Rent reduction for bedbugs, cockroaches and other insects
6 rulings on this topic – with reduction rate, case number and link to the decision.
Updated: October 2026 · 119 court rulings
A serious insect infestation is a defect when it goes beyond what occurs in any apartment. On bedbugs, the Stuttgart local court ruled that bringing them in with luggage is part of normal use of the apartment and does not rule out a reduction (35 C 5509/19).
The amount depends on the type and extent: a few silverfish justify very little, a massive infestation or an apartment that is uninhabitable because of the pest control chemicals a lot. Report the infestation in writing straight away and allow pest control in.
6 rulings found
Enforce your right to rent reduction
Create a free defect notice with a rent reduction demand — backed by these court rulings.
| Defect | Reduction | Court / Ref. | Date | Severity | Description | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pests / Vermin | 100 % | AG Aachen80 C 569/97North Rhine-Westphalia | 03.12.1998 | Severe | Khapra beetle infestation; apartment uninhabitable because of harmful pest-control chemicals (June–Oct 1996) | Letter |
| Pests / Vermin | 60 % | AG Stuttgart35 C 5509/19Baden-Württemberg | 30.03.2021 | Severe | Severe bedbug infestation; bringing them in with luggage counts as normal use of the apartment | Letter |
| Pests / Vermin | 25 % | AG Bremen25 C 0118/01Bremen | 06.12.2001 | Moderate | Severe moth infestation | Letter |
| Pests / Vermin | 20 % | AG Lahnstein2 C 675/87Rhineland-Palatinate | 19.10.1987 | Moderate | 20–25 silverfish in the apartment, poison in the bedroom | Letter |
| Pests / Vermin | 10 % | AG Bonn6 C 277/84North Rhine-Westphalia | 08.02.1985 | Minor | Mice and cockroaches | Letter |
| Pests / Vermin | 5 % | AG Köln201 C 254/05North Rhine-Westphalia | 27.06.2006 | Minor | Silverfish for at least a year in the living rooms, kitchen and hallway | Letter |