Is Household Insurance Mandatory?

Not legally required

In Austria, taking out household insurance is not legally required. A landlord generally cannot require you to take out such insurance — according to the Austrian Tenants' Association (Mietervereinigung), corresponding clauses in a lease are invalid.

The exception

If your landlord rents out the apartment furnished or with a kitchen, they may insist on household insurance to protect their furniture against damage. So check your lease: if it states an obligation for household insurance, it's only valid if furniture or a kitchen is actually included in the rental.

Why it's still a good idea

Even without an obligation, consumer protection organizations recommend taking it out: household insurance typically covers damage from fire, burst pipes, storms or burglary to your own household contents — things that neither your landlord nor their building insurance will cover.

When in the moving process?

Household insurance is not part of the official registration — unlike the Meldezettel, which you must complete within 3 days. It makes sense to sort out insurance before or right after moving in — see our moving checklist.

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