WHAT IS A CERTIFICATE OF SELF-CONTAINMENT (ABGESCHLOSSENHEITSBESCHEINIGUNG)?

Apartments and units under part ownership should be self-contained. The German Condominium Act requires rooms to be self-contained if legally independent sole ownership is to be created in them as residential or part ownership.

WHEN IS A CERTIFICATE OF SELF-CONTAINMENT REQUIRED?

A certificate of self-containment is needed for apartment buildings that belong to a single owner who wants to sell the apartments individually. Only then can the individual apartments be converted into condominiums and sold separately.

Without a certificate of self-containment, the apartment building can therefore only be sold as a whole, and the sale of individual units is not permitted.

WHAT DOES SELF-CONTAINMENT MEAN IN PRACTICE FOR APARTMENTS?

To count as a self-contained apartment, it must be separated from other apartments. The separation must meet the requirements of the supervisory authority. Lockable access is provided directly from outside or via a staircase or hallway. If further rooms belong to the apartment, such as storage rooms in the attic or cellar rooms, they must be lockable.

Parking spaces in an underground car park must have a permanent and visible marking to count as self-contained. Separation by walls is of course also possible. Outdoor parking spaces or car lifts (duplex parking) can only be established through special rights of use.

WHERE DO YOU APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE OF SELF-CONTAINMENT AND WHAT IS NEEDED?

A certificate of self-containment is applied for at the responsible building authority. The authority requires a current extract from the land register, a site plan including all buildings and facilities, and a division plan showing that the units are self-contained. Elevations and floor plans of the apartment building must also be enclosed.

Back to the glossary

Print this entry