Do You Need Personal Liability Insurance in Germany? (2026)
The verdict
Privathaftpflicht, personal liability cover, pays for harm you cause to other people, with cover limits from EUR 50,000,000 to EUR 100,000,000. The cheapest way in is Adam Riese from EUR 23.92 a year, the highest cover is HUK24 Classic from EUR 34 a year, and in English there is Getsafe from EUR 35.88 a year.
Required, and what it is not
It is not required by German law, yet it is the policy almost every household holds, and German leases routinely require one. Hausratversicherung, contents cover, is a different contract: it replaces your own belongings rather than paying for harm you cause, at HUK24 from EUR 27.64 a year.
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Which personal liability insurance is best in Germany?
There is no single best policy here, but three cleanly separated answers. For the highest cover, HUK24 at EUR 100,000,000. For the lowest price, Adam Riese from EUR 23.92. For anyone who does not speak German, Getsafe from EUR 35.88. All three are annual premiums for one adult.
Sorted by annual premium, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by cover limit, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by excess, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
Sorted by notice period, not our recommendation. The default view is our ranking, weights published below.
HUK24
HUK24 Privathaftpflicht Classic
Highest cover. EUR 100,000,000 of cover even in the Classic tariff, from EUR 34 a year for a single person and from about EUR 57 for a family.
Get a HUK24 quote- Cover limitBest
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 100,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 150
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- 3 months
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Highest cover limit on this page: EUR 100,000,000
- Among the cheapest quality tariffs in Germany
Cons
- German only, and not on comparison portals
- Mietsachschaden wording criticised in older tariffs
- Age and postcode move the premium
Best for German-speaking households that do not want to argue about the cover limit
Württembergische Versicherung
Adam Riese Privathaftpflicht L, XL und XXL
Cheapest entry. From EUR 23.92 a year, the cheapest credible entry in the catalogue, cancellable daily, with instant digital documents.
Get an Adam Riese quote- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 50,000,000 (XXL)
- ExcessBest
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 0
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- Cancellable daily
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- Cheapest premium on this page
- CHECK24 customer score 4.5 out of 5 from 3,748 reviews
Cons
- The L tier covers EUR 7.5 million, below the recommended floor
- The risk carrier is Württembergische, not Adam Riese
- German only
Best for Students and single adults watching the price
Getsafe Insurance AG (own BaFin licence since 2021
Getsafe liability insurance
In English. App, documents and claims entirely in English, from EUR 35.88 a year, cancellable daily.
Get a Getsafe quote in English- Cover limit
Cover limit
The most the insurer pays for a single claim (Deckungssumme). Everything above it is yours, which is why liability policies carry limits in the millions.
- EUR 50,000,000
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 150
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- Cancellable daily
- English documentsBest
- Yes
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- The only provider here handling claims fully in English
- Trustpilot about 4.1 out of 5 from roughly 1,600 reviews
Cons
- The risk carrier is mid-transition, from its own licence to an MGA model
- App only, no branch network
- The cheapest tier carries an excess
Best for Newcomers who need a policy before the Anmeldung
Is personal liability insurance mandatory in Germany?
Not by law. All sixteen personal liability records in this catalogue are marked as not required by law. Unlike motor liability, nobody can compel you to buy one.
Contractually it is another matter. German leases routinely require personal liability cover, which is why it is so widely held. Building insurance is not the tenant's problem: insuring the building is the owner's duty, and the cost may be passed on through the Betriebskosten.
One exception is worth remembering: owning a property and renting it out is not covered. For buildings you do not live in yourself, personal liability excludes the property-owner risks; that is what Haus- und Grundbesitzerhaftpflicht is for, often bundled into a building package.
What does personal liability insurance cover?
The idea is narrow: what is covered is the harm you cause to other people in private life, up to the tariff's cover limit, here between EUR 50,000,000 and EUR 100,000,000. Anything that belongs to you is outside it.
Typically covered
- Damage you cause to other people's property in private life
- Injury to another person that you cause
- Mietsachschaden, damage to the flat you rent, though the wording repays a close read
- At HUK-Coburg, additionally Forderungsausfalldeckung and key loss
Usually excluded
- Damage to your own belongings
- Intentional acts
- Dogs and horses, which need their own animal liability policy
- Drones, included at Adam Riese only from the XXL tier
On dogs there is no national rule, but sixteen state rules. Dog liability cover is mandatory for ALL dogs in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia. In eight further Bundeslaender it applies only to listed or dangerous dogs. It is voluntary only in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
How is contents insurance different?
The two are constantly confused, but they cover exactly opposite sides. Personal liability pays for what you break that belongs to someone else. Contents insurance replaces what breaks or is stolen that belongs to you. Two contracts, two premiums, even when the same insurer sells both.
HUK24
HUK24 Hausratversicherung Classic
From EUR 27.64 a year for a 75 square metre flat, rated sehr gut by test.de in 2022, with a published price ladder instead of a quote on request.
Get a HUK24 contents quote- Sum insured
- EUR 52,500
- Excess
Excess
The part of every claim you pay yourself (Selbstbeteiligung). A EUR 150 excess means the first EUR 150 of any claim is yours; premiums fall as the excess rises.
- EUR 0
- Notice period
Notice period
How far ahead of the renewal date you must cancel in writing (Kündigungsfrist). Miss the window and the contract runs another full term.
- Cancellable daily
- English documents
- No
Prices as of August 2026, verify on the provider site.
Pros
- A transparent price ladder instead of a quote on request
- Rated sehr gut by test.de in 2022
Cons
- Elemental damage only as an add-on
- Bicycle theft only as an add-on
- German only, and not on portals
Best for Tenants who want their own furnishings covered
In English, contents cover comes from Getsafe and Feather, both with English documents and English claims handling. Neither publishes a fixed premium or a fixed sum insured though: the price is set in the app and follows the flat and its floor area.
How much does personal liability insurance cost in Germany?
The spread in the catalogue is small next to what the policy does: EUR 23.92 a year at Adam Riese, EUR 34 at HUK24, EUR 35.88 at Getsafe, EUR 59 at Feather and EUR 62 at HUK-Coburg. Every one of those figures is for a single adult.
Families pay more, but not double: HUK24 quotes about EUR 57 a year for the family tariff and HUK-Coburg from EUR 56. At Adam Riese, the XXL tier with EUR 50,000,000 of cover and the best-performance guarantee costs EUR 39.47, roughly EUR 15.55 above the entry tier.
So do not compare the premium, compare the pair of premium and cover limit. The dearest policy on this page costs less than a month of mobile service, and the difference between EUR 7.5 million and EUR 100 million of cover is under EUR 20 a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is personal liability insurance mandatory in Germany?
Not by law: every personal liability record in the catalogue is marked as not required by law. Contractually it is another matter, because German leases routinely require one. It is the policy almost every German household holds without being obliged to.
How high should the cover limit be?
The tariffs in this catalogue run from EUR 50,000,000 to EUR 100,000,000. HUK24 carries EUR 100,000,000 even in its Classic tariff. Watch the entry tiers: the Adam Riese L tier covers EUR 7.5 million, below the EUR 10 million that consumer advisers name as the floor.
Can you get personal liability insurance in English?
Yes. Getsafe at EUR 35.88 a year and Feather at EUR 59 a year both carry English policy documents and English claims handling. HUK24, HUK-Coburg and Adam Riese are recorded as German-only.
Is my dog covered?
No. Dogs are explicitly excluded from personal liability at HUK24, HUK-Coburg, Getsafe, Feather and Adam Riese, and need their own dog liability policy. There is no single national rule: it is mandatory for ALL dogs in Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia, mandatory only for listed or dangerous dogs in eight further Bundeslaender, and voluntary only in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Does contents insurance replace personal liability?
No, they are two separate contracts. Personal liability pays for harm you cause to other people. Contents insurance replaces your own belongings, at HUK24 from EUR 27.64 a year for a EUR 52,500 sum insured. Holding only one of the two leaves a gap.
Do tenants need building insurance?
No. Insuring the building is the owner's duty, and the cost can be passed on through the Betriebskosten. Tenants need personal liability, usually because the lease says so, and optionally contents insurance.
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