Quiet hours and neighbours: Ruhezeiten, house rules and everyday courtesy

Under § 3 LImSchG Bln, nobody may make noise between 22:00 and 6:00 that could considerably disturb other people's night rest. It does not matter whether someone actually complains; the possibility of a considerable disturbance is enough. In practice this means:

• Music, TV and video calls at room volume (Zimmerlautstärke), meaning they can hardly be heard outside your flat with doors and windows closed. Use headphones late at night.
• Parties at home must quieten down by 22:00. Telling your neighbours in advance is polite but is not a licence for loud noise. The Berlin Senate explicitly calls it a widespread myth that you may hold one loud party a year.
• No drilling, hammering or furniture moving at night.
• Ordinary household sounds such as a short shower or bath, flushing the toilet or running water are part of normal living, even after 22:00.

For construction sites the night period is longer (20:00 to 7:00).

Berlin's law also protects rest on Sundays and public holidays during the day: you must not make noise that considerably disturbs others. Typical examples:

• Avoid drilling, hammering and other DIY noise, and leave big moves for a weekday or Saturday.
• Motorised lawnmowers may not be used on Sundays and public holidays, and on working days only from 7:00 to 20:00. Leaf blowers, grass trimmers and brush cutters are further restricted to 9:00 to 13:00 and 15:00 to 17:00 on working days, unless they carry the EU eco-label.
• Glass containers on the street may not be used on Sundays and public holidays, and on working days only from 7:00 to 20:00. See the guide on waste and recycling in Berlin.
• The Sunday rest also covers loud music and loud conversations on balconies and in courtyards.

Saturday is a normal working day for these rules.

During the day, there is no fixed "quiet time" in Berlin law, but you still may not play music or instruments at a volume that considerably disturbs others (§ 4 LImSchG Bln). Low bass frequencies travel through walls and ceilings particularly well.

Many house rules add a midday rest (Mittagsruhe), typically 13:00 to 15:00. This comes from your contract, not from state law. If it is in your house rules, your landlord can insist on it.

Children's noise is treated differently: under Berlin law, noise made by children (up to age 14) is generally to be tolerated as part of a child-friendly environment, even when neighbours find it annoying. Parents are still expected to take reasonable care, especially at night.

Pets: animals must be kept so that their noise does not considerably disturb neighbours. A dog that barks briefly when someone comes to the door is acceptable; a dog that barks at every passer-by for long periods needs training or supervision.

Most rental contracts include house rules. They are binding when they are part of your contract; a landlord cannot add new obligations later just by putting up a notice. Typical topics:

• Quiet times (often 22:00 to 7:00 and 13:00 to 15:00).
• Use of shared spaces: stairwell, courtyard, bike and pram storage, laundry room, attic and cellar.
• Waste separation and keeping the bin area tidy.
• Cleaning duties and winter snow clearing. In many buildings these are done by a caretaker (Hauswart) or a cleaning company, and the costs appear in your service charges (Betriebskosten).
• Rules on balconies, barbecues and pets.

Ask your landlord or property management for a copy if you did not receive one, and read it once. Repeated breaches can lead to a formal warning (Abmahnung) from your landlord.

The stairwell is shared space and an escape route. Fire safety rules require that escape routes stay clear, and everyone has to show consideration. In practice:

• Prams may usually be left in the hallway if they do not block the escape route, according to the Federal Court of Justice; the same applies to wheelchairs and walkers. Do not lock them to the banister.
• Bicycles are often not tolerated in the stairwell; court decisions differ. Use the bike room or courtyard.
• Doormats are generally fine. Shoes left outside your door briefly after rain are usually accepted, but permanently storing shoes there can be prohibited.
• Do not leave furniture, boxes or bags of rubbish in the stairwell or entrance.

What you do on your balcony is generally fine as long as it does not disturb neighbours or affect the landlord's rights. Plants and decorations are allowed if securely fixed. Anything that needs drilling into the facade, such as a cat net, needs the landlord's permission.

Barbecuing on the balcony can be prohibited by your rental contract or house rules. If it is not, the duty of consideration still applies: barbecue in moderation and consider an electric grill, which produces less smoke and smell. The same applies to smoking on the balcony; it is generally allowed, but if neighbours are severely bothered, the landlord can set time limits.

Accepting parcels for neighbours is common and appreciated, but nobody is obliged to. Delivery services usually reserve the right to leave a parcel with a neighbour if you are out, and must then leave you a card in your letterbox saying where it is.

If you accept a parcel for someone, you must keep it safely and hand it over; do not simply leave it outside their door, because you could be liable if it disappears. If the packaging is visibly damaged, it is better to refuse it so the recipient can decide.

Berlin police advise caution with parcels for people you do not know: fraudsters sometimes order goods in other people's names and collect them from neighbours. Only accept parcels for neighbours you actually know.

The Berlin Senate's advice is to talk first: speak to the neighbour calmly and early, before frustration builds up. A short note or a friendly knock usually works. If it does not:

1. Tell your landlord or property management in writing. Your landlord is obliged to ensure you can use your flat without considerable disturbance and can warn the tenant causing it.
2. Keep a noise log (Lärmprotokoll): date, start and end time, type of noise, and names and signatures of witnesses.
3. Mediation: local arbitrators (Schiedspersonen) can help neighbours settle disputes out of court.
4. Authorities: for persistent noise from homes during the day, contact your district's public order office (Ordnungsamt). Between 22:00 and 6:00, and on Sundays and public holidays, you can call the police at the local station for acute disturbances. Use 110 only in emergencies.
5. Tenant advice: if noise in your building makes your flat substantially less usable, you may have rights against your landlord; get advice from a tenants' association before reducing rent.

Breaches of Berlin's noise law are administrative offences and can be fined.