A Reality Check on Tenancy Law: A Public Discussion with Legal Experts

Affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues of our time. More and more people are facing rising rents, precarious leases, or unjustified evictions.

The Forum Recht Foundation, the 75th German Lawyers' Congress, and the AWO Thuringia Regional Association will address these concerns and questions regarding housing from a legal perspective in a joint event: On Tuesday, September 8, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., we invite you to an evening event at the AWO Innovation Lab Erfurt invites active public participation to explore how rental laws can be made fairer.

The focus is on personal dialogue. The law professors would like to learn about the visitors’ experiences, expectations, and ideas. After all, the voices and perspectives of citizens are expressly sought. What are your experiences? Where do you see a need for action? What ideas do you have for making rental law fairer?

For these and any other questions, you have the opportunity to speak with the expert from the Civil and Social Law Department of the 75th djt Prof. Dr. Markus Artz, Bielefeld University, as well as the chair of the Civil and Social Law Department Prof. Dr. Beate Gsell, LMU Munich, moderated by Susann Böttcher to engage in a discussion.

The topics will be discussed in three groups: Overdue Payments, Discrimination in the Search for Housing and Termination for Personal Use discussed and possible solutions developed. In a concluding plenary session, all topics are brought together and discussed as a group.

The findings are to be incorporated into the discussions on tenancy law at the 75th German Jurists’ Congress and will inform the recommendations for action that will be developed there and presented to policymakers after the conference.

Information on the German Lawyers' Conference

The 75th German Lawyers' Congress takes place on September 16–18, 2026 at the Erfurt Trade Fair. The German Lawyers' Conference is one of the most important legal conferences in Germany. Lawyers discuss current legal policy issues in six specialized sections.

In the run-up to the 75th German Lawyers’ Congress, a series of lectures and panel discussions will be held to help attendees get in the spirit of the September congress or learn about the latest legal developments. Some of these events are open to the public, and advance registration is sometimes required. For more information, please contact German Lawyers' Congress.

Service

Participation: Admission is free; please register in advance by emailing Sebastian Perdelwitz: sebastian.perdelwitz@awo-thueringen.de.
The event is limited to 30 participants.

Location: AWO Innovation Lab, Johannesstraße 13, 99084 Erfurt
For information about the venue's accessibility, please contact the AWO Innovation Lab in Erfurt.

Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

More details: The website for the Technical Program You can find the conference topics and additional information there. The conference will be accompanied by a varied Supporting Programme.

For information on accessibility, please refer to the Venue's website (You will be redirected directly via the link.).

Get involved early on

How can rental law be made fairer? Do you have an important topic in mind, or are you unable to attend this event in person? Please share your suggestions and questions on the topic in advance via our Participation platform!

The event is a joint collaboration between the Forum Recht Foundation, the 75th German Lawyers' Congress, and the AWO Thuringia Regional Association e.V.