Overview
- Responsibility for cleaning public streets and paths lies with municipalities but many local Straßenreinigungssatzungen delegate duties to the owners of adjacent property.
- It does not matter who owns the tree because windblown leaves can create a removal duty for the property next to the affected walkway.
- Landlords can contractually assign leaf‑clearing to tenants or hire services and pass costs on as operating expenses but landlords must still supervise that the work is done.
- German courts set a high bar for liability and compensation, as rulings from Landgericht Coburg and the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt show that ordinary leaf fall rarely proves a breached Verkehrssicherungspflicht.
- Practical rules vary by town: dispose leaves via biotonne or green‑waste services, avoid sweeping leaves into street drains, use leaf blowers only in permitted hours, and leave some leaves in gardens or compost for ecological benefit.