April 21, 2023, 10:42 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Imagine living in an apartment for over a decade, paying rent regularly, only to find out you’re living there illegally. Hard to believe? That’s what happened to a tenant in Cologne.
For 13 years, Wolfgang Bergmann lived with his partner in an apartment in Cologne. Since 2010, he had been paying his rent regularly. Now, he and other neighbors must leave their homes–despite having rental contracts–because they were living there illegally. This was reported by the regional newspaper Express. Bergmann himself uses the premises of a former pub, and the building itself is a former hotel. This circumstance is apparently the reason for the trouble. How it came to be that the tenant was living illegally in his apartment in Cologne is explained here.
Building Authority Finds Illegal Use
At the end of March, a letter from the city’s building authority arrived–it revealed that the residents’ valid rental contracts are worthless. The letter stated: “Due to the formal illegality, I am considering issuing a fee-based regulatory order with the aim of completely ceasing the use of the premises you occupy on the ground floor. This regulatory order may be enforced with coercive measures.”
Translated from bureaucratic language, this means: There is no building permit for residential purposes for the house, so no one is allowed to live there. Bergmann and the other residents are therefore living there illegally and must now leave.
Residents in Disbelief
Speaking to Express, Bergmann expressed his bewilderment at the entire process. Rental contracts were signed in good faith, and they had registered with the residents’ registration office, he said. The big question all residents are now asking: Why doesn’t the city approach the landlord and ask why these apartments were rented out without the necessary building permits?
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City Discovered the Error by Chance
In the summer of 2019, there was a fire alarm. As a result, the house was closely inspected by the fire department and the city. Not only were building code violations found, but it was also discovered that legally, no one is allowed to live there. It was purely by chance that the city became aware of this.
A city spokesperson told Express that the city is now adhering to the law. To protect the tenants, the building authority is obliged to take action against the illegal use. And according to regulatory law, such procedures are directed against the users.
Also of interest: These Renovations in the Apartment Must Be Paid by the Landlord
Tenants Still Have Hope
The residents can still hold onto some hope. In 2019, the house was sold to a Cologne real estate company. This company could retroactively apply for residential use of the building, but it would also have to fix the building defects. However, no application has been submitted to the city of Cologne so far.