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3h ago

BGH Says Landlord May Evict to Combine Units for Later Sale

Tenant groups call for reform after the case was returned to a Berlin court for reconsideration.

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Nicht selten kommt es vor, dass Klauseln in einem Mietvertrag unwirksam sind. Und zwar vor allem dann, wenn es sich um solche handelt, die vom Vermieter formuliert wurden. Ein Überblick über Klauseln, an die Mieter in der Regel nicht gebunden sind.

Overview

  • The Federal Court of Justice ruled on October 1, 2025 (Az. VIII ZR 289/23) that a co-resident landlord’s plan to use a tenant’s flat for structural works enabling a subsequent sale can qualify as owner-occupancy need.
  • In the Berlin case, the landlord lives on the fourth floor and sought access to the tenant’s similar third-floor unit to connect it with an expanded attic and then sell the converted apartment.
  • An Amtsgericht initially granted the landlord’s eviction suit, the Landgericht Berlin overturned it in November 2023, and the BGH has now set aside that appellate ruling and remanded to a different chamber.
  • The decision underscores limits that remain in force, including inapplicability to corporate landlords, a requirement for concrete and credible plans, and an obligation to justify the choice where multiple properties are owned.
  • The Berliner Mieterverein and the Deutscher Mieterbund criticized the ruling as weakening tenant protections and urged legislative changes, pointing to the Justice Ministry’s expert commission led by Stefanie Hubig.