Tenancy law: what is covered by legal protection insurance?
What if the landlord increases the rent? Legal protection insurance can be helpful in such cases. Here's what you need to know.
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Legal protection insurance covers tenancy disputes in most cases. Nevertheless, there are still some points to be aware of. You can find out more here.
Perhaps your landlord is refusing to reduce your rent, or you have been asked to vacate your apartment at short notice, or maybe you had problems at the apartment handover. Legal protection insurance covers such disputes with landlords and property management companies. However, the conciliation authority and the tenants' association can also provide support.
Legal protection insurance
Most personal legal protection insurance policies cover disputes with landlords and property management companies over matters relating to tenancy law. This also includes repairs that have not been carried out, such as defects that are not remedied at the beginning of the tenancy.
The insurance usually covers legal costs and lawyers' fees. However, the cover and premiums may differ between insurance companies. It's therefore worth requesting several quotes – the cheapest is not necessarily the best deal for you.
Note: for legal cases under tenancy law (and contract law in general), a qualifying period (waiting period) usually applies. This is typically between one and three months. You can only report a legal case after this period has elapsed. Insurance companies put this in place to prevent people only taking out legal expenses insurance after a legal case has already begun.
Conciliation authority
The conciliation authority is responsible for any disputes arising in relation to tenancies. It provides a free service designed to help the disputing parties to reach an agreement. If this is not possible, the parties must report to the competent court to enforce their claim. Proceedings in court are, however, subject to a fee – unless you have already taken out legal expenses insurance.
In the case of tenancy disputes, the conciliation authority of the municipality in which the rental property is located is responsible. Here you can find out which authority is responsible for you (in German only).
Tenants' association
Members of the tenants' association benefit from free legal advice on matters relating to tenancies and housing. The membership fee also includes legal protection insurance for tenancy disputes. However, you must have been a member of the tenants' association for at least two months at the time of the dispute or event.