Strip-out (Rückbau)

When a strip-out is owed

As a rule, the rented property must be returned in its contractual condition. Whatever the tenant installed themselves normally has to be removed and the original condition restored — unless the landlord takes the installation over.

If the landlord agreed to the alteration, there can even be a claim to compensation where the installation creates added value. That has to be clarified case by case and should be put in writing before anything is stripped out — once it is gone, the argument is much harder to make.

Typical strip-out work

In apartments: removing laminate or carpet laid over the original floor, dismantling self-installed cupboards, taking down partition walls, removing ceiling lights and panels, painting over strong wall colours, filling drill holes.

In commercial premises, additionally: removing lettering and signage, dismantling shop fittings, taking out cable and network installations, removing floor markings, unbolting shelving and filling the holes.

Separation is mandatory in a strip-out

Strip-out material is construction waste and has to be disposed of by fraction: mineral material, wood, metal, gypsum, plastic, insulation and any hazardous waste. A mixed strip-out skip is considerably more expensive and, at larger volumes, legally problematic as well.