Tenant heat rights: Can I reduce rent due to heat?

The summer of 2003 brought a severe heatwave to Europe, a period now largely forgotten but which resulted in an estimated 70,000 deaths across the continent, including 7,000 in Germany. For weeks, temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius, creating extreme conditions.

It was in response to such an event that a landmark ruling concerning tenants' rights regarding heat was made. The specific case involved a mother and her child living in a newly built attic apartment in Berlin. Their living room and the child's room were largely covered by a glass roof, facing southeast.

During the heatwave, the tenant measured temperatures inside the apartment reaching up to 49 degrees Celsius. Between July 11 and July 21, the indoor temperatures consistently ranged between 31 and 46 degrees Celsius, highlighting the severe impact of the heat on the living space.