Buildings
- Fire, storm and water
- Burglary damage
- Outbuildings and swimming pool
Insuring a holiday home in Germany
The German Wohngebäudeversicherung covers fire, escape of water and storm, but flooding, snow load and backflow of sewage only come into play with separate Elementarschaden cover.
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Work out for yourself what it would cost.
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- We compare the offerings of several insurers
- An adviser checks whether the cover suits your situation
- We arrange the switch, including cancellation
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
- Independent advice
- Several insurers
- Switching arranged
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In brief
In Germany cover is split up. The basic policy covers three perils: Feuer, Leitungswasser and Sturm/Hagel. Everything to do with the ground, water from outside or snow sits in the additional Elementarschaden cover. If you buy a house in the Eifel, the Sauerland or beside a river and skip that extension, you have no cover for the very risk the region is known for.
Whether you can obtain that extension depends on the hazard class into which the address falls. German insurers use a national zoning system for flooding, backflow and heavy rain. In the highest class cover is restricted or refused. In the class below it is granted subject to conditions, for example a non-return valve on the sewer connection.
As the owner you also bear the Verkehrssicherungspflicht (duty to keep the premises safe): the path to the door must be passable and snow must be cleared. We check whether your Dutch or German policy covers that. Compare the position in Austriaas well, where snow is the same subject but is dealt with differently.
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Holiday home in Germany: what is covered?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
Home contents
Furniture and equipment you leave there permanently.
- Separate sum insured
- Theft while the property is unoccupied
- Lower sub-limit
Liability
Your liability for the building and towards tenants.
- A part of the facade coming loose
- Injury at the swimming pool
- Particularly relevant when letting
What is covered
| Situation | Covered |
|---|---|
| Fire or storm damage to the home | Yes |
| Water damage while the property is occupied | Yes |
| Water damage during a long period of vacancy | No |
| Damage caused by a tenant | Sometimes |
| Theft of your home contents while the property is let | Sometimes |
| Deferred maintenance and frost damage | No |
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
What does your premium depend on?
- Hazard class of the address. The zoning for flooding, backflow and heavy rain drives both acceptance and premium.
- Cellar or basement. A cellar in use as living space considerably increases the loss when water comes from outside.
- Roof shape and snow load. Flat roofs and extensions are more vulnerable to snow load than a steep pitched roof.
- Rebuild value based on German building costs. The basis is local building costs, including the cost of clearing the site.
- Year of construction and condition of the installations. Old pipework and outdated heating increase the escape of water risk.
- Letting and the length of any vacancy. Commercial use and months of standing empty are assessed separately.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
- You request a quoteWe take stock of your situation, your risk and your wishes.
- We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
- You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
- We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Why arrange it through Finass Verzekert?
We look at the terms as well as the premium, and stay your point of contact when there is a claim.
Independent
We are not tied to one insurer and compare on the basis of an objective analysis of several companies.
One fixed adviser
You call or email someone who knows your file. No menu options, no changing call centres.
Switching without hassle
We cancel your old policy and align the start date, so you are never a day without cover.
Help with claims
We report the claim and monitor how it is handled. In urgent cases you can reach us on the emergency line.
9.5New policy
9.8Claims handling
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The hazard class determines whether you get the extension
German insurers classify every address by flood, backflow and rainfall risk. That class is not a detail of the premium but a question of acceptance: in the heaviest class Elementarschaden cover is often not offered at all, or only with a substantially increased excess. Ask for the class before you buy, not afterwards. The same consideration arises with a Dutch policy, only there it is called an assessment of the flood risk of the plot.
Rückstau and the non-return valve
The most underestimated German loss is Rückstau: sewage flowing back into a basement or cellar during heavy rain. Insurers cover this only if a working non-return valve has been fitted and maintained. If it is missing or clogged, the damage is excluded, even where Elementarschaden cover has been taken out. Have the valve inspected so that you can prove it, and keep the fitter's invoice.
Schneedruck and the winter duty of care
Snow load on a flat or slightly pitched roof leads to sagging purlins and collapsed verandas. That damage falls under the additional cover, not under Sturm. Also there is the Räum- und Streupflicht (duty to clear and grit): if a visitor falls on your uncleared drive, that is the owner's liability. Under Dutch law this touches Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code. Arrange who clears the snow when you are not there and put that agreement in writing.
What the German policy does not pay for
The following are generally outside the cover: groundwater rising from below without there being a flood, damage caused by deferred maintenance to the roof or drainage, and frost damage to pipes where the property has not been heated sufficiently in winter. German policies also apply a reduction where there has been gross negligence. In a Dutch policy the equivalent is Article 7:952 of the Dutch Civil Code on intent and recklessness.
Letting is commercial use
If you let through a platform, say so. Without notification, damage during the letting period falls outside the cover.
A Dutch policy or a local policy
For most destinations you can choose. A Dutch policy means Dutch conditions, Dutch law and claims handling in Dutch: worth a great deal in the event of a large claim in a country whose language you do not speak. A local policy sometimes fits regional natural hazards better.
Frequently asked questions
This is what people ask us most.
What exactly counts as Elementarschäden?
Flooding by a river or heavy rain, backflow of sewage, landslip, earthquake, snow load and avalanche. Those perils are not in the basic cover of a German home policy and are bought separately. If the property lies in hill country or beside a river, this is the most important decision in the whole policy and not an optional extra.
Why does the insurer require a non-return valve?
Because sewage flowing back during heavy rain is one of the most frequent and most easily prevented losses. A working valve closes off the connection as soon as water comes the wrong way. The policy makes cover for this damage conditional on it. Have the valve inspected periodically and keep the evidence, otherwise you will be empty-handed when a loss occurs.
Can I insure my German property from the Netherlands?
Often you can. You then get Dutch conditions, Dutch law and a Dutch-speaking claims handler. The drawback is that the Dutch policy does not use the German zoning system and the non-return valve requirement in the same terms. We set both options side by side on what is actually paid for water from outside and for snow load.
Who is liable if someone falls on my uncleared drive?
In principle you are, as the owner. The German duty of care for the passability of the grounds rests on the possessor of the property, even when you are not there yourself. Hand over snow clearing to a managing agent or neighbour in a way you can prove, and check whether your liability cover extends to the foreign property. Under Dutch law this corresponds to Article 6:174 of the Dutch Civil Code.
Every situation is different. For these situations we have a separate page.
- Holiday home insuranceThe main page
- Insuring a holiday home in AustriaSecond home, Austria, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in LuxembourgSecond home, Luxembourg, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in BelgiumSecond home, Belgium, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in IrelandSecond home, Ireland, vacancy and letting
- Compare holiday home insuranceVacancy, letting, local rebuilding costs
- Insuring a holiday home in FranceSecond home, France, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in ItalySecond home, Italy, vacancy and letting
- Insuring a holiday home in SpainSecond home, Spain, vacancy and letting
Read more
Ready to compare?
Request a quote without obligation. We will look at which insurer best matches your activities and your risk.
Prefer to call? 072 - 509 24 56, weekdays 09:00–17:00.
Claim on the road? Emergency line 06 - 55 20 40 72.
About our service
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
You will find our licence, KvK and Kifid details and our complaints procedure at the foot of every page.
This page was compiled by Finass Verzekert (LinkedIn). Last updated on .
The information on this page is general in nature and is not personal advice.