Published by There are some real estate associations, but IVD, RDM, VdIV and Co are primarily aimed at administrators and brokers, i.e. the big players in the industry. The “small” house or apartment owner, however, is at the right place with Haus & Grund.
There are around 960 Haus & Grund local associations nationwide. These are members of their respective regional associations and the regional associations are in turn members of the federal Association (based in Mohrenstrasse in Berlin). This structure means that, on the one hand, good and competent member support is available locally, while, on the other hand, the representation of political interests is bundled and thus effectively exercised. I came into contact with the brand as a child when my grandfather in Oranienburg wanted to get rid of the residents in his house after the fall of the Berlin Wall that the GDR regime had put in him against his will. He turned to the (probably relatively recently founded) Oranienburger Haus & Grund-Verein and the lawyer there helped him to get his living space back. Throughout his life, he spoke with great respect of how she helped him quickly and competently.
The local associations are largely independent in deciding how to organize themselves and what services they want to offer their members. That's why I can not say anything to everyone. I know that Local Association of Berlin-Kreuzberg as a legal advisor to the members and since 2 years as a board member. To anyone who owns a flat or a house, I can only recommend that you become a member of us. And regardless of whether the property is rented or not, or whether it is in Kreuzberg or elsewhere in Berlin.
Why?
First, our members have full access to expertise. At the Südstern office, 2x holds weekly counseling sessions. Here, the members can get an appointment and then get 10 to 15 min free legal advice on specific issues around their property. This is, so to speak, the mirror image of the tenant association. We are currently three attorneys who cover this need for advice.
However, member support goes far beyond mere legal advice. In addition to us lawyers, the association also offers regular consulting hours of a notary, a tax adviser, an architect and a property manager. Always on the last Wednesday of the month a general meeting takes place in the Willi-Brandt-Haus. Here current political or legal developments are discussed, there is a technical, technical or legal main lecture and a question box, in which large (mostly legal) questions of the members are discussed. In addition, one meets here, the club members who want to come, so network.
In 2018 the association offers two seminar series, "Basics Mietrecht" and "Basics WEG-Recht". Here, the members can - for low seminar fees - educate. Older generations, who want to give their house into the hands of children or grandchildren, can give them the necessary basics by booking such a course, so that also in the future a professionally competent care of the family property is secured.
And that's just our local work. As part of the overall organization, we can provide our members always up-to-date forms for leases, rent increases, etc., current literature and brochures around the property, a discounted purchase of the two-week magazine The landed property, through a framework agreement with a legal expenses insurance a discounted policy with this and last but not least the political interest representation, which is the stronger, the more voters are represented by house and reason in Berlin and Germany as members. Even if you do not have an urgent need for advice and are not interested in general meetings or networking, you, as a member, nevertheless benefit from the fact that we are committed to questioning the validity and consequences of restrictive regulations such as the rental price brakes or environmental protection areas Explain local building permit procedures, give suggestions to the policy from the perspective of homeowners, take a position on the redesign of the property tax or just inform you about new regulations or building services.
Finally, I would like to Press release of our Federal Association of the 23. January 2018 point out:
Complete the concerns of the homeowners in the coalition agreement
Laws must be formulated intelligibly
In the coalition agreement of the CDU, CSU and SPD, the concerns of the apartment owners should be supplemented. This was suggested by the Haus & Grund Germany association today. "The constantly growing group of apartment owners should be given greater focus by the new coalition," demanded Haus & Grund President Kai Warnecke. The condominium law must be formulated in a consumer-friendly and thus understandable way.
When renting their apartments, homeowners quickly find themselves in a legal dilemma. Warnecke therefore suggested that home ownership and tenancy law should be better coordinated. This would avoid conflicts between homeowners and tenants. Warnecke exemplified the possibility of a community of homeowners to prohibit the keeping of dogs and cats in principle. Since such a fundamental prohibition against tenants can not be enforced, the renting apartment owner can not meet the decisions of the community and the desire of the tenant at the same time. "There is an urgent need for action here. Politicians should not let the apartment owners in the rain, "Warnecke demanded.
The example chosen is plastic, but really only an example; There are multiple mismatches between tenancy and WEG right: in structural defects in the community property, in house-building ideas, in powers of use and their exceeding and in the settlement of costs. The suggestion to harmonize in the current legislature is important and there is no one else who represents and appeals to the interests of the homeowners.