“The garage is a room in which motor vehicles are parked” – an obvious fact, which in German law is fixed in this precise way. In the garage, you have the right to keep not only a car but also a motorcycle or bicycle. If you have rented a garage, you must comply with the requirements of the landlord.
What can you store in the garage?
Different rules apply in different German states, but it is often said that garages should only be used for their intended purpose. That is, in the garage, there is no place for large items such as garden furniture, summer benches, and the like. The garage should not become something like a “second basement”, ie. you have no right to turn it into winter storage. However, the German Tenants’ Union is trying to loosen the noose a bit and claims that tools, spare parts, winter tires, and rims can be kept in the garages, for which the necessary shelves and racks can be installed. By law, an ordinary garage can store up to 200 liters of diesel and up to 20 liters of gasoline – but only in tightly closed containers.
If you live for rent (like most people in Germany), you can also rent a garage or parking space – as long as the landlord offers such an opportunity. The garage or parking space can be rented with a separate contract or be included in the rental agreement. In both cases, the landlord is obliged to provide the tenant with unimpeded access, ie. make sure no one blocks the road and does not park in this place. When the garage or parking space is rented with a separate contract, the tenant does not have the usual protection for them against the arbitrary raising of the rent. However, when they are part of the rental agreement, the tenant has the legal means to oppose any increase in rent or cancellation of the contract only in respect of the garage or parking space. The rent for a garage or parking space depends on the location and ranges from 30-150 euros per month. The most expensive is a garage in the center of a big city, and the cheapest – in a small town.
Garage for 116 years
One of the oldest preserved garages in Germany is located in Chemnitz. When it was built in 1903, it was for two cars. In 2007, the German Garage Association was even founded in Germany, which, according to its statutes, takes care of “promoting the acquisition of knowledge about garages and informing the public about the construction, construction differences and use of garages”. In 2013, however, this union ceased to exist.
Here is more useful information: when a theft is committed in the separate garage or in the underground garage of the residential building, the insurances are on the agenda. If the thieves have touched the car or parts of it (for example, aluminum wheels) – then pay the comprehensive insurance. However, if they stole the bike – you must rely on the insurance of your home property.
Source: dw.com
