Germany is known for having robust tenant protections, but even over there, some landlords test how far they can stretch the rules.

With some legal help, one tenant stood firm against an unjust rent hike and a landlord who just wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Read on for this satisfying tale of petty revenge!

My landlord thought he could pull one over on me, but ended up learning the meaning of “You should’ve read the fine print before you signed it.”

I live in Germany, which has extremely strong tenant’s rights.

I’ve been living in my apartment for about eight years now.

But one day, they received a threatening letter in the mail.

About one year after I first moved in, I got a letter from the company that owns my apartment building.

In short, it said this:

Dear Mr. X,

We are cancelling your existing rental contract. If you wish to continue renting this apartment, please sign this new contract [with higher rent] or move out within 30 days.

This threatened to ruin everything this expat had worked for.

This scared the heck out of me. I was living in a city where the rent prices were skyrocketing, and I had only just managed to find a long-term apartment I could afford.

As soon as I began looking at my options, it became clear that I was either going to have to fight what was essentially an eviction or move back to the US and start building my life again just after I had finally found some stability.

But then he got a promising tip.

After I asked around a bit, someone tipped me off to something called a Mieterverein, which is essentially a nonprofit group that advocates for tenant’s rights and gives its members the opportunity to get legal advice regarding their rights as tenants.

I looked one up near me and booked it over to their office. I explained my situation, filled out some paperwork, and went to speak with the group’s lawyer.

The lawyer looked over the letter.

I showed her the letter and my current contract, and she looked over it for a few minutes without saying a word.

After what felt like an eternity, she looked at me and said in her most diplomatic German legalese, “You have nothing to worry about. This letter is BS.” (Admittedly paraphrased, but that’s what it boiled down to.)

She pointed out one important line.

She then turned to a page of the contract and pointed out a single line in it: “No changes may be made to this contract unless both parties consent to the proposed changes.”

In other words: as long as I refuse to sign the new contract, they can’t do anything to me.

So then the lawyer started sending some letters of her own.

The group’s lawyer then sent a letter on my behalf to the company. I received a copy of it for my records.

Essentially, it told the company that they would find themselves in some major trouble with the government if they continued to pursue the matter further.

About a month went by, and I heard nothing further.

Then the company came back with their tail between their legs.

Then, one day, a letter from the company arrived.

The company basically admitted defeat and tried to cover its tail by saying that the letter was “sent in error” by “an employee who is no longer with the company.”

But the letters didn’t stop there.

For the next seven years, it became an annual ritual:

The company sends an ominous letter telling me I’m getting kicked out. I forward the letter to the Mieterverein.

But the tenant kept fighting back.

The Mieterverein’s lawyer sends them a letter telling them to stick the letter where the sun don’t shine.

And then, after attempt #8, the lawyer sent them another letter telling them to cut the crap and stop sending these letters every year.

Finally, the tenant won some hard-earned peace!

I haven’t heard from them since. 🙂

After years of empty threats, the justice system finally scared him off — at least for now.

What did Reddit have to say?

When many tenants band together, they often have an easier time getting their way!

It’s clear the landlord is preying on tenants who don’t know their rights.

You might be able to guess which country this bitter commenter resides in.

This user really got into the story.

When push came to shove, the landlord’s paper threats crumbled under the weight of the law.

It just goes to show that with a good lawyer and some determination, you can do anything.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.