According to the experience of the Bavarian Consumer Center, more than half of the people in rural areas live in their own home. The trend is increasing. Residential building insurance is a must for these and other owners. It occurs when the house is damaged or destroyed. This basically covers damage caused by fire, tap water or natural hazards such as storms or hail. When taking out insurance, homeowners should make sure that the sum insured is high enough, advises the Bavarian Consumer Center.
Household contents insurance is also important as a counterpart to home insurance. It pays for damage to movable objects in the apartment or house. In the event of damage, consumers will be reimbursed for furniture, electronics or clothing as new. “With household contents insurance, the sum insured should be determined according to a fixed amount per square meter of living space,” says Sascha Straub, a lawyer at the Bavarian Consumer Center. “This not only saves you having to determine the price of household goods, which is prone to errors. In the event of a claim, the injured party also receives the full sum insured without any deductions due to possible underinsurance. “
Indispensable – private liability insurance
Private liability insurance is essential for everyone. It protects against damage that can run into the millions. A broken window can usually still be paid for out of pocket. In the event of an accident involving several people, the amount of damage is usually a threat to the existence of the company. The private liability insurance therefore insures pedestrians and cyclists in road traffic, among other things. But even if the apartment or office key is lost and the entire locking system has to be replaced, the person concerned can usually refer to the insurance. However, the sum insured must also be high enough here. The minimum coverage should be at least ten million euros. You are on the safe side with coverage of 50 million euros. “Regardless of which insurance consumers take out, it is advisable to carefully check all documents and contractual conditions,” advises the lawyer. “In addition, several offers should be compared.”
Further information on the most important insurances can be found in the explanatory videos for the project “Information on consumer protection in rural areas” at www .ver brau cher zen tra le -bay ern .de / l a e n d l i c h e – r a e u m e / v i d eos. The federal project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection.
The Bavarian Consumer Center answers individual questions about insurance. Information on this can be found at www .ver brau cher zen tra le -bay ern .de. The service telephone of the consumer center Bavaria can be reached at (089) 55 27 84-0.
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