General

Due to the economic consequences of the Corona crisis, the German government has stipulated a reduction in VAT from 19 to 16 percent in the Second Corona Tax Relief Act Section 28 Paragraph 1 and Paragraph 2 UStG. This reduction relates to the period from July 1 to December 31, 2020, and the VAT rate of 19 percent will then apply again from January 1, 2021. This bill also comes...

The non-profit consulting company co2online presents the features and functionality of smart meters on its website. A smart meter is primarily a digital electricity meter. However, the digital recording of the consumption of natural gas, district heating and water, as well as the duration of use, is also displayed and calculated on a smart meter. The data is stored on...

The association and union of apartment owners "Wohnen im Eigentum. Die Wohneigentümer e. V." (WiE) points out that by December 31, 2020, all existing passenger elevators in residential complexes must be equipped with a remote emergency call system, a so-called two-way communication system. Based on the amended Ordinance on Industrial Safety and Health (BetrSichV), this...

Anyone who owns their own home places a lot of importance on a well-maintained garden. The lawn is the largest plant area in the outdoor area and requires year-round care in order to grow properly. Thus, the lawn must be prepared for the long summer days as early as spring. First of all, it is a matter of raking the lawn well, thus removing leaves and twigs, as well as moss and...

According to research and trend analysis by real estate services provider and consulting and investment management firm JLL, the retail real estate and shopping center asset class needs a complete reorientation and realignment. This is because the aftermath of the Corona crisis has made the existence and stabilization of retail properties dependent on whether they manage to survive with a...

Living on one level is not only a trend among older people. A house in the style of a bungalow offers a lot of space and living comfort with numerous design options and is at the same time a provision for life in retirement. Because if you plan the floor plan and the construction measures of a bungalow well, you can already take into account numerous aspects from the outset that are important for the...

The study "Opportunities and risks for the German heating industry in global competition" by PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft (pwc), published in June 2020 on behalf of the Bundesverbadens Wärmepumpe e. V. (BWP), aims to promote the heating turnaround more strongly in the field of energy transition. Especially in times of the Corona crisis, in which the government is spending billions of...

The owners of several apartments in a multi-family house have installed external blinds on the windows of their apartments without the consent of the other apartment owners. Since the blinds constitute a structural change to the common property pursuant to Section 22 (1) WEG and affect the other tenants to a certain extent pursuant to Section 14 No. 1 WEG, the owners of one...

A household insurance policy provides insurance cover for utility and consumer goods and furniture in a private household as well as insurance of household contents against water and fire damage and burglary. In its July issue, Stiftung Warentest's consumer magazine Finanztest examines various household insurance policies in terms of their benefits and premiums. In the process, a total of 61...

The May 2020 study "The World after Corona. Business, markets, lifeworlds - what will change" is a guide by experts from the Zukunftsinstitut in Berlin, in which they look at possible lifeworlds and scenarios in the post-Corona reality. In the study, the topics of health, education, leisure, mobility, consumption and living...