The search for an apartment in Munich has been going on for six months.
The couple already seems to have reached their destination, then the landlord suddenly withdraws his commitment.
Munich - "I really didn't have much motivation to be there for another visit." Dedis Mbeka-Male admitted frankly.
Too often the endeavors had failed.
For about half a year, the 31-year-old has been looking for an apartment in Munich with his girlfriend Eva.
There were around 50 rejections.
“You can really forget it”, Mbeka-Male, who lives near Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, sounds confused on the phone.
In mid-November, the couple finally seemed to have reached their destination.
Desperately looking for an apartment in Munich: A breakthrough is followed by a rude awakening
Eva took part in an apartment tour in Berg am Laim without her boyfriend, who was also unable to attend for work reasons. This went so well that the landlord couple invited them to a second interview just a few days later. Mbeka-Male was tied up in the office again, but reports: “The coffee party with my girlfriend was very pleasant.” The couple did not concern themselves with the fact that the 31-year-old's “African-sounding surname” was discussed during the conversation. The landlords had expressly denied that this was a problem. Mbeka-Male has roots in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but has lived in Germany since he was three years old. At the end of the coffee party there was an unmistakable sentence: "Yes, we are offering you the apartment for rent."
The couple could hardly believe their luck.
"We immediately made plans and started to arrange everything that was necessary for a move (which should take place in early 2022, d.Red.)", Mbeka-Male thinks back.
The rude awakening followed the next morning.
Munich: Landlord suddenly withdraws apartment approval - "partner constellation outside the norm"
In an email, the landlord couple suddenly withdrew the apartment approval.
“After our conversation yesterday evening, my wife and I discussed the allocation of the apartment again.
We have come to the conclusion that for various reasons we will not rent to you and your friend, ”says the letter that
Merkur.de
has received.
In response to her disappointed request, the friend receives a detailed explanation.
"You are asking for a tip for future applications, I would advise you the following: You are in a partner constellation outside the norm.
A landlord should therefore be given the opportunity to deal with this in various ways, ”the email says.
In the further course the landlord writes of possible "cultural and other reservations".
These can be reduced through discussions in a "sometimes rather medium or even longer-term process".
Mbeka-Male is still in shock.
"Should I paint my face white to find an apartment in Munich?"
Above all, the accusation that you live in a partnership “outside the norm” makes him sad: “I've never heard it in black and white.” Mbeka-Male had that his last name could be an obstacle when looking for an apartment in Munich already busy before.
It is the first time that a landlord has officially confirmed their feeling.
The 31-year-old remains confused: “The last name says nothing about a person.
It's unbelievable that we still have to deal with something like this in the 21st century.
Should I paint my face white to find an apartment in Munich? "
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Dedis Mbeka-Male has lived in Germany since he was 3 years old.
© private
Merkur.de
confronted the landlord with his statements.
"The failure of the rental was not because Ms. H.'s boyfriend is a foreigner, but because I don't want to sign a rental agreement with an applicant who is not open and honest," he writes on request.
The pensioner complains that Mbeka-Male was not there for both of the meetings and that his girlfriend did not offer to get to know each other personally "at any time".
The partner remained anonymous until shortly before the conclusion of the contract.
Tenants' association classifies case: "Racist stereotype"
The descriptions differ on this point. "During the second appointment I definitely asked if Dedis should come over to meet me personally," says Eva. You will have already made the right choice with your boyfriend, the landlord replied.
Volker Rastätter advises the couple to take legal action. The managing director of the tenants' association in Munich sees the email explanation as a violation of the General Equal Treatment Act, which could result in damages. “If the landlord couple's messages were actually written that way, the mention of 'cultural and other reservations' and a 'partner constellation outside the norm' strongly suggests a racist stereotype. The landlord couple assumes that the person concerned gives rise to cultural reservations due to his or her ethnic origin or skin color, ”Rastätter is quoted as saying. The willingness to get rid of any prejudices by getting to know each other does not change that.
Mbeka-Male makes it clear that his aim is not to pillory the landlord.
“Everyone should just notice what is going on on the housing market.
Apparently a handshake doesn't count in Bavaria either. ”The search continues for the couple.
Even if the latest episode didn't exactly fuel Mbeka-Male's motivation.
Do you have an apartment tip for the couple? Send an email to
lukas.schierlinger@merkur.de
, the author will then put you in touch.
Mbeka-Male outlines the rough requirements: "A two-room apartment in the Munich area, close to the subway, around 60 square meters, up to 1,100 euros."
