Bad prospects: The Howoge wiped the window to this Lichtenberger tenant

Stones instead of nature: This has recently been the view from Alexander Kaufhold's living room window.His landlady, the Howoge, has taken two windows in his apartment in Lichtenberger Weitlingkiez."I did not agree to this conversion measure," says Kaufhold.He lives on Rupprechtstraße for almost ten years- until two weeks ago with two windows in living room and bedroom.The formerly flooded hallway is now duster, and you can no longer look at the green area in front of the house through the gray bricks.

Howoge wants to put a new building on the wall of the apartment building."It is a block edge development, a classic gap closure," explains company spokeswoman Sabine Pentrop.An apartment building with 33 apartments is to be built, of which 17 social housing will be.Completion is expected in November 2022.Alexander Kaufhold does not want to prevent the new building at all, he says, but is annoyed by the procedure of the state -owned society.

In April 2020, the Howoge informed the four affected rental parties about their plans for the windows.Except for Alexander Kaufhold everyone agreed to the measures.The 33-year-old IT coach has been working in the home office since the beginning of pandemic: "It was clear to me that I don't want to endure construction work for a year"-there is also the reduced quality of life.He also moved into the apartment because she was so bright.“I offered the Howoge, before the start of the construction work for compensation of 10.To move 000 euros, ”says Kaufhold,“ I would have demanded twice at a private company.“These are standard prices.

The Howoge then made him an offer of over 2000 euros.“I can't even pay for a move - not to mention a higher rent.“At the moment he is paying 565 euros cold for 70 square meters - to find similar conditions on the Berlin rental market now, should be almost impossible.It was also not discussed on the proposal to another Howoge's apartment.

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The Howoge estimates the situation very differently."We are aware that new construction measures in such a close neighborhood in the existence of a special burden on the tenants: Spokeswoman Sabine Pentrop says is aware.With every construction work, however, the Howoge makes an important contribution to relaxing the housing market situation in Berlin.She rejects the claim for damages provided by Kaufhold via the lawyer "both in the matter and in height".Kaufhold has refused to offer numerous discussions and attempts to contact.In order to be able to start the construction project, the Howoge submitted an action for toleration that was granted.When Kaufhold did not let the construction workers in the apartment, the windows were then bricked up from the outside.

[The author of this text,Pauline Faust, also writes the Lichtenberg newsletter.You can order this for free: guys.daily mirror.de]

According to Howoge, a window in a living room and a chamber are affected per apartment, there is a second window in both.The "chamber" is the bedroom at Kaufhold and significantly larger than the choice of words chosen by the landlord suggests.As a compensation, the Howoge announced that the window in the living space would be replaced by a soil equal floor.This ensures good and sufficient exposure to the legal requirements.The chamber is sufficiently exposed with a window.

Tenant association:

"Unfortunately, in connection with new buildings, it always happens that the living quality of existing tenants is sustainably impaired on the inside," says Reiner Wild, Managing Director of the Berlin Tenant Association.The time to keep the windows is not the order of the day, but it is always the case.“Building owners use regulatory gaps in building law.“Building permits are granted if the neighboring owner does not present any neighboring laws.

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If the property owners are identical, there is no objection, the conflict with the tenant is held in civil law."From tenant: to take action against an adjacent new building, is legally difficult and is not economically feasible due to impending compensation payments," says Wild.

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A landlord can change the apartment through modernization, unless the measure represents a hardness."So it could well be that an unreasonable hardness is determined in the event of an action for toleration in court," says Wild.Therefore, the housing companies did not go to trial to get access to the apartment, but bricked up from the outside.So the end of the rental must become active."However, it is strange that a municipal housing company is doing this way," says the tenant protector.Pauline Faust