Liability insurance covers the cost of replacing keys lost for a property you do not own and lock replacement costs if a security risk exists.
Household contents insurance does not cover lost keys or locksmith fees unless the loss is due to an insured event like a burglary.
Landlords are responsible for replacing locks due to wear and tear or break-ins. Tenant contract clauses assigning lock change costs are generally unenforceable.
What does liability insurance cover for lost keys and lock replacements?
Liability insurance covers the cost of replacing lost keys for a property that does not belong to you. It also covers your share of lock replacement costs if your keys can be clearly linked to your address and the landlord needs to replaces the locks due to security risks or there are no keys left to make a copy from. However, liability insurance does not cover locksmith fees for forced entry to the property.
What does household contents insurance cover for lost keys and locksmith services?
Household contents insurance does not cover the cost of replacing lost keys under any circumstances. It also does not cover locksmith fees for forced entry or missing keys except when the loss is caused by an insured event such as a burglary. In that case, it covers lock changes necessitated by the insured event.
Who pays for lock replacements if keys are lost or locks need changing?
If you lose keys tied to your address and the landlord replaces the locks for a real security reasons, liability insurance can cover a proportion of the replacement costs passed on to you.
Locks broken due to wear and tear or technical defects are the landlord's responsibility.
If a burglar breaks the lock to enter the rented apartment, the landlord must pay for repair or replacement since the door and lock are part of the building.
How do legal rulings affect tenant responsibility for lock change costs?
A ruling by the Munich Regional Court in July 2020 determined that tenants are not automatically required to pay for the full cost of new locking systems. Whether tenants must pay depends on the specific security risks involved. Contract clauses stating tenants must always pay lock replacement costs due to lost keys are generally ineffective and cannot be enforced.
What should tenants know about locksmith break-ins and insurance coverage?
Neither liability nor household contents insurance covers the cost of a locksmith forcibly entering the property due to lost or misplaced keys unless the entry is related to an insured event such as a burglary.
Tenants should be aware of this limitation when considering insurance coverage.
Lost keys and locksmiths
Liability
Covers the cost of making a replacement set of keys for a property that doesn't belong to you when you've lost yours ✅
Doesn't cover the cost of a locksmith breaking into the apartment whether keys are lost or misplaced ❌
Household contents
Doesn't cover replacing lost keys regardless of who they belong to ❌
Doesn't cover a locksmith breaking into the apartment in the event of missing keys ❌
Lock changes
Liability
Covers the necessary replacement of locks from a genuine security risk as defined by current case law. ✅
Doesn't cover changing the locks if no security risk exists. ❌
Doesn't cover changing the locks if the key breaks in the lock due to age-related wear and tear or a technical defect. ❌
Household
Covers replacing lost keys/locks due to an insured event, for example, a burglary. ✅
Doesn't cover loss or damage from a none insured event. ❌