Clauses in the rental agreement – the landlord forbids you to do some things in the basement – and for good reason

If you are lucky enough to have a basement, you can store all sorts of things there. Most of the time, these are things that you rarely need or don’t need at all anymore – so it’s practical for decluttering the apartment and creating more space for important things.

However, what very few tenants know: There are also certain rules for the use of basement compartments that you have to follow. Certain things are not allowed to be stored there.

You are not allowed to store this

What must never be stored permanently in the basement are highly flammable liquids and substances. In addition to petrol, this also includes:

• paints
• Paints with solvents
• disinfectant
• oils such as motor oil
• old newspapers and paper
• dress
• mattresses

In most cases it is even forbidden by the house rules to store it in the basement. The reason for this is the high fire hazard of these substances. Even the storage of
Firewood can therefore be regulated in the rental agreement.

Also explosive compressed air tanks and
Gas bottles must therefore not be stored in the basement. A maximum of 20 liters in the cellar also applies to flammable liquids.

Car tires are also often stored in the basement, as there is often no other option. However, the rubber can also act as a fire accelerator – so you should always discuss the storage of the wheels with the rental company beforehand.

When storing food such as potatoes, boiled or pickled food, you must ensure that everything is well closed. It should be prevented that vermin and rats are attracted to it.

What not to do in the basement

There are also activities that you should refrain from in the basement or at least discuss with your landlord and neighbors beforehand.

• bedroom:
  If you want to sleep in a cool room in summer, you can’t just put a bed in the basement. The area is usually not designated as living space.
• Hobby room:
  If the basement room runs on a shared electricity meter, you could get into trouble with the neighbors due to the increased consumption.
• Workshop:
  The same applies here. In addition, you must also comply with the usual quiet times in the basement so that the work does not disturb other tenants.
• Sales warehouse:
  If you sell a lot of items, you may not use the basement as a sales store. The activity can be considered commercial from as little as 15 sales per month.

Rules in the community basement

There are also apartments in which there is only a common cellar instead of individual compartments. These are often used for washing or drying laundry.

These rooms can be used for different purposes – unless certain types of use are specifically excluded in the house rules or in the rental agreement.

Long-term storage of bulky objects, boxes or unused bicycles is not permitted there without express permission. Otherwise, the shared basement would be full in no time and it would not be possible to determine which items belong to whom, even if one of the tenants moves out.