.
If something happens: report the damage to your insurer immediately, take photos, do not admit fault in writing in a hurry and do not promise to pay – the insurer will assess liability itself.
Cancelling
- Regular cancellation: usually at the end of the insurance year, mostly with three months’ notice. If you miss the deadline, the contract is often extended by another year. Some insurers explicitly offer plans that can be cancelled daily or monthly.
- After a claim: there is often a special right to cancel for both sides.
- Online: contracts that could be concluded online can also be cancelled via a cancellation button on the website (Kündigungsbutton).
- Returning home: ask your insurer how the contract ends if you leave Germany permanently. Cancel in writing and keep the confirmation.
Checklist
- Check whether you are already covered (e.g. through your partner).
- Choose a sum insured of at least €10 million.
- Check rented property damage, lost keys and, if relevant, furnishings.
- Choose a single, partner or family policy.
- Have your German address and IBAN ready.
- Save the policy and note the cancellation deadline.
For everything else to do in your first weeks, see our first steps in Germany checklist. For the mandatory health insurance, read Health insurance in Germany.
Work and pay with us
We pay from €15.33 per hour gross, and as a forklift driver (m/f/d) from €16.08 per hour gross. We help with moving and address registration, and accommodation can be provided if needed. Applicants do not pay a placement fee with us.
See all jobs or fill in the application form straight away.
