Home Emergency Plan: Tenant Tips for Germany

As a tenant in Germany, a home emergency plan is important so you can react quickly in case of damage, sudden rental problems, or an imminent eviction. Many tenants make mistakes like missing documentation, overlooked deadlines, or unclear contacts. This guide explains in clear steps how to check your contact details, receipts and forms, communicate with the landlord, and when courts or authorities must be involved. You will receive concrete action steps, pointers to relevant legal rules and examples of forms that help in emergencies. At the end you will find a short FAQ and a how-to for immediate action, plus official links to statutes and local courts in Germany.

What is a home emergency plan for tenants?

An emergency plan summarizes important contacts, documents and rules of conduct so that you can react quickly and correctly to water damage, heating failure, power outage or a threatened eviction. It helps secure rights, meet deadlines and have necessary forms ready. A good plan protects against loss of information and provides guidance when the situation is stressful.

Common mistakes tenants should avoid

• Not collecting receipts and photos (evidence): No documentation of damage or defects.
• Missing deadlines (deadline): Failing to observe written deadlines for tenant rights.
• Not informing the landlord (notice): Not reporting defects correctly and verifiably.
• Neglecting keys/privacy (entry): Uncertainties about access and security issues.
• Ignoring repair needs (repair): Not reporting habitability or heating problems.

How to check your emergency plan (step by step)

1. Update contacts (contact): Verify phone numbers for landlord, property manager, emergency services and personal contacts.
2. Organize documents (evidence): Keep lease, move-in protocol, photos and invoices in one place.
3. Check deadlines (deadline): Verify termination periods, heating schedules and notification deadlines.
4. Prepare forms (form): Keep sample termination, defect notices and, if applicable, an application for legal aid ready^[1].
5. Know procedures (court): Know when the local court is competent and how an eviction suit proceeds^[3].

Important deadlines and courts

Relevant tenancy obligations and rights are found in the provisions of the BGB, especially the rules on rent and maintenance (§§ 535–580a BGB)^[1]. Court proceedings follow the rules of the Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO)^[2]. In acute disputes with a landlord, the local court is usually the first instance; proceedings such as rent reduction or eviction actions are heard there.

FAQ

What should I do in case of an immediate water or heating outage?

Contact the landlord or property manager immediately, document the damage and time with photos, and request prompt repair. If necessary, contact the local emergency service.

Can I reduce the rent if the apartment is not heatable?

With significant defects like heating failure, a rent reduction may be possible. Documentation, setting a deadline and possibly legal advice are important.

Where do I turn with a threatened eviction?

Check the service of documents and deadlines, seek legal advice immediately, and explore options such as deferral, settlement or legal aid.

How-To

1. Contact landlord: Call landlord or property manager first and send a written defect notice in parallel.
2. Create damage documentation: Take photos with dates and times.
3. Set a deadline: Request remedy within a reasonable period and send the deadline notice with proof of delivery.
4. Consider court steps: If no solution is reached, check legal options and local court procedures.
5. Secure documents: Save contacts, documents and next steps in your emergency folder.

Help and Support / Resources

• BGB §§ 535–580a — Gesetze im Internet
• ZPO — Gesetze im Internet
• Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection (BMJ)

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1. [1] Gesetze im Internet: BGB §§ 535–580a
2. [2] Gesetze im Internet: Zivilprozessordnung (ZPO)
3. [3] Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz (BMJ)