General

A ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court could lead to uncertainty with regard to home ownership subsidies. It has declared the Second Supplementary Budget Act 2021 null and void (2 BvF 1/22). The aim of the law was to make a credit authorization of 60 billion euros for the "Energy and Climate Fund", which was planned for 2021 but not used, available for future financial years.

Criticism of the diversity of programs and opinions of public broadcasters does not justify an exemption from the obligation to pay the broadcasting fee. This was declared by the Bavarian Administrative Court (BayVGH, AZ: 7 BV 22.2642). In this case, a plaintiff from the district of Rosenheim had previously challenged the obligation to pay the broadcasting contribution on the basis of an alleged "structural failure of the public...

According to the brigitte.de portal, interest in DIY is growing steadily, especially in DIY furniture. Instead of always buying ready-made products, many people prefer to make their own creations. This trend can be seen in various ways - from upcycling old items to making your own detergent and growing your own food. Anyone who...

Tel Aviv has overtaken Paris as the most expensive real estate city in the Europe-Arabia-Africa economic area (EMEA region) with a price per square meter of EUR 14,740. South-eastern European countries such as Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary and Croatia recorded considerable price increases of over 20 percent. In contrast, the UK and Denmark experienced significant price declines of 17.9 and 9.6 percent respectively. The...

The number of dormitory places for students and trainees planned under the social housing promotion scheme has more than doubled this year thanks to the "Young Housing" funding program. This is according to a press release from the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building. While around 2,700 new places in halls of residence were planned for 2022, the number will rise to...

More than a third of real estate professionals are thinking about using artificial intelligence (AI) in their buildings. 32 percent are already actively using AI. This is the result of a recent study by energy service provider Techem. The study shows that the greatest benefits of AI are expected in measures for CO2 reduction (53 percent) and adaptive learning, such as the adaptation...

The phone rings and an unknown voice asks, for example: "Guess who it is?". The victim, often an elderly person, makes a guess and the perpetrator slips into the appropriate role, often as a grandson. Using this basis of trust, the supposed grandson tells the victim about a planned house purchase for which a deposit is urgently needed and asks the grandmother or grandfather to...

Ageing smart home devices can pose a threat to security and privacy, especially if they no longer receive updates. This is the key finding of a recent study conducted by Worms University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with the University of Maribor. Over 500 people were surveyed for the study. The aim was to find out which factors influence the decision to use older...

The website of the Sustainable Teaching Buildings Network launched by the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development (BBSR) provides information on environmentally friendly approaches to the planning, construction and operation of sustainable school and university buildings. The variety of topics ranges from constructional approaches to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies to...

According to the Association of Private Building Owners (VPB), private building owners should engage their own independent experts on the construction site. For turnkey projects, construction companies often present architects as "your architect". However, the word "your" can be misleading. The planner or architect presented by the construction company is primarily responsible for the obligations towards...