Get liability insurance (Haftpflicht)

Not legally required — but practically essential, and Germans will be shocked if you don't have it: private liability insurance (Privathaftpflichtversicherung) covers damage you accidentally cause to other people or their property.

Why it matters here: under German law you're liable for damage you cause without limit. Knock someone's laptop off a café table, cause a bike accident, flood the neighbour below you — you personally owe the full cost. Haftpflicht covers all of it.

The numbers: €3–7/month for solid coverage (€10M+ recommended). Comparison portals (Check24, Verivox) show the market; look for coverage of Mietsachschäden (damage to your rented flat — deposit protection!) and Schlüsselverlust (lost keys — replacing a building's locking system can cost thousands).

Second priority, optional: household contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) for your own belongings — worth it once you own things worth stealing; skip it in your first furnished room if money is tight.

Many landlords ask for proof of Haftpflicht before handing over keys — one more reason it's this early in the list.

Red flags:

• Policies without Mietsachschäden cover — damage to your rented flat is precisely the risk you carry most.
• Multi-year contracts: choose monthly-cancellable — the market is competitive and prices drop.
• Door-to-door or "friend of a friend" insurance agents bundling life insurance, disability and savings products in your first month. You need Haftpflicht now; everything else can wait for research.
• Confusing Haftpflicht (damage you cause to others) with Hausrat (your own belongings) and buying the wrong one — the names sound alike, the products aren't.