– Update:
Good to know
- Often the question arises, by how much the rent can be reduced, but it depends on each individual case
Rent Reduction Tables for Tenants and Landlords
Court rulings in rent reduction tables only indicate the amount of rent reduction that may be appropriate. The portion of the rent reduction is based on the disturbance in the use of the apartment or house. If the problem is minor, the rent cannot be reduced, but the landlord must be asked to solve that problem.
The basis for rent reduction is the gross amount.
Rent Reduction Table: Noise, Construction Noise, Children’s Noise
| Reason | Verdict | Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Loud music | AG Braunschweig, 03.08.1989, 113 C 168/89 (9) | 50% |
| Noise from two restaurants | LG Berlin, 05.08.2002, 67 S 342/01 | 40% |
| Construction noise | LG Darmstadt, 18.03.1983, 17 S 284/82 | 25% |
| Noise from Garage door | AG Mainz, 13.11.2002, 81 C 230/01 | 20% |
| Noise from Glas container | AG Rudolstadt, 20.05.1999, 1 C 914/98 | 10% |
| Children’s noise | AG Hamburg-Bergedorf, 11.11.2008, 409 C 285/08 | 0% |
Rent Reduction Table: Power and Heating Failure, Water Damage
| Reason | Verdict | Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Power failure | AG Neukölln, 20.10.1987, 15 C 23/87 | 100% |
| Complete heating failure from September to February | LG Berlin, WuM 1993, 185 | 100% |
| Heating failure in winter | LG Berlin, 18.08.2002, 67 T 70/02 | 75% |
| Gas supply failure in winter – no heating, hot water and cooking | AG Nürnberg, 22.03.2017, 16 C 127/16 | 60% |
| Water ingress – use of commercial premises not possible | LG München, 13.11.1985, 15 S 11147/85 | 40% |
| Clogged toilet | AG Hannover, 10.10.2008, 559 C 3475/08 | 50% |
| Sewerage blocked | AG Groß-Gerau, 19.07.1979, 21 C 1336/78 | 38% |
| Clogged drain in the shower | AG Köln, 206 C 85/95 | 30% |
| Water penetration from the ceiling | AG Kiel, 26.06.1980, 13 C 9/80 | 30% |
| Rusty water | AG Görlitz, 03.11.1997, 1 C 1320/96 | 20% |
| Water boiler faulty | AG München, 10.01.1991, 232 C 37276/90 | 15% |
| Loose power socket | LG Berlin, 13.01.2004, 64 S 334/03 | 0,5% |
Rent Reduction Table: Mold, Moisture
| Reason | Verdict | Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Danger to health due to mold infestation | AG Charlottenburg, GE 2007, 1387 | 100% |
| Moisture in the kitchen, living room and bedroom, musty smell and mold growth | AG Hamburg, WuM 1987, 272 | 80% |
| Moisture in the walls | LG Berlin, GE 1991, 573 | 50% |
Rent Reduction Table: Other
| Reason | Verdict | Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Mice in apartment | AG Brandenburg a. d. Havel, 06.08.2001, 32 C 520/00 | 100% |
| Rat infestation in the apartment | AG Dülmen, 3 C 128/12 | 80% |
| Scaffolding in front of apartment | BGH, 12.12.2012, VIII ZR 181/12 | 50% |
| Asbestos from electric heaters | LG Dortmund, ZMR 1994, 410. | 50% |
| Insect infestation | AG Trier, 11.09.2008, 8 C 53/08 | 50% |
| Formaldehyde in harmful concentrations | LG München I, NJW-RR 1991, 975 | 50% |
| Smell due to keeping of animals by another tenant | AG Köln, WuM 1989, 234 | 33% |
| Smell | AG Köln, 27.09.1988, 201 C 457/87 | 45% |
| Pigeon infestation | LG Freiburg, 19.06.1997, 3 S 386/96 | 35% |
| Nesting pigeons | AG Pforzheim, 09.03.2000, 2 C 118/01 | 30% |
| Contamination by using inadequate parquet adhesive | BGH, VIII ZR 411/12; WuM 2013, 253; 2014, 26 | 30% |
| Attic extension impairments | LG Berlin, 08.03.1996, 64 S 357/95 | 33% |
| Non-functional shower or bath | AG Köln, 206 C 85/95; WuM 1998, 690 | 33% |
| Criminal neighbors | AG Köln, 04.01.1978, 152 C 1322/77 | 25% |
| Moth infestation | AG Bremen, 05.12.2001, 25 C 0118/01 | 25% |
| Apartment door not lockable | AG Potsdam, 09.03.1995, 26 C 406/94 | 25% |
| Apartment doors are missing | AG Hamburg-Altona, ZMR 2008, 298 | 25% |
| Brothel in the neighborhood | AG Wiesbaden, WuM 1998, 315. | 20% |
| Cracked laminate | AG Schöneberg, 10.04.2008, 109 C 256/07 | 20% |
| Cigarette smoke from the neighboring apartment | LG Stuttgart, 27.05.1998, 5 S 421/97 | 20% |
| The smell of cigarettes permeates the ceiling and walls of the neighboring apartment | AG Charlottenburg, 17.03.2008, 211 C 3/07 | 10% |
| Non-functional shower | AG Köln, 28.11.1986, 221 C 85/86 | 16,66% |
| Damaged carpet | OLG Celle, 19.10.1994, 2 U 216/93 | 15% |
| Elevator failure, 4th floor | AG Charlottenburg,15.12.1989, 2 C 484/89 | 10% |
| Mailbox is missing | AG Köln, 16.12.1993, 208 C 124/93 | 5% |
| Broken kitchen stove | LG Berlin, 13.10.1980, 61 S 171/80 | 5% |
| Odor nuisance from butcher shop | AG Pankow/Weißensee, 05.08.2004, 3 C 71/03 | 5% |
| Draft due to non-sealing doors and windows | LG Kassel, WuM 2003, 670 | 20% |
| Draft due to non-sealing doors | OLG Düsseldorf, 23.03.2000, 10 U 160/97 | 5% |
| Contractually guaranteed parking space cannot be used | AG Köln, 220 C 215/99 | 10% |
| Balcony not usable | AG Bonn, WuM 1986, 212 | 15% |
| Roller shutter broken | LG Berlin,14.09.2006, 62 S 90/06 | 3% |
The tenants must pay the rent but if the tenants live in a damaged apartment or house or have another problem, they must pay only the partial rent (#536 Rent reduction in the event of material and legal defects BGB). Important is that as soon as a defect or problem occurs, the tenant must notify the landlord of the defects or the issue in writing. Tenant notice of defects or problems should include a deadline. If the landlord does not remove the defect or solve a problem, the tenant has the right to reduce the rent after the deadline, until the damage is corrected or the problem is solved.
Must-Read Info
Details about this topic can be found in the article Rent Reduction (Mietminderung).
