A property owner cannot be held responsible for all accidents that occur on her property. This has now been decided by the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main (OLG, Ref. 17 W 17/22). In the case in question, a neighbor walked across a rain-soaked stone path covered with leaves and branches to the owner's terrace to talk to her. On the way back, she fell and...

The German Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) draws attention to the hazardous effect on health of the radioactive gas radon, which can occur in any building. In the study "Erfassung des Umgangs der deutschen Bevölkerung mit Radon als Grundlage für Risikokommunikation und Stärkung des Schutzverhaltens" with 3,000 respondents, the Bfs had previously found out that although radon is known, the knowledge...

After Toronto, the risk of a real estate bubble is highest in Frankfurt am Main, Zurich and Munich. This is the result of a study by the major Swiss bank UBS. In Frankfurt am Main, real estate prices have more than doubled in nominal terms, according to UBS. Between mid-2021 and mid-2022, however, growth in the two cities was only around 5 percent. The major Swiss bank...

Reducing dependence on raw material imports and strengthening domestic raw material production - this is what the German Construction Industry Federation (HDB) and the Federal Association of Building Materials - Stone and Earth (bbs) are calling for in the joint position paper "Ensuring security of supply of raw and construction materials and energy - further increasing resource efficiency". The associations fear that...

How can apartments and houses be made barrier-free and energy-saving at the same time? The energy consulting service of the consumer advice center provides several tips on this. For example, owners have design options with regard to entrance doors, balcony and terrace doors, bathrooms and smart homes. In the case of the entrance door, it is important to ensure that new steps are as...

Private landlords may not carelessly rent out their property to relatives at an exorbitant rent. This was the decision of the Frankfurt am Main Local Court (AZ: 940 OWi 862 Js 44556/21). In the case in question, a private landlord had rented out his 53-square-meter, two-room apartment to his cousin and his family for 810 euros per month. The local comparative rent was allowed to...

The initiative pro massif wood (IPM) points in funny way to the advantages of a closet from massif wood: " The natural material wood by nature antistatic and attracts thus no dirt as well as dust, with which the decision for a massif wood cabinet plays straight Putzmuffeln into the cards , explains Andreas Ruf, managing director of the IPM. In addition,...

In a study, the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) recommends creating a social package instead of the additional tax cut on gas. In this, the one-time energy price flat rate of 300 euros should be replaced by a regular "Energy Price Flat RatePlus" of 80 euros per month for taxpayers with a net salary of no more than 3,000 euros and 40 euros per month for...

BG Bau informs small and medium-sized companies from the construction industry about fire protection in the construction industry with various measures. For example, interested parties can order the brochure "Operational fire protection in practice" for 5 euros via the bgbau.de website. There is also a so-called building blocks app that provides tips for safer working. Give users...

Whether it's a ceiling solution for a multi-story wooden building, a dry stacking system for masonry bricks or a smart bike parking system - the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the International Design Center Berlin (IDZ) have announced the 28 nominees for the Federal Ecodesign Award 2022. Interested parties can find out more about the nominees and their projects at...