[Helmut10001]

I have a tenant who has been living in my garden house for two years without paying rent. It is almost impossible to solve this situation. I am not even allowed to turn off the water or electricity. There are always two sides to every coin.

[rdtsc]

That’s just crazy. Were they ever a paying tenant and stopped paying. or just random stranger who broke in and decided they now lived there?

[Helmut10001]

It was the neighbour whose house had burned down, and my mother let him move into our garden house (because winter was coming). They agreed to make a rental contract. But after he moved in, he refused to pay anything and since then it has been impossible to change that.

[rdtsc]

Thank you for explaining. It’s disheartening that this happened when trying to help that person.

[dmos62]

That sucks. What law protects your renter?

[lazide]

Squatting laws, sounds like.

[Helmut10001]

In Germany you have to file an action for possession ("Räumungsklage"). But that takes years (I brought it on its the way immediately). You cannot act on your own, it has to be legally enforced. But the legal system in Germany takes ages and human rights are higher than tenancy rights (usually good!). This often leads to deadlocks where nothing happens because you cannot evict someone and put them on the street.

[lazide]

Another case where the ‘winning move’ is to either have enough money small issues like this are in the noise, or no money at all (on the books) so society goes out of it’s way to not do anything.

Also known as ‘on both ends of the economic spectrum exists a leisure class’.

[Helmut10001]

Interesting, I hadn't heard of that, but it fits perfectly!

[chgs]

What country?

[Helmut10001]

Germany, of course.

[lifestyleguru]

You wish to increase his rent 10% annually and after move out keep his deposit 6 months. Then confiscate 50% of the deposit for "damages". You wish!

[Helmut10001]

In fact, I would first like to see rent being paid at all. And I don't have a deposit to keep.

[lifestyleguru]

My experience as a legit and regularly paying tenant are equally awful.