Rules for rental property maintenance

[goodevening 6]

Hi Everyone!

 

I just wondered if I could ask a question about rental properties and the rules around maintenance and things the landlord must do. (Bayern)

 

we have rented the same property for the last ~8 years and I’m really confused about what tasks the landlord has to carry out. The only experience I’ve had is when our boiler broke over Christmas with a newborn child in the house and she was very reactant to fix it and took nearly two weeks to do so and as soon as my the vintage 1983 boiler was replaced the rent went up.

 

As you know we had some storms here in the last week and because of this all of the outside and garage electrics don’t work now (I think this is down to the fact that all outside sockets and switches are internal switches and have finally given up the ghost) the theme of this house is everything done very cheaply a very long time ago.

 

We only have smoke alarms because I purchaed them and installed them. Electrics routinely trip the fuses, now the electrics don’t work outside/garage…the list goes on.

 

I have experience of being a landlord in the UK and have a number of things I must do…electrical safety certificates, gas safety, if the boiler breaks I have 24 to provide some sort of heating (oil filled radiators etc). In Germany it seems like none of this has to be done? or is it more of a case it should be but our landlord chooses not to? Are there any other rules eg entire places has to be redecorated every x years, bathrooms updated, etc etc?

 

hope someone can offer some advice as I’m getting to my limit with this place.  

[fraufruit 40,215]

The best thing you can do is join the Mietverein for a nominal fee and take your list to them. See if you can reduce your rent until everything is done without a raise in rent after.

 

Your place sounds like a fire waiting to happen.

 

Good luck!

[goodevening 6]

Weirdly someone else just mentioned this to me, but with a follow up of

 

“if you caused your landlord problems you will either get problems in return or be looking for a new place to live/rent”

 

I can’t believe in Germany where you need a stamp or certificate for everything there aren’t any clearly laid out rules for landlords to follow.

[LukeSkywalker 7,275]

9 minutes ago, goodevening said:

"If you caused your landlord problems you will either get problems in return or be looking for a new place to live/rent”

That all depends on your relationship with your landlord. You should know after 8 years if this relationship is good or bad.

 

The installment of smoke detectors is the responsibility of the landlord. It became mandatory some years ago. I reminded my landlord and she took care of it: she instructed her husband :).

[fraufruit 40,215]

FWIW, I heard from a girlfriend today that her mom and stepdad burned up in their home last night.

[RedMidge 6,499]

OP- these issues you have- smoke alarms, electrical wiring etc- are all the responsibility of your landlord. It seems you have not been a member of the Mieterverein for these last 8 years?  Unwise- you need to join and get their advice on these issues.  Maybe your landlord is a nice guy, but it all sounds pretty dangerous, as FrauF says.

[gdc 16]

On 6/27/2021, 2:49:17, goodevening said:

Weirdly someone else just mentioned this to me, but with a follow up of

 

“if you caused your landlord problems you will either get problems in return or be looking for a new place to live/rent”

 

I can’t believe in Germany where you need a stamp or certificate for everything there aren’t any clearly laid out rules for landlords to follow.

 

There  are usually clauses within the contract that specifies whom is to repair what and up to which amount. Regular maintenance of faucets, basins and mixers are under the responsibility of the miter; every other repair or emergency up to an established amount, likely a couple of hundred euros, is as well your responsibility. Pretty much anything else is on the field of the vermieter, stating the obvious: anything done to or happened under normal use or an accident that wasn't your fault. 

 

From your previous comments it's obvious that your place hasn't been maintained in a long time, out of irresponsibility or financial impediment, but either way the problems are just going to keep coming whatever the outcome of your negotiations with the landlord to repair X. Tomorrow it will be Y and Z...

 

If the rent you pay can justify putting up with all these issues and you're willing to tolerate them, you can maintain making bets when is the next thing going to fail, if it's not, I would start looking for another place to live.

[fraufruit 40,215]

Electrical safety issues are 100% the responsibility of the landlord or Hausverwaltung. Period.

[RedMidge 6,499]

OP- do you still have the contract you signed 8 years ago? As noted- some small repairs may be your responsibility, but what you describe is absolutely the responsibility of the landlord.