Overview

• A Verivox survey finds that about 78 percent of homeowners and 79 percent of renters support compulsory coverage against floods and other natural disasters.
• Only about half of Germany’s residential buildings are insured against floods and other natural disasters, forcing taxpayers to underwrite multi-billion-euro relief efforts.
• The Federal Ministry of Justice says it is intensively drafting the legislation but has not set premium levels, opt-out thresholds or a timetable for enactment.
• The GDV is pressing for stricter building regulations, including climate-resilient urban planning, targeted land de-sealing and construction bans in flood-prone areas.
• Current rules allow property owners to pass insurance premiums onto tenants, prompting tenant associations to seek changes to cost-recovery regulations.