The German Real Estate Association (IVD) has taken a closer look at rental price trends in the retail sector and identified four developments. Firstly: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are many vacant retail spaces, especially in city centers. Secondly, particularly in Germany's seven largest cities, rents have fallen more sharply the higher they were previously...

The German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the construction industry (BG Bau) provides tips on safe working for construction workers in the cooler months of the year. To prevent accidents, construction sites should be prepared in good time for the fall. Due to the poor lighting conditions in the morning and from late afternoon, artificial light sources must be used. The BG Bau recommends a...

The Federal Council has approved a new Heating Costs Ordinance (HeizKV). Among other things, newly installed meters must be remotely readable. Devices that have already been installed must be retrofitted with this function or replaced by January 1, 2027. Tenants will also receive a different bill in future. This must include a comparison between the current consumption and the consumption...

The Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) has partially overturned the right of first refusal for properties in Berlin and thus upheld the complaint of a real estate company. The right of first refusal is normally intended to ensure that houses are not bought up and the tenants move away - for example due to refurbishment measures that result in higher rents. In the present case...

Residents can marvel at the blazing flames in them, warm themselves and use them to create a cozy atmosphere in their homes: we are talking about fireplaces and stoves. The portal schoener-wohnen.de now presents the latest innovations in a series of pictures. From a pellet stove for smaller rooms and storage stoves for new builds to a wood-burning stove that combines a radiator and oven - the imagination...

Is it cheaper to buy a property in the suburbs and commute to work in the metropolis? The Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI) investigated this question on behalf of Postbank. It compares the seven largest cities in Germany - Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart and Düsseldorf - with each other. The study shows after how many years...

Researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen (UED), the Institute for Applied Construction Research Weimar and the Kalk-Sand Research Association have developed a new type of rope robot. They spent two years working on it. The result is a cable robot that can build a floor from standard sand-lime bricks in just a few hours. It can also move bricks, prevent falls and...

Three associations are calling for long-term incentives for energy-efficient building modernization with a focus on energy efficiency and electrification and the reduction of CO2 emissions in the building sector. The German Heat Pump Association (BWP), the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEH) and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) are...

Do special rights apply to individual solar modules of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system? The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) recently dealt with this question and referred back four higher regional court rulings (V ZR 225/19/V ZR 8/20/V ZR 44/20 and V ZR 69/20). The plaintiff in these proceedings was an insolvency administrator of a company that had purchased a photovoltaic system in 2010. This had previously been...

The working group "Die Moderne Küche" (AMK) points out that there are more and more energy and water-saving built-in appliances for kitchens, which more and more customers are opting for. For example, dishwashers can save water compared to normal dishwashing. In addition, built-in appliances from the refrigeration product area are also particularly sustainable....