Short Answer
A generic contractual clause that completely bans all pets from a rented property is legally invalid under German tenancy law.
While you are required to secure explicit permission from the property owner before moving a cat into the apartment, the landlord cannot deny your request without providing a specific, legally recognized justification.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
You signed a lease containing a strict "No Pets Allowed" statement and brought your cat into the apartment anyway, assuming the blanket ban protected you. Your landlord discovered the animal during a building assessment and issued an immediate legal mandate to remove the cat within two weeks because you had bypassed the mandatory consent application process. Because you did not seek written permission before bringing the pet home, you were forced to pay €600 to place your cat in a professional boarding facility while you initiated a formal legal dispute through the courts.
What To Do
- Print out a formal written request for pet ownership consent and send it to your landlord before bringing any feline into the apartment.
- Ask your veterinarian for a health certificate to prove your pet is neutered, quiet, and possesses up-to-date vaccinations.
- "Ich bitte um Erlaubnis zur Haltung einer Katze in der Wohnung." (I request permission to keep a cat in the apartment.) — use this exact phrasing in your formal written application to the landlord.
The Truth
Germany’s Federal Court of Justice dictates that pet ownership permissions must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis rather than through absolute restrictions. The system requires landlords to balance neighbor interests against yours, but automatically penalizes tenants who introduce animals without undergoing the official administrative approval process.