Up to 1,600 euros more
New insurance obligation? This is planning black-red for homeowners
04/17/2025 – 10:12 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
A project in the coalition agreement could noticeably burden homeowners: what exactly it is and who would be the most affected by the plans.
If you take out residential building insurance in the future, according to the will of black and red, you should automatically be insured against so-called elementary damage. This emerges from the current coalition agreement. There it says: “We introduce that residential building insurance is only offered in new business with elementary damage protection.” Existing policies should be expanded accordingly to a certain key date. It is still open whether homeowners receive a right to object.
Elementary damage insurance protects homeowners from the financial consequences of natural events such as floods, landslides, snow pressure, earthquakes, avalanches or volcanic eruptions. It is not automatically included in normal residential building insurance and must also be taken out. It is particularly important in regions with high risk of floods or other natural hazards – there it can cover existential damage, for example after heavy rain or flood events. Read more about insurance against elementary damage here.
However, the plan to make the elementary damage insurance into duty is met with resistance to representatives of interests. Kai Warnecke, President of the Haus & Grund owners’ association, said the “Bild”: “Although we recommend owners to take out insurance against natural forces. However, we clearly reject the obligation. This is a disproportionate intervention in the property.”
In fact, according to current figures, only around every second residential building in Germany is insured against natural hazards such as floods, landslides or avalanches. This is sometimes due to the costs. “In the high -risk areas, such as the Ahr Valley, elementary damage insurance could become priceless for residents,” warns Warnecke.
A calculation of the comparison portal Check24 for the “picture” shows how expensive the new compulsory insurance could be. Depending on the danger zone, the following insurance contributions result for a single -family house with a living space of 130 square meters and without a basement:
“Currently, the contributions for an elementary damage insurance are staggered afterwards how likely a natural disaster is in the respective situation,” explains André Boudon, managing director for residential building insurance at Check24 and suggests an alternative model: Instead of grading according to danger zones, Germany could also orientate itself to France.
“There everyone pays a legally defined sentence of twelve percent of the total insurance premium especially for damage from natural disasters – no matter where your own house is,” said Boudon.
In addition to compulsory insurance, state reinsurance should be created according to government plans. This should step in if private insurers can no longer bear the damage alone. In practice, this means that taxpayers are also liable in an emergency.
