Munich’s first snow usually arrives sooner than people expect, and with it comes the question of who has to clear the pavement outside the building. The answer depends on your address, your tenancy agreement and where exactly you live.
Do I live inside the Mittlerer Ring? If so, pavement duty probably doesn’t concern you. According to the city’s information sheet, owners inside the Mittlerer Ring and the Pasing centre are exempt because the city clears those streets itself. Whether your street is covered is set out in Munich’s street cleaning and safety ordinance. Outside that zone, owners must clear and treat the pavement in front of their property, or hire a caretaking service to do it.
By when must the path be clear? By 7am on weekdays, Saturdays included, and by 8am on Sundays and public holidays. After that, clearing and gritting must be repeated as often as necessary until 8pm. There is generally no duty overnight. The strip does not have to be wide: Germany’s Federal Court of Justice considers about 1 to 1.20 metres sufficient. Where there is no pavement, a corresponding strip at the edge of the road must be kept clear.
What can I spread? Sand or grit. Road salt and other corrosive agents are banned in Munich, a common trap for people used to salting at home. Stiftung Warentest adds that snow must not be pushed onto the road, into gutters, or in front of driveways, bus stops and cycle lanes.
Do I have to do it as a tenant?
Only if your lease says so. The city explains that the duty can be passed to tenants effectively only through the lease itself, a separately signed addendum, or house rules that form part of the lease. A note in the stairwell or the letterbox is not enough. Without such a clause the landlord remains responsible and can hire a service, passing the cost on through the annual service-charge statement if the lease allows it.
Whoever holds the duty holds it on holiday, when ill and while at work, so you need to arrange a substitute. Exemptions for older or sick people are rare. And delegating does not fully release owners: according to Stiftung Warentest, they stay liable towards tenants (BGH, VIII ZR 250/23, 6 August 2025) and should check that the service actually turns up.
What happens if someone falls?
Injured pedestrians can claim treatment costs, lost income and compensation for pain and suffering, and lasting injuries quickly lead to large sums. Contributory fault, such as unsuitable shoes, reduces the claim. Fines under the ordinance are not covered by liability insurance, and none of our sources gives their amount. Private liability insurance covers civil claims but does not replace the duty to clear.
Our assessment: disputes almost always come down to one document: the tenancy agreement, which hardly anyone rereads after moving in. Checking the house rules in the coming weeks and asking the landlord if in doubt will save trouble in January. Tenancy questions are answered by the Mietberatung at the city’s Office for Housing and Migration: 089 233-40200, mietberatung.soz@muenchen.de. This is general information, not legal advice for an individual case.
Sources: City of Munich, Stiftung Warentest, Abendzeitung München
