DA Direkt contents insurance: Understand and optimise comprehensive protection for your home
20.04.25
7
Minutes
Katrin Straub
Managing Director at nextsure
A water leak ruins your new kitchen, a burglary leaves empty rooms – a financial nightmare. A comprehensive contents insurance policy, such as DA Direkt contents insurance, covers these costs. Find out how to tailor your cover optimally.
The topic in brief and concise terms
Contents insurance protects your movable belongings against damage caused by fire, water damage, storm, hail, burglary and other risks, with the replacement value being reimbursed.
Make sure you have the correct sum insured and a waiver of underinsurance so that you do not suffer any financial disadvantages in the event of a claim.
Check whether gross negligence is covered under your policy and regularly adjust your insurance cover to changing life circumstances.
Understanding the basics of contents insurance: What is covered?
Contents insurance protects all your movable possessions within your home. This includes furnishings such as furniture and carpets, everyday items such as electrical appliances and clothing, as well as consumables such as food. The insurance typically covers damage caused by fire, burst pipes, storms from wind force seven or eight, hail, burglary, robbery and vandalism following a break-in. Damage caused by power surges due to lightning strikes is also often included. Valuables such as cash and jewellery are often insured up to a certain limit, for example thirty per cent of the sum insured. The DA Direkt contents insurance offers various tariff options here. This cover is essential, as statistically a burglary occurs in Germany every 150 seconds. Knowing these basics helps you assess your own needs more accurately.
Scope of cover in detail: new-for-old replacement and additional cost coverage
In the event of a claim, a good home contents insurance policy reimburses the replacement value of damaged or stolen items. This means you receive the amount needed to buy equivalent new items. In addition to the direct property damage, other costs may also be covered, for example hotel costs if the home is temporarily uninhabitable after a loss, often up to two per mille of the sum insured per day. Clean-up and repair costs, for example for a door forced open after a burglary, are usually also covered. Many policies reimburse the replacement value up to the agreed sum insured. It is important to know the exact terms and compensation limits of your policy so that you are not underinsured in the event of a claim. The home contents insurance from nextsure could be an option here. A precise review of the sum insured is therefore an important step.
Determine the sum insured correctly and avoid underinsurance
The correct determination of the sum insured is crucial to avoid underinsurance. If the sum insured is below the actual value of the household contents, the insurer may reduce the benefit proportionately in the event of a claim. For example: if the value of the household contents is 50,000 euros, but the sum insured is only 25,000 euros, then in the event of a claim of 10,000 euros only half, i.e. 5,000 euros, would be reimbursed. Many insurers offer a flat-rate calculation method, often 650 euros per square metre of living space, to avoid underinsurance. A waiver of underinsurance in the policy is highly recommended. This means the insurer waives the assessment of any possible underinsurance and provides cover up to the agreed sum. This makes claims handling much easier. Check regularly whether your sum insured is still up to date, especially after larger purchases. The question of what household contents insurance includes is closely linked to the correct sum. This helps ensure your cover is always sufficient.
Waiver of underinsurance: An important building block for full protection
The underinsurance waiver is a clause in the insurance contract that can save you a lot of hassle in the event of a claim. If this waiver is agreed, the insurer does not check whether the actual value of your household contents exceeds the sum insured. You will then be compensated for the loss up to the agreed sum insured, without having to fear deductions. This offers significant advantages: no financial loss through proportional reduction and faster, more straightforward claims handling. A prerequisite is often that the sum insured has been calculated using the square metre flat rate (e.g. €650/m²) and that the living area has been stated correctly. Some insurers include the waiver of underinsurance as standard when a minimum sum insured per square metre is chosen. It is worth paying attention to this point when taking out home contents insurance, which may be tax-deductible. This makes the question of the correct sum insured less critical in detail.
Gross negligence: when does the insurer still pay?
Gross negligence exists when the duty of care required in traffic is breached in a particularly serious manner. Examples of this include an unattended burning candle or a window left tilted open on the ground floor during a prolonged absence. Not every contents insurance policy covers damage caused by gross negligence in full. Many modern tariffs, as often found with the DA Direkt contents insurance, however include the so-called „waiver of the objection of gross negligence“. This means the insurer does not reduce the benefit, or only up to a certain amount, even if the damage was caused by gross negligence. It is highly recommended to choose a tariff that also provides cover in the event of gross negligence. When taking out the contract, pay attention to whether and up to what sum gross negligence is included in the cover. This is an important aspect to ensure that, in the event of a claim, you are not left facing high costs, especially when it comes to the difference between buildings insurance and contents insurance. Knowledge of current case law can be helpful here.
In-depth expertise: Current rulings and relevant sections (VVG)
In insurance law, new rulings are continually being issued that can be relevant for policyholders. For example, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that policyholders must benefit from eased evidentiary requirements when proving an aggravated burglary, since the exact course of the offence is often impossible to reconstruct. An ajar window on the ground floor can be assessed differently by the courts; the Braunschweig Higher Regional Court did not regard this as necessarily gross negligence (case no. 2 U 221/92), while other judgments can be stricter. The Insurance Contract Act (VVG) forms the legal basis. Important provisions include, for example, Sections 23-27 VVG on increased risk or Section 40 VVG on the right to terminate in the event of premium increases. Our expert tip: find out about your rights and obligations under the VVG, in particular Section 28 VVG concerning breach of a contractual obligation. If there is any uncertainty regarding gross negligence in household contents insurance, legal advice is advisable. The contract terms should always be checked carefully.
Here are some important aspects regulated by the VVG:
Policyholder's duty of disclosure before conclusion of the contract (§ 19 VVG).
Consequences of an increase in risk during the term of the contract (§§ 23 ff. VVG).
Obligations in the event of a claim, such as immediate notification of damage (§ 30 VVG).
Provisions on premium payment and the consequences of late payment.
Rights of termination for both contracting parties (§ 11 VVG).
These legal frameworks are crucial to the relationship between insurer and insured.
The basic cover of contents insurance already covers many risks, but an individual extension is often worthwhile. A commonly chosen additional module is bicycle insurance, which covers theft even outside your own four walls, often around the clock and worldwide. For households with many glass surfaces, a separate glass insurance for contents or buildings insurance may be worthwhile, which also includes, for example, ceramic hobs or conservatories. Another important module is cover against natural hazards such as flooding, back-up, earthquakes or avalanches, which is not included as standard. Check your individual needs and extend your cover in a targeted way. DA Direkt contents insurance often offers flexible options for this. Cover for loss of keys through contents insurance can also be a useful add-on. This allows you to create truly tailored insurance cover.
Typical optional add-on benefits include:
Bicycle theft outside the insured location.
Glass breakage cover for furniture and building glazing.
Natural hazards insurance (e.g. flooding, heavy rain).
Cover for valuables beyond the standard limits.
Cover for travel luggage.
Cover for simple theft (not burglary).
These extensions make it possible to adapt the policy to specific life circumstances and risks.
In the event of a claim: Proper conduct safeguards your claims
In the event of a claim, quick and correct action is important to protect your rights against the insurer. Report the claim to your insurer without delay. Document the damage as well as possible, for example with photos or videos, and create a list of the damaged or stolen items with purchase prices and dates. In the event of burglary or robbery, an immediate report to the police is essential; the crime reference number is required for the insurer. Where possible, do not alter the scene of the damage until the insurer or an assessor has inspected it, unless measures to minimise the damage are necessary (e.g. turning off the water). Keep damaged items until the case is closed. Good communication with your contents insurance, such as Generali can speed up the process. Following these steps is crucial for a smooth settlement.
Optimise your protection: Regular review and adjustment
Your insurance needs can change over time, for example due to major purchases, a move or a change in family circumstances. It is therefore advisable to review your household contents insurance, such as the DA Direkt contents insurance policy, at least every two to three years. Check whether the sum insured still corresponds to the current value of your household contents to avoid underinsurance. Also check whether the insured risks and any optional add-ons still suit your personal situation. Comparing different offers can be worthwhile in order to benefit from better cover or lower premiums. Remember that a combination of household contents and buildings insurance with one provider can be sensible. Proactive adjustments will ensure you remain optimally protected in the long term.
Request an individual risk analysis now: have your insurance situation reviewed free of charge and receive specific recommendations for improvement.
More useful links
The German Insurance Association (GDV) provides statistics on the development of claims in contents insurance.
Further information on lightning damage in contents insurance can be found at the German Insurance Association (GDV).
A comprehensive overview of contents insurance is provided by the Wikipedia article on this topic.
The German Weather Service (DWD) provides information on CATRaRE, a system for assessing and reporting catastrophe risks.
The Association for the Promotion of German Fire Protection e.V. (vfdb) provides information and statistics on fire protection.
FAQ
What exactly is covered by DA Direkt contents insurance?
The DA Direkt home contents insurance protects all of your contents, that is, all movable items in your flat or house, against risks such as fire, water damage from burst pipes, storm/hail and burglary theft. This includes furniture, electrical appliances, clothing and valuables up to certain limits.
What does new-for-old cover mean in contents insurance?
New-for-old compensation means that, in the event of a claim, you are reimbursed the amount needed to replace equivalent new items.
What is a waiver of underinsurance and why is it important?
With a waiver of underinsurance, the insurer does not check in the event of a claim whether your household contents were underinsured. You then receive full compensation up to the agreed sum insured, which prevents financial reductions.
Does DA Direkt contents insurance also provide cover in the event of gross negligence?
Many DA Direkt household contents insurance policies include cover for gross negligence, at least up to a certain amount of damage or even without limit. It is important to check this in the policy terms and conditions.
Which additional benefits are useful with DA Direkt contents insurance?
Useful additional cover can include bicycle insurance, glass insurance or natural hazards cover (against flooding etc.), depending on your individual needs and risks.
What should I do in the event of a claim?
Report the damage to your insurance company immediately, document everything (photos, list), report theft to the police, and if possible do not alter the damage site until the insurer gives approval.
