Project of the federal government: Union parliamentary group rejects agreement to reduce the burden on tenants when it comes to CO2

The federal government's plan to relieve tenants of CO2 price costs in the future threatens to fail due to the resistance of the Union faction.

There is currently no law that provides for a 50-50 division between tenants and landlords, said Union parliamentary group Vice Thorsten Frei (CDU) on Tuesday the German Press Agency.

"I don't see a majority for this in the parliamentary procedure either."

The federal government announced a compromise in mid-May, according to which landlords should in future bear half of the costs of the CO2 price on oil and gas that has been in effect since January 1st.

The SPD had fought for the compromise for months.

Originally it was planned that the new cost allocation would be anchored in law by next week at the latest.

According to the current status, it is questionable whether this will actually succeed.

According to the currently valid regulation, landlords can pass the additional costs for the CO price of currently 25 euros per ton in full to tenants.

After the agreement was announced in May, landlord and owner associations protested violently against the planned new regulation.

Union insists on tenancy law

The Union parliamentary group has long argued that landlords have no influence on the heating behavior of tenants and should therefore not be involved in CO2 price costs.

“In tenancy law, the polluter pays principle applies to ancillary costs, which means that the tenant bears costs that depend on his consumption.

We should hold on to this, ”said Frei.

In May, the federal government decided "only its intention" for a new regulation, but no law.

In order to reduce the CO2 price costs for both sides, Frei suggests, among other things, promoting energy-efficient building renovation, for example through tax incentives for landlords.

Several instruments would also avoid excessive costs for low wage earners and tenants, Frei explained. For recipients of transfer payments, for example, the public sector bears the full cost of accommodation. The housing benefit was also increased in January to compensate for additional energy costs.