With the 2020 WEG reform, every condominium owners’ association (WEG) was given significantly more flexibility in cost allocation. Since then, owners have been able to amend the cost allocation formula for certain costs – particularly for maintenance and repair works – by majority resolution.

A recent Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling has now, for the first time, set clear limits on this freedom. The Federal Court of Justice has made it clear that a change to the cost allocation formula is only permissible if it complies with the principles of proper administration and does not unfairly disadvantage any owners.

The case: Equal costs for flats of different sizes?

In the case in question, a flat owners’ association wished to allocate the costs for its heating system in future not according to co-ownership shares, but according to the so-called property principle. This would have meant that each flat would bear the same share of the costs – regardless of its size.

The result would have been that a 40 m² flat would have had to pay the same amount as a 240 m² flat.

The Federal Court of Justice deemed this allocation of costs to be inadmissible.

What the Federal Court of Justice says

In the Federal Court of Justice’s view, a flat owners’ association may, in principle, change the cost allocation formula. However, this decision is subject to certain limits.

A resolution contravenes the principles of proper administration if individual owners are significantly disadvantaged by the new allocation formula without objective justification.

In such cases, the resolution can be successfully challenged and declared invalid.

Implications for flat owners and property managers

The judgement provides greater legal certainty for owners’ associations and property managers.

Before amending the cost allocation formula, the following questions in particular should be examined in future:

• Is the new cost allocation objectively justifiable?
• Are individual owners being disproportionately burdened?
• Does the resolution meet the requirements of sound administration?
• Is the chosen allocation legally sound in the long term?

Careful preparation of the resolution can prevent subsequent actions to set it aside.

Why this ruling is so important

Until now, the Federal Court of Justice had granted owners’ associations considerable discretion regarding cost allocation under the WEG. Judicial review was largely limited to cases of obvious arbitrariness.

With this latest ruling, the Federal Court of Justice has significantly tightened these requirements. In future, it will no longer be sufficient for a resolution to be formally valid – the allocation of costs must also be reasonable, transparent and fair.

For property managers, this means that they will need to justify draft resolutions even more carefully in future and take into account the financial implications for all owners.

Conclusion

The new Federal Court of Justice ruling on the cost allocation formula marks an important turning point in the law governing condominium ownership. Whilst it remains possible to adjust the cost allocation formula within a condominium association (WEG), the Federal Court of Justice has made it clear that the interests of all owners must be given due consideration.

Anyone preparing or voting on resolutions concerning cost allocation should take the new case law into account in order to avoid unnecessary legal disputes and costly challenges to resolutions.

Der Beitrag Federal Court of Justice (BGH) ruling 2026: New limits on the cost-allocation formula in the WEG erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

What was the case about?

In the case in question, a family wished to mount the outdoor unit of a split air-conditioning system on the external wall of their balcony. This required drilling into the façade. The owners’ association refused to grant consent, citing, amongst other things, potential noise, condensation, heat emission and damage to the façade.

However, the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) made it clear that, when deciding whether to grant consent, the immediate structural impact of the measure is the decisive factor. Potential disruptions caused by subsequent operation, such as noise or heat generation, are not in themselves sufficient grounds to refuse consent.

Consent possible subject to conditions

However, the ruling does not amount to a free pass. The owners’ association may make its consent subject to reasonable technical and design requirements, for example regarding:

proper installation,
sound insulation,
condensation drainage,
aesthetic design, and
compliance with public-law requirements, such as those relating to the protection of listed buildings.

What does this mean for property owners?

For flat owners, the ruling provides greater planning certainty. Anyone wishing to install a split air-conditioning system can, in future, invoke a fundamental right to consent. The owners’ association must examine each application individually and may not reject it without objective grounds.

Nevertheless, it is advisable to prepare the application carefully and to submit technical documentation, details of the mounting arrangements, and information on sound insulation and condensation drainage at the outset. This often helps to avoid potential queries or disputes within the owners’ association.

Conclusion

With this ruling, the Federal Court of Justice strengthens the rights of flat owners and takes account of the growing demands of modern living. At the same time, it remains possible to guide the installation through sensible technical and design specifications. In future, the focus will no longer be on blanket objections, but on the assessment of the specific individual case.

Source: Federal Court of Justice, judgement of 17 July 2026 – Ref. V ZR 162/25.

Der Beitrag Federal Court of Justice strengthens the rights of flat owners regarding the installation of air-conditioning systems erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

From 15 April 2026, a new funding programme from the German government will come into effect, designed to significantly facilitate the expansion of charging infrastructure in multi-unit residential buildings. The aim is to make it easier for homeowners’ associations and landlords in particular to transition to electric mobility.

Attractive grants per parking space

Funding is available for both individual charging points and the underlying infrastructure. Depending on the level of development, grants of up to €2,000 per parking space are possible. This covers not only wall boxes, but also the often costly preparatory work such as cabling, grid connection and structural modifications.

Focus on holistic solutions

A key difference from previous programmes is the holistic approach: the focus is on fully preparing buildings for future charging requirements. This should enable even larger residential complexes to be equipped efficiently and sustainably.

Who can benefit?

Eligible applicants include owners’ associations, private landlords and companies with a housing portfolio. Tenants themselves cannot apply for funding, but benefit indirectly from the expansion of the infrastructure.

Key eligibility criteria

To qualify for funding, at least 20% of a property’s parking spaces must be prepared. A minimum of six parking spaces per project is also required. The maximum charging power per charging point is 22 kW.

Applications processed on a first-come, first-served basis

Applications can be submitted from 15 April to 10 November 2026. As funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, it is advisable to prepare and submit applications at an early stage.

Conclusion

The new funding programme provides strong incentives for the expansion of charging infrastructure in multi-occupancy buildings. The combination of substantial grants and support for the entire building infrastructure makes electric mobility in the residential sector significantly more attractive and future-proof.

Der Beitrag New funding scheme for EV charging infrastructure in multi-unit residential buildings launches on 15 April erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

Spring is here. We wish you and your loved ones a happy Easter, a lovely Easter break, and hope the Easter Bunny brings plenty of treats for all the children.

Best regards,

Juliane Wolff and the Wohnfühl Immobilien GmbH Team

Der Beitrag Happy Easter! erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

The year 2025 was all about digitalisation. At the beginning of the year, we made the decision to introduce our new customer portal Karthago.Vision for our owners from owners' associations in 2025. This online portal enables us to make property-specific documents permanently available for download to owners, send notifications and shorten communication channels. We have gradually introduced the online portal this year and received a lot of positive feedback from our owners. As a result, from next year onwards, there will be no more postal deliveries for invitations to owners' meetings and annual statements. Our owners have a digital archive for their flat, where numerous important documents are available.

We have also professionalised the implementation of hybrid owners' meetings, which are now standard practice for us, with an online tool. The introduction of Vulcavo means that our owners' meetings can be conducted digitally in a legally compliant and smooth manner. With a video conferencing, stage presence and digital voting tool, Vulcavo covers all the requirements for holding a professional owners' meeting. We are delighted to have found this partner to ensure legal certainty and GDPR compliance for our owners.

As a third step in the area of digitalisation, we have introduced digital invoice transfer, which allows us to store receipts directly in our property accounting system. This means that in future, document checks can be carried out purely digitally and we will be able to dispense with paper files.

Over the past year, we have added numerous new properties and portfolios to our management portfolio. Thus, our year was not only marked by digitalisation, but also by the creation of new properties and internal process optimisation. My employees have been very supportive of the innovations and are implementing them successfully.

In the coming year, however, we want to become even better for our owners. In future, we will also introduce our online portal for owners of individual apartment buildings. Monthly reports and statements will be uploaded there in a clear format. Receipts can also be checked using the tool. In the coming year, we want to hold our numerous owners' meetings as early in the year as possible. We will also attend training courses on legal changes again in the coming year in order to stay up to date for our owners.
We look forward to the new challenges that 2026 will bring.
We would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and trust. We wish you and your families a merry and peaceful Christmas season and, above all, a healthy New Year in 2026. May our joint projects be successful. We will do our best.

We are now taking a short Christmas break from 22 December 2025 to 2 January 2026. We will recharge our batteries and be available to you again as usual from 5 January 2026.

All the best, Juliane Wolff and the team at Wohnfühl Immobilien GmbH

Der Beitrag Review and outlook for 2025/2026 and Merry Christmas! erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

Our annual training day will take place on 10 December 2025. Our office will be closed all day on this date. You are welcome to leave us a message on our answering machine or send us an email. From 11 December 2025, we will be back to dealing with your enquiries as usual. Thank you for your understanding.

The team at Wohnfühl Immobilien GmbH

Der Beitrag No office hours on 10 December 2025 – we are undergoing further training! erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

We regularly review the potential for rent adjustments in our owners' property portfolios.

Der Beitrag 2025 rent index comes into force in the city of Leipzig erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

Der Beitrag Happy Easter! erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

Furthermore, we are offering all our owners the opportunity to use a digital document portal from this year onwards. Karthago Vision is linked to our property management software. All owners can use it to view and download general property documents, such as the declaration of division and insurance policies. All communication takes place via the document portal. In future, owners will receive their invitations to the ETV, annual accounts and business plans digitally via this portal. Pre-formulated forms can be used to submit damage reports, changes of address or similar. Documents can be called up and downloaded at any time. We are confident that we are taking a modern, sensible step into the digital future and will thus be able to offer our owners an even better service.

Der Beitrag 2025 – the year of digitalisation at Wohnfühl Immobilien erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.

We always use the upcoming Christmas holidays to look back on the past year. Over the past few months, our team has been working hard to provide the best possible service for your properties. Legislation is constantly presenting us with new challenges. From the obligation to provide smoke alarms and consumption information during the year to the new heating law and digitalisation, including for us property managers. In addition to the ‘normal’ work that the properties entail, we have to constantly educate ourselves on new topics and try to incorporate them into our management activities. In addition, many properties and owners have their own very special wishes and idiosyncrasies, which we have to adapt to in our day-to-day work. This doesn't always work out the way some owners imagine. Personal dialogue and good communication help us to better adapt our working methods to the wishes of the owners.

Legislation stipulates a certification obligation for condominium administrators. We are a certified administrator in accordance with §26a WEG. In addition, we have also been a member of the VDIV since this year in order to be able to implement changes to the law even better and with greater legal certainty in our day-to-day management work. We also benefit from a very good further training programme.

We held the majority of our owners‘ meetings in hybrid form this year, which increased the attendance rate at our owners’ meetings. We are pleased about this, as it is important for us to receive regular feedback and ideas about your wishes for your properties.

Our property portfolio will continue to grow in 2025 and I am sure that the legislator will also have new challenges in store for us in the coming year. We are looking forward to it.

From 23.12.2024 to 03.01.2025, we will be recharging our batteries for the new working year during our annual company holidays. We sincerely wish you all a Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy 2025.

Yours, Juliane Wolff and the Wohnfühl Immobilien team

P.S. We are always happy about the evaluation of our cooperation on Google! Here is the link:

https://g.page/r/CbZ6kANPvjI3EB0/review

Der Beitrag Merry Christmas and Company Holidays erschien zuerst auf WOHNFÜHL Immobilien.