Rent reduction for asbestos and pollutants
5 rulings on this topic – with reduction rate, case number and link to the decision.
Updated: October 2026 · 119 court rulings
Pollutants in the apartment are a defect when they pose a concrete health risk. With asbestos the condition matters: firmly bound, undamaged asbestos is usually not a defect, damaged or weakly bound asbestos products are – and an indoor air measurement is not always required.
If the indoor air is so contaminated that there is a significant risk of illness, the apartment can be uninhabitable and the rent fully reduced – as the Berlin Regional Court held for extreme PAH contamination (65 S 117/02). Have pollutants checked by an expert before you reduce by a lot.
5 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 |
| Other | 100 % | LG Dresden4 S 73/10Saxony | 25.02.2011 | Severe | Weakly bound asbestos constantly releases fibers (top remediation urgency); apartment unfit to live in | Letter |
| Other | 100 % | LG Berlin65 S 117/02Berlin | 30.08.2004 | Severe | Extremely high levels of carcinogenic PAHs in the indoor air; apartment uninhabitable | Letter |
| Other | 20 % | LG Berlin18 S 133/15Berlin | 11.02.2016 | Moderate | Damaged and missing asbestos floor tiles (Floor-Flex); reduction from the start of the lease | Letter |
| Other | 15 % | LG Berlin64 S 223/17Berlin | 17.10.2018 | Moderate | Asbestos floor tiles (Floor-Flex) with many damaged spots that can release fibers | Letter |