District officials in Berlin have ordered a property owner to remove a shower cabin from tenant Kasper I.'s flat under local housing protection regulations.
The decision by the district administration targets a social housing area in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood, where municipal authorities enforce special legal powers to restrict costly home improvements that could lead to higher rental prices.
The 43-year-old resident, who has lived in the flat for about 10 years, previously had only a shortened bathtub that allowed neither lying down nor showering comfortably. To fix the issue, the landlady installed a separate shower cabin inside the property.
Trouble began when the property owner attempted to officially register the completed modification with the council. The district administration rejected the application and instructed that the shower cabin be dismantled, arguing that the modernization violated regulations designed to prevent rent increases.
Strict regulations in Kreuzberg
Under the special protection framework operating in such districts, local councils can block property owners from installing underfloor heating, fireplaces, extra bathrooms or showers. Regulations also prohibit combining small apartments into single large units or converting residential spaces into commercial properties without explicit municipal approval.
In the case of Kasper I.'s apartment, prior permission for installing the shower cabin had never been obtained. When local officials discovered the unauthorized upgrade years later, they issued a formal order requiring its complete removal, according to German news outlet Deutsche Welle.
The tenant said he initially treated the official notice as an error or a joke. He subsequently attempted to appeal against the order, suggesting that local officials should focus on constructing new housing to improve affordability across Berlin rather than compelling residents to relinquish established living amenities. However, district authorities rejected his petition.
Failed appeal and unchanged rent
A specialist contractor took about six days to complete the dismantling work, with the full cost of the operation charged directly to the landlady.
Following the removal of the stall, the monthly rent for the property remained unchanged at 970 euros including utility costs. The tenant effectively lost access to the shower cabin while receiving no financial compensation or reduction in monthly housing expenses.
Kasper I. described the situation as absurd, stating that officials in the district administration should not dictate where and how a resident uses the bathroom or showers in the morning.
Kreuzberg is an inner-city district of Berlin known for its dense population and strict urban preservation policies, locally referred to as social preservation orders. Municipal authorities in Berlin frequently utilize these planning rules to limit structural upgrades in private residential properties in an effort to counter gentrification and keep long-term housing costs stable.
