The German Federal Court (Bundesgerichtshof) has decided that tenants must not leave walls with colorful wall paint when moving out of their apartment, if the landlord insists on a neutral look of the property. Tenants must, according to the judgment, either paint the walls themselves or assume the responsibility for the costs. The court found that the landlord suffers harm if he needs to remove a decoration that is not acceptable for "broad tenant circles".
Even if the contract does not oblige the tenants to do cosmetic repairs when moving out, affected walls and rooms must be repainted in a neutral color before returning the Berlin property to the landlord.