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Rent reduction for a broken elevator: court rulings and percentages

In 8 rulings in our table, courts allowed a rent reduction of 3 % to 20 %. How much depends on how far the defect restricts the use of the apartment.

Updated: October 2026 · 119 court rulings

Typical reduction by severity

Minor

6 %

median of 4 rulings

Lower floors (up to 3rd floor), short outage

Moderate

10 %

median of 3 rulings

Middle floors (4th–6th floor), longer outage

Severe

20 %

1 ruling

Upper floors (7th floor and above), long-term outage, elderly/mobility-impaired tenants

Median reduction rates of the court rulings in our rent reduction table, per severity level. The figures update with every new ruling; individual cases may differ.

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8 rulings found

Defect: Elevator?

Create a free defect notice with a rent reduction demand — backed by these court rulings.

Reduce rent
DefectReductionDescription
20 %Elevator out for 16 days; 10th floor (10. OG) of a high-rise
15 %Elevator out for 16 days; 6th floor (6. OG)
10 %Elevator out of service, 4th floor (4. OG); shut down by the building authority
10 %Elevator out of service since Aug 2019; 3rd floor (3. OG)
7.5 %5th floor (5. OG), student residence, both elevators out of service
7.5 %Elevator broken for several months after the basement flooded; apartment on the 3rd floor (3. OG)
4.5 %Elevator broken since 2009; tenant on the 2nd floor (2. OG)
3 %Elevator out of service, 2nd floor (2. OG)