ᐅ Is it allowed to place privacy screens anywhere on your own property?
Created on: 13 Mar 2021 10:21
K
kati1337
Hello everyone,
I have the following situation: Last year, around the time we moved, we talked with our neighbors and agreed to plant a hedge along the property boundary for enclosure. In principle, I still have no objection to that; the hedge can definitely be planted right on the boundary.
However, a few days ago, the neighbors installed a shed along the boundary. It is quite a large structure made of silver corrugated metal. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s not exactly the view we want to have while having breakfast on our terrace.
I would now like to build a wooden privacy fence on our side of the property, something with a trellis for climbing plants, and plant greenery in front of it so that when looking toward that corner, we see a nice garden instead of the metal.
Am I allowed to do this without any issues? Are there any minimum distances I have to keep? I’ve attached a sketch where I have marked the metal shed in gray and the desired privacy fence in yellow. Of course, I wouldn’t do this without discussing it again with the neighbors first, but I would like to know where I stand legally. I haven’t been able to find much information online, only about enclosures with fences.
I have the following situation: Last year, around the time we moved, we talked with our neighbors and agreed to plant a hedge along the property boundary for enclosure. In principle, I still have no objection to that; the hedge can definitely be planted right on the boundary.
However, a few days ago, the neighbors installed a shed along the boundary. It is quite a large structure made of silver corrugated metal. There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but it’s not exactly the view we want to have while having breakfast on our terrace.
I would now like to build a wooden privacy fence on our side of the property, something with a trellis for climbing plants, and plant greenery in front of it so that when looking toward that corner, we see a nice garden instead of the metal.
Am I allowed to do this without any issues? Are there any minimum distances I have to keep? I’ve attached a sketch where I have marked the metal shed in gray and the desired privacy fence in yellow. Of course, I wouldn’t do this without discussing it again with the neighbors first, but I would like to know where I stand legally. I haven’t been able to find much information online, only about enclosures with fences.
kati1337 schrieb:
Am I allowed to do that without any issues?Yes. kati1337 schrieb:
Do I need to keep any distances?No, as long as your privacy screen stays under 2m (6.6 feet) in height. kati1337 schrieb:
a few centimeters onto their property.That is not allowed. Either right on the boundary or with a 1m (3.3 feet) gap. kati1337 schrieb:
I don’t want to get into disputes with them over something like this.Good attitude. kati1337 schrieb:
Generally speaking, the municipality never informed me about neighboring properties.The Lower Saxony Building Code only requires that if the neighbor wants to deviate from regulations protecting neighbors. kati1337 schrieb:
If I now set up a wooden privacy fence, say 20cm (8 inches) from the boundary, am I legally safe?Yes. kati1337 schrieb:
Where should I look that up? The Building Code?No. kati1337 schrieb:
Construction regulations?Yes. Section 5, paragraph 8, number 1, letter b). kati1337 schrieb:
Are there special regulations just for gardens?Not that I know of. But there is the Lower Saxony Neighbor Law, sixth section. kati1337 schrieb:
Is it always decided by the federal state then?Yes. kati1337 schrieb:
How much distance from the boundary should you keep?None or at least 1m (3.3 feet), unless the structure is taller than 3m (10 feet) or longer than 9m (30 feet), or if another building already stands on the boundary such that the total length exceeds 9m (30 feet), or if on any other neighboring boundary except the street side, one or several buildings already stand such that the total length exceeds 15m (50 feet). kati1337 schrieb:
With the privacy fence?Up to 2m (6.6 feet) height, it doesn’t matter. kati1337 schrieb:
How we handle the enclosure afterward.That’s not your concern. According to Section 27 of the Lower Saxony Neighbor Law, paragraph 1, number 1, your neighbor must enclose their property.
Escroda schrieb:
Yes.
I’ll quote one response as representative of all: Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙂
This helps me tremendously.
I think I’ll just put up a privacy screen on my side of the property, and since I probably don’t need to keep any distance, likely close to the boundary line.
motorradsilke schrieb:
Building envelopes only exist where zoning plans are in place, right?"Right" is correct. In §34 areas, you often encounter informal building limits, meaning an imaginary boundary is drawn around the existing neighboring buildings. "Not further forward than Meier" and "not further back than Müller" have the same effect as if these lines were directly marked on the affected property.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
By the way, this is the highlight. 🙂
I just checked, and it actually stands exactly on the boundary. Well, not the shed itself, but the paving slabs do run along the boundary line.
So, we need to discuss the fence again. We had previously agreed to enclose the area with a shared hedge on the boundary, but it seems that’s no longer an option. I’m not willing to give up part of my hedge from my property, especially since we already have a very small garden.
kati1337 schrieb:
By the way, that is the centerpiece.However, first of all, it is set so deeply that the problem is almost completely resolved by simply "looking over it," so to speak; and secondly, I would just consider it a container for storing the construction equipment securely.https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Holzhäuschen16 Mar 2021 14:56Schimi1791 schrieb:
That’s exactly what I meant. I would still plant greenery on the corrugated metal wall, specifically the privacy screen. Hops should be suitable for that. A roof or awning would also be a good idea. Of course, nothing too flashy 🙂
I would strongly advise against hops. It spreads aggressively, is almost impossible to control, and has nearly strangled several of my plants. It is very stubborn to remove and leaves many scratches. It was left by the previous tenant, and I curse it every year.
For quick and attractive greenery, I highly recommend Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla). It has beautiful leaves and grows very fast. It’s also easier to prune.
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