Overview
- The Deutsche Umwelthilfe filed an Unterlassungsklage at the Oberlandesgericht Hamm on September 17 seeking to stop Vonovia from using its Gestattungsvereinbarung for balcony solar installations.
- DUH says the form bars tenants without an exterior socket, bans drilling and internal cable runs, forces landlord inspections at the tenant’s expense and requires tenants to waive broad liability, which the group calls an effective block on installations.
- The suit rests on Section 554(1) of the German Civil Code and cites earlier court decisions that limit landlords’ ability to refuse plug‑in PV installations when objections are not reasonable.
- Vonovia rejects the allegations and says it supports balcony solar while defending the form as a way to balance tenant and landlord safety and building concerns.
- A ruling for DUH would affect thousands of renters because Vonovia owns about half a million flats and could create a higher‑court precedent that makes permission for small solar systems easier and cheaper to enforce; technical rules set in late 2025 also allow qualifying devices to use a standard Schuko plug up to 800 VA/960 Wp.