Tenants in Munich have been living without water or heating for six months. The owner's lawyer also has his say in a BR article on the case.
Munich – There is a Dixi toilet in front of the house on Klenzestrasse. Tenant Chris Hirschhäuser has no choice but to use it. He has lived in his apartment in the Isarvorstadt for eleven years - without water or heating for six months. In a contribution to the
BR
format “quer”, the Munich resident reports on a “terrible experience”: “You can’t go to the toilet in the morning, you can’t wash yourself.”
The owner stopped the supply to the house after there was water damage in the house six months ago. Andreas Schmitz complains that the property management only reacted days later. Several floors were already damaged. Schmitz lives on the second floor and leads the camera team through his apartment. “It’s not habitable at the moment,” he says, pointing to damp spots on the ceiling. “It stinks, the apartment is very moldy.”
Tenant from Munich complains about the situation: “Trying to get rid of me”
Four years ago, a real estate company bought the 1950s house. There were already indications back then that the new owner had an extensive renovation in mind. The real estate company's lawyer confirmed this in response to
a BR
request. The condition of the house is catastrophic. “It is illusory to think that two or three leaks can now be plugged and then the problem will be eliminated.” He states that his client is planning an energy-efficient renovation of the building.
The affected tenants fear that they will subsequently be replaced by a more wealthy clientele. They went to court and demanded that water and heating be provided immediately. The landlord lodged an appeal against this. Tenant Schmitz has now taken a second home: “If no efforts are made to make the apartment livable again, I can only see it as an attempt to get rid of myself.”
Luxury renovation planned in Munich? Owner's lawyer responds in BR post
The house on Klenzestrasse is located in a so-called “conservation area”. With these clearly defined zones, the state capital wants to ensure that affordable housing is retained. Tenants should be protected from luxury renovations and displacement. However, when asked
about the present case ,
BR
asked that it was dependent on “federal approval criteria”. If these are guaranteed in the case of an energy-related renovation, the measures must be approved.
“We have little opportunity to influence the situation,” complains Andreas Schmitz. He and Hirschhäuser still want to continue their fight. Of the original 17 tenants in the house on Klenzestrasse, only three remain.
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The owner has offered those affected replacement apartments for the duration of the renovation work. With higher rents, outside the center. After the work is completed, the tenants would have the right to return to their long-standing apartments, says the owner's lawyer. Hirschhäuser and Schmitz explain in the
BR
article that they have not yet made this promise in writing.