Hey — Germany, explained in 5 minutes. It's getting cold, so this week is the one rule every renter here should know: how warm your landlord is legally required to keep your flat. Let's go.
In partnership with
Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About Breasts
Breasts are among the most talked about and medically researched parts of the human body, yet many of us are embarrassed to discuss our breast health openly.
Allure Perspectives, a new podcast hosted by Allure editor-in-chief Jessica Cruel, spends its first season exploring how breasts intersect with beauty, health, identity, sexuality, and culture. Episodes feature Olivia Munn on the test she says to take even if your mammogram is clear, sex educator Ericka Hart on reclaiming her body after breast cancer, and a Beverly Hills surgeon on why GLP-1s are driving a surge in breast lifts. All episodes available now.
Big Story: Your landlord must heat your flat — here are the numbers
In Germany, heating isn't a favour — it's a legal duty during the Heizperiode (heating season), which runs 1 October to 30 April. During that window your landlord has to make sure the heating can reach:
20–22°C during the day (roughly 6 a.m. to midnight) in living rooms.
At least 18°C at night (midnight to 6 a.m.), after the usual night-time reduction.
Outside the official season it still counts: if outdoor temperatures stay below 12°C for three days running, the landlord has to switch the heating back on — one cold morning isn't enough, but a cold spell is.
A flat that can't reach these temperatures has a legal defect (Mangel) — and that's where your leverage starts.
Cold flat? Here's what to do
Measure and log it. Put a thermometer in the middle of the room, note the temperature, date and time daily. This log is your evidence.
Report it in writing (Mängelanzeige) — email or letter to your landlord, describe the problem, and set a deadline to fix it. Keep a copy.
You can reduce the rent (Mietminderung) until it's fixed. Courts have granted anywhere from around 10–20% for a flat that's merely too cool up to 50–100% when the heating fails completely in deep winter — the colder it gets, the bigger the reduction.
Don't just stop paying. Reduce the correct amount and say why, in writing — an arbitrary cut can backfire. When in doubt, get your figure confirmed first.
Pro tip: A tenants' association (Mieterverein) will check your exact case and the right reduction % for a small yearly membership — far cheaper than a lawyer, and landlords take their letters seriously.
The Bottom Line
From 1 October, your landlord must keep the heating capable of 20–22°C by day and 18°C at night. If your flat stays cold, log the temperatures, report it in writing, and you're entitled to reduce the rent until it's fixed. You're not being demanding — you're being German about it.
Reader Question
"My flat won't go above 17°C and my landlord says that's normal in winter. Is it?"
No. 17°C during the day is below the legal minimum, which makes it a defect you can act on. Start a daily temperature log, send a written Mängelanzeige with a deadline, and tell them you'll reduce the rent if it isn't resolved. A Mieterverein will back you up with the right numbers.
Bis bald,
Germany Diary · Germany, explained in 5 minutes
Sources: Heizperiode case law; Mieterverein Köln. Germany Diary is written by an immigrant who lives it — not legal advice. For your specific case, check with a Mieterverein or lawyer.