Minimum temperature in a rented apartment

What you need:

• thermometer

What you should know about the minimum temperatures in rental apartments:

There is no law that prescribes certain minimum temperatures in rental apartments. But in view of various court rulings, you can assume the following room temperatures between 6 a.m. and midnight:

• Living spaces and kitchen: 20 degrees
• bathroom: 22 degrees
• Bedrooms and hallways: 18 degrees
• In general, a temperature of at least 18 degrees must be reached in all rooms at any time of the day or night.


Night reduction in tenancy law - you can insist on that

The heating temperature is usually reduced at night. The night reduction takes place ...

• The heating season is from mid-September to mid-May. During this time the heater at least provide the service so that the minimum temperatures are reached. The heating period is determined by the fact that the temperature does not reach 12 degrees at 9:00 p.m. on at least 3 days.
• If the summer temperatures are around 13 to 17 degrees, the landlord must also provide heating in your rented apartment. If this is not the case, different regional courts grant a rent reduction of up to 50%.
• The landlord is not obliged to provide constant heating power 24 hours a day. The specified temperatures must only be adhered to "during the normal hours of the day". The usual hours of the day extend from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. at night.
• If you want to determine the room temperature, measure in the middle of the room 1.5 meters above the floor.

How to act correctly if the minimum temperature in your rented apartment is not right:

• If these temperatures are not reached in your rented apartment, you are entitled to a rent reduction. There is no standardized catalog for this either. However, various regional courts have ruled these facts as follows:
• In the event of a total failure of the heating, you can request a 75% rent reduction. This also applies if the apartment is no longer habitable as a result.
• If the specified minimum temperatures are not reached at the time of day, a 20% reduction must be applied.
• If the heating fails in winter, the courts will award a rent reduction of 50%.
• Observe the regulations for a proper rent reduction. A defect must be reported to the landlord verbally or in writing immediately after it occurs. The landlord has a certain period of time in which to remedy the situation. If you are forced to keep the apartment habitable by buying fan heaters or electric heaters, the landlord must pay you these as compensation. If this can be proven separately, this also includes the electricity bill.
• As a tenant, you even have the option of terminating the apartment without notice if it can only be heated insufficiently for a long period of time.