Rent increases are often an unpleasant surprise.
But do tenants always just have to put up with them?
We will show you when and how you can defend yourself.
The housing market is currently tense not only in many large cities in Germany *.
All the greater the joy when you can get hold of an inexpensive apartment.
But only a few months later, the rude awakening often follows: A
hefty rent increase
flutters into the house.
You now have to accept this if you want to stay in the property.
Or maybe not?
One thing is certain: an arbitrary rent increase is often inadmissible.
We show you how landlords have to
justify
an
increase
and in which cases you are not obliged to accept it.
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Landlord has to justify increase
Just raise the rent to get more money: That doesn't work under German tenancy law.
Your landlord must always
provide
you with a
reason
for the increase.
And here, too, it is precisely specified
when this is legal
.
An important factor, for example, is the
rent index for your place of residence
.
If you have paid significantly less than usual so far, your landlord can ask for more money.
However, the
adjustment to the local comparative
rent must not happen in one fell swoop.
A
maximum increase of 20 percent is
permitted
within 3 years
.
Another reason for a rent increase is if the
property has recently been modernized
.
Then the rental price can be increased regardless of the local rental price.
However, the landlord is also limited in this.
Your rent may only be increased for the first time twelve months after you move in.
And then there must be
at least one year between the increases
.
After all, you have at least
three months
if a rent increase comes into your home.
You can use these to check their legality and then to accept or reject them.
More on this:
Unbelievable: For one room in Munich you get six in Dortmund.
Reduce rent through rent brake
The
rent brake
has been in place in Germany for a number of years, namely since 2015. This means that the rent may be a maximum of
10 percent above the local comparable
rent
.
If you find that this has not been done in your case, you can obtain a rent reduction and claim back rent that has been overpaid.
The rent brake only applies in areas or cities where the
housing market is particularly tight
.
If you live in such an area, you should first find out about the usual rent index there.
You can then, for example,
use the tenants' association
to formulate a complaint to your landlord in order to lower the rental price.
(lw) * Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editorial network.
Source: focus.de
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