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1h ago

BGH Signals Doubts on Profit-Making Subletting, Sets January Ruling Date

The court framed subletting as a tool to preserve a tenant’s home rather than a way to generate income.

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Der Bundesgerichtshof verhandelt über ein besonders drängendes Thema: die Folgen des Wohnungsmangels. Es geht um einen Berliner Mieter, der die Wohnung untervermietete - und damit 500 Euro monatlich einnahm.
Wohnraummangel und steigende Mieten beschäftigen nicht mehr nur Wohnungssuchende, sondern inzwischen auch das höchste Zivilgericht. Der BGH verhandelte über eine Konstellation, die gerade in den Großstädten immer häufiger wird: die Untermiete.

Overview

  • Germany’s top civil court heard a Berlin case (Az. VIII ZR 228/23) on 24 September and scheduled its decision for 28 January after the presiding judge questioned profit-focused subletting.
  • The dispute centers on a tenant who charged €962 cold rent to subtenants while paying €460 himself, with permission to sublet granted only for part of the period before the landlord terminated the lease.
  • The Berlin regional court upheld the landlord’s eviction claim, citing an excessive surcharge and a breach of the rent cap, after a lower court had initially rejected the suit.
  • According to references in court, the Mietpreisbremse would have allowed at most €748 here; the tenant says the fully furnished unit justified the higher price and denies seeking profit.
  • The German Tenant Association notes there are no clear rules for furnishing surcharges, and the Justice Ministry is preparing a draft law to define and regulate such add-ons.