Balcony solar in a rented flat or a shared building in Germany
Since October 2024, landlords and owners' associations in Germany can no longer refuse a balcony system without good reason. What that means and how to ask.
A privileged measure
Since October 2024, plug in solar systems are a privileged measure in German tenancy law (section 554 of the Civil Code) and in the law on owners' associations (section 20 of the WEG). A tenant can ask the landlord for permission, and an owner can ask the association for approval. The request can only be refused when the system cannot reasonably be expected of the other side.
What can still be decided by others
The landlord or the association may still have a say in how the system is mounted, for example the colour, the position on the facade or the way it is fixed to the railing. Safety arguments must be concrete, such as a weak railing or a risk of falling parts. In listed buildings other rules may apply. Approval is not the same as registration: you still enter the system in the Marktstammdatenregister within one month.
How to ask
Ask in writing and attach the data sheet of the kit, a photo or sketch of where it will hang, and how it will be fixed. Mention that the inverter stays within 800 VA and that you will register the system. Offer to remove it without traces when you move out. A clear, complete request is the quickest way to a yes, and it gives you a record if there is a dispute later. This article is general information, not legal advice.