Short Answer
You must execute a rigid, formal legal process before you can lawfully withhold or reduce your monthly rent payments due to a broken heating system. Simply cutting your bank transfer out of frustration will put you in breach of your lease agreement.
What Most Expats Don't Realize
Your radiators stopped working in December and you slashed your next rent payment by half to punish the landlord for ignoring your texts. The landlord bypassed your complaints completely and handed the file to a legal team, who issued an immediate eviction warning for unpaid balances. You lost €750 in court fees and legal penalties because you chose retaliation over proper administrative procedure.
What To Do
- Send a formal "Mängelanzeige" notice of defect to your landlord exclusively via "Einschreiben" registered mail.
- Book a legal consultation with the local tenant association ("Mieterverein") to determine your exact lawful reduction percentage.
- "Ich zahle die Miete ab jetzt nur unter Vorbehalt." (I am paying the rent from now on under reservation only.) — write this exact phrase on your bank transfer reference line until the repairs are finished.
The Truth
You cannot simply stop paying rent. If you don't follow the formal notification process, the landlord can actually sue you for the missing money later, regardless of how cold you were.