Anyo\u00adne living in a flat who wis\u00adhes to install an air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adning unit often faces a pro\u00adblem: instal\u00adling a so-cal\u00adled split-sys\u00adtem air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adner requi\u00adres dril\u00adling a hole in the exter\u00adnal fa\u00e7a\u00adde and thus invol\u00adves inter\u00adfe\u00adrence with the com\u00admon pro\u00adper\u00adty. This can\u00adnot be done wit\u00adhout the con\u00adsent of the owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon. But what if the owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon refu\u00adses to give its con\u00adsent? The Fede\u00adral Court of Jus\u00adti\u00adce has now cla\u00adri\u00adfied that flat owners have a legal right to aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon under cer\u00adtain conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A cou\u00adple who own a flat in Ber\u00adlin appli\u00aded at a flat owners\u2019 mee\u00adting for per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon to install a split-sys\u00adtem air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adning unit on their bal\u00adc\u00ado\u00adny. The appli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon fai\u00adled to secu\u00adre a majo\u00adri\u00adty. The owners then brought what is known as an action to set asi\u00adde a reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon, wher\u00adeby a court can over\u00adri\u00adde a reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon that has been refu\u00adsed by the owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon. The Local Court initi\u00adal\u00adly dis\u00admissed the cla\u00adim, but the Regio\u00adnal Court ruled in favour of the clai\u00admants and gran\u00adted per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon, sub\u00adject to con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adons regar\u00adding instal\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon and use. The Fede\u00adral Court of Jus\u00adti\u00adce upheld this decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the Con\u00addo\u00admi\u00adni\u00adum Act, the instal\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of an air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adning unit invol\u00adving a hole in the fa\u00e7a\u00adde is regard\u00aded as a struc\u00adtu\u00adral altera\u00adti\u00adon requi\u00adring a reso\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon by the owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon. Owners are entit\u00adled to per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon if the mea\u00adsu\u00adre does not incon\u00adve\u00adni\u00adence the other owners bey\u00adond what is unavo\u00adida\u00adble in the cour\u00adse of har\u00admo\u00adnious coexis\u00adtence. Pri\u00advi\u00adle\u00adged mea\u00adsu\u00adres, such as the instal\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon of acces\u00adsi\u00adble ent\u00adran\u00adces or char\u00adging points for elec\u00adtric vehic\u00adles, fall under a sepa\u00adra\u00adte cate\u00adgo\u00adry. An air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adning unit does not fall into this cate\u00adgo\u00adry, but may nevert\u00adhel\u00adess be sub\u00adject to aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon and may be claimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this case, the local com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty had pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly cited poten\u00adti\u00adal noi\u00adse cau\u00adsed by the ope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon of the equip\u00adment. The Fede\u00adral Court of Jus\u00adti\u00adce (BGH) cle\u00adar\u00adly rejec\u00adted this argu\u00adment. Mere fears of noi\u00adse pol\u00adlu\u00adti\u00adon do not con\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adte a dis\u00adad\u00advan\u00adta\u00adge that would jus\u00adti\u00adfy a refu\u00adsal. Con\u00adsent may the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre only be refu\u00adsed if it is alre\u00ada\u00addy estab\u00adlished in advan\u00adce that unre\u00adasonable dis\u00adtur\u00adban\u00adces will occur. In this spe\u00adci\u00adfic case, the appli\u00adance was appro\u00adved for the Ger\u00adman mar\u00adket and capa\u00adble of com\u00adply\u00ading with the limit values set out in the Tech\u00adni\u00adcal Gui\u00adde\u00adlines on Pro\u00adtec\u00adtion against Noi\u00adse. Fur\u00adther\u00admo\u00adre, the plan\u00adned instal\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon loca\u00adti\u00adon was seve\u00adral met\u00adres away from the nea\u00adrest bed\u00adroom window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Fede\u00adral Court of Jus\u00adti\u00adce empha\u00adsis\u00aded that the aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon to install the equip\u00adment and sub\u00adse\u00adquent claims for injunc\u00adti\u00adve reli\u00adef on the grounds of actu\u00adal noi\u00adse nui\u00adsance must be trea\u00adted as sepa\u00adra\u00adte mat\u00adters. Should the appli\u00adance cau\u00adse unre\u00adasonable noi\u00adse whilst in ope\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon, affec\u00adted owners may demand that its use be dis\u00adcon\u00adtin\u00adued on the basis of the Con\u00addo\u00admi\u00adni\u00adum Act or the Civil Code. As a rule, howe\u00adver, this will not lead to the appli\u00adance being taken out of ser\u00advice enti\u00adre\u00adly, but rather to tem\u00adpo\u00adra\u00adry rest\u00adric\u00adtions on its use. The owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon may also set out such pro\u00advi\u00adsi\u00adons in the house rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Owners who are refu\u00adsed per\u00admis\u00adsi\u00adon by the owners\u2019 asso\u00adcia\u00adti\u00adon to install an air-con\u00addi\u00adtio\u00adning sys\u00adtem should not sim\u00adply accept this decis\u00adi\u00adon. Under the right cir\u00adcum\u00ads\u00adtances, the\u00adre is an enforceable right to obtain aut\u00adho\u00adri\u00adsa\u00adti\u00adon. Anyo\u00adne fin\u00adding them\u00adsel\u00adves in such a situa\u00adti\u00adon should have the mat\u00adter che\u00adcked to see whe\u00adther the spe\u00adci\u00adfic refu\u00adsal is legal\u00adly valid. If in doubt, it is worth see\u00adking legal advice befo\u00adre embar\u00adking on cos\u00adt\u00adly and time-con\u00adsum\u00ading legal proceedings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fede\u00adral Court of Jus\u00adti\u00adce (BGH), jud\u00adge\u00adment of 17 July 2026, Case No. V ZR 162\/25<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n