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Rent reduction for heating or hot water failure: court rulings and percentages

In 19 rulings in our table, courts allowed a rent reduction of 5 % to 100 %. 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

10 %

median of 6 rulings

Heating works with limitations, single room affected, temperature 16–18 °C

Moderate

25 %

median of 5 rulings

Heating failure in multiple rooms, temperature below 16 °C

Severe

73 %

median of 8 rulings

Total heating failure in winter, apartment uninhabitable

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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19 rulings found

Defect: Heating / Hot Water?

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

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DefectReductionDescription
100 %Total gas supply failure Sep–Feb
100 %Oil heating failure during the winter months
85 %Gas supply out for 20 months: no heating, hot water or cooking; 85% Oct–Apr, 60% in the other months
75 %Total heating failure Nov–Feb
70 %Heating completely out Oct–Dec during conversion to an apartment gas heating system
70 %Heating failure during the heating season Oct–Apr
50 %Heating broken from November and again in February and April; apartment could not be heated
50 %Gas supply cut off, no heating or hot water; staggered: Oct 20%, Nov/Mar 30%, Dec–Feb 50%
30 %Apartment can only be heated to 16–18 °C
30 %Radiator in the largest room broken all winter; 5% afterwards
25 %Repeated heating failure over the Christmas holidays
25 %Heating out for 20 days in October
20 %Room temperature only 16–18 °C
20 %Bedroom could not be heated in February
10 %Cracking and rushing noises from the heating
10 %Undersized radiator, only 18 °C in the kitchen
10 %Room temperature repeatedly below 20 °C
8 %Heating broken in one room Nov 2014 – May 2015; partial failure
5 %Temperature regularly only 19 °C