Bielefeld Court Orders Landlord to Refund Half of Rent for Secret Apartment Entry

A landlord in Bielefeld kept a hidden spare key to a tenant’s top‑floor apartment and entered the premises without the tenant’s knowledge. After noticing irregularities, the tenant installed a camera that captured the landlord inside the flat. The tenant terminated the lease and demanded a full rent refund. The Amtsgericht Bielefeld ruled that the tenant’s demand was excessive because the tenancy had been used, but ordered the landlord to return 50 % of the total rent paid (case 408 C 180/24). The court held that retaining a secret key constitutes a serious defect of the rental property, violating the tenant’s constitutional right to privacy and justifying a 50 % rent reduction.

The judgment emphasizes that landlords must provide a legitimate reason, such as an emergency, before entering a rented dwelling without the tenant’s consent.