Guide
Guide: condominium law, property management and real estate
Well-founded answers on owner associations, service charges, owners meetings and more - explained clearly by a certified residential property manager based in Frankfurt.
34 articles, continuously extended
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01Basics & management
What does a property manager do? Duties, responsibilities and costs
What does a German property manager do, which duties are statutory and what does it cost? WEG, rental and individual-unit management compared.
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Rental management: tasks and costs at a glance
What does a rental management service do, what does it cost and when does it pay off? Tasks, common fee models and the question of recoverability.
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Tenant changeover: process, handover protocol and deposit
How does a tenant changeover run, what belongs in the handover protocol and when must the deposit go back? Answers for landlords in Germany.
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Key laws for property owners in Germany: WEG, BGB and BetrKV
Which German rules apply when? The WEG (§ 1, § 9a), BGB tenancy law (§ 535), the BetrKV (§ 1, § 2) and the HeizkostenV (§ 7) at a glance.
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The management contract and changing the manager in a WEG
The manager can be removed at any time. What that means for the contract, how long it runs on and what has to be handed over.
Learn more02Meetings & resolutions
The owners meeting in a WEG: procedure, notice and deadlines
How does an owners meeting (Eigentümerversammlung) run, how long does it take and which majorities apply? Deadlines under § 23 to § 25 WEG.
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Owners resolutions in a WEG: how they arise and how long they last
How a German owners resolution comes about, when a circular resolution is enough, how long it stays valid and when it becomes final.
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The advisory board (Verwaltungsbeirat) in a WEG
What may the advisory board do, what must it review and when is it liable? The answers under § 29 WEG, including the limits of its powers.
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Notice of an owners meeting in Germany: period, form and agenda
How much notice must be given for a German owners meeting, what belongs on the agenda and what happens after a defective notice? Answers under § 24 WEG.
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Minutes of a German owners meeting and the resolution record
What German meeting minutes must contain, who signs them, how quickly they must be drawn up and how they differ from the resolution record.
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Challenging a resolution of a German owners association
The one-month deadline for challenging a German owners resolution, who is sued, what the reasons must cover and what the case is likely to cost.
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Virtual and hybrid owners meetings in a German WEG
A German owners meeting may go fully online only by resolution. What § 23 (1a) WEG requires, which technology fits and what applies until 2028.
Learn more03Costs & accounting
Service charges and cost allocation in Germany: the complete guide
When must the statement reach the tenant, which allocation key applies and which costs are not recoverable? Answers under § 556, § 556a BGB and BetrKV.
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The service charge statement for landlords: duties and deadlines
By when must the statement reach the tenant, and which costs may you pass on? The deadline, the § 2 BetrKV list and the mistakes that cost money.
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Rent increases in Frankfurt: rent index, cap and procedure
How much can you raise the rent in Frankfurt, which deadlines apply and how do you justify it? The 2026 rent index and § 558 BGB explained.
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Hausgeld and the budget: what condominium owners pay and why
What makes up the Hausgeld, who decides its level and what happens after the year? The answers under § 28 WEG, without the jargon.
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The maintenance reserve in a German WEG: amount, saving and use
How much reserve is reasonable, what may the money be spent on and where is the balance shown? The answers under § 19 and § 28 WEG.
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Special levy in a WEG: when it is permitted and who pays
When may the owners resolve a special levy, how large may it be and who pays on a sale? The answers under § 28, § 19 and § 16 WEG.
Learn more04Property & community
Individual and common property in a German WEG explained
Who owns the windows and who pays for the balcony? Individual and common property in a German WEG, the grey areas and the cost consequences.
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House rules (Hausordnung) in German property explained
What may the Hausordnung cover, which quiet hours are customary and where are its limits? Answers for owners and tenants in Germany.
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Multi-building complexes and sub-communities in a German WEG
Can each building carry its own costs and pass its own resolutions? Why German law does not define the sub-community and when the deed decides.
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Structural alterations in a WEG: charging points, accessibility and more
A charging point, a ramp, fibre: what can you demand, which resolution is needed and who pays? § 20 and § 21 WEG explained.
Learn more05Digitalisation & energy
Remote-readable heat cost meters: mandatory by the end of 2026
By 31 December 2026 heat cost meters must as a rule be remote-readable. What that means, who decides in a condominium and when users may reduce the bill.
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Smart meters in a condominium: obligation, cost and who decides
When is an intelligent metering system mandatory, who installs it and who pays? The MsbG thresholds for a German owners association.
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Digital electricity and gas meters: simply explained
Modern metering device or smart meter? What the devices show, whether you still have to read them and how secure your data is.
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Wallbox, load management and PV in a condominium
Several charge points on one service connection: load management, § 14a EnWG, plug-in solar and the right to a charging option in a condominium.
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Reading gas and water meters remotely: from radio meters to DIY
How do meter readings get from the basement to your phone? Radio meters, gateways and portals compared, plus an ESP32 DIY build for 15 to 40 euros.
Learn more06Sales & letting
Selling or letting a property in Germany: an owner's checklist
Sell or let? The decision criteria, the documents you need and the ten-year rule under § 23 EStG that decides whether the gain is taxed.
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Letting a flat in Frankfurt: step by step
What rent may you charge, which documents are mandatory and what follows move-in? The letting process in six steps, for Frankfurt landlords.
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Selling a property: the process from notary to land register
Two to four months usually pass after the handshake. Notarisation, priority notice, payment, handover and registration, and where things get stuck.
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What is my property worth? The comparison, income and cost methods explained
The comparison, income and cost methods under the ImmoWertV: which one fits which property, which data matter, and common mistakes when pricing a property.
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Tax office, court or sale: which valuation fits which purpose
Tax office, court, bank or sale: which body is responsible for which purpose, and when a valuation is enough.
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Frankfurt property market 2026: turnover, prices and standard land values at a glance
The Frankfurt property market report 2026: 2025 turnover, prices for flats and houses, standard land values and capitalisation rates at a glance.
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Buying a condominium in Germany: a buyer's WEG checklist
Which documents must you see before the notary appointment, and what are you liable for as a buyer? The seven papers and the costly traps.
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As a certified residential property manager in Frankfurt we advise you on condominium management, rental management and sales.