Protection & safety · Jurisdiction DE

Contents and buildings cover

Contents insurance concerns movable things in the home. Buildings insurance concerns the building. These are German market terms.

In more detail

Contents are furniture, clothes, appliances. The building is walls, roof and parts fixed to it, depending on the contract. A tenant usually does not take out buildings insurance, but at most contents insurance. The owner side takes it out, but the cost can be passed on to tenants as operating costs (German Operating Costs Ordinance, section 2 no. 13). The German Insurance Association describes these market terms. Finmon does not say which contract is missing.

Background

Both contracts have conditions, exclusions and often an excess. Damage to a pipe is not automatically damage to a sofa, and the reverse is also not automatic. Other countries cut buildings and contents differently. This module stays with the German labels. A consumer advice centre can read a specific contract. Finmon does not.

An example

A water pipe in the wall bursts, and the wardrobe in the room swells. The pipe damage to the building and the damage to the wardrobe fall under different contract questions. Whether any insurance exists at all is in the policies, not in Finmon.

A common misconception

Buildings insurance also replaces all the contents.

It concerns the building. Movable things are a different contract question, if a contract exists at all.

Source: BaFin · Wohngebäudeversicherung. Last reviewed: 2026-10-27. Editorially reviewed on 2026-10-27. Next review 2027-10-27. Version 0.2.0. Finmon explains. It does not advise. Not investment, tax or legal advice.