Company owner faces financial strain due to unpaid rent.
In the picturesque town of Trier, Germany, a growing concern has emerged among local landlords regarding rental fraud by foreign entrepreneurs. One of the most recent cases involves a Romanian businessman who has caused financial distress to landlord Ralph Derber, leaving his parental home in Hetzerath in a state of disrepair.
Ralf Schönfeld, a member of the landlord association "Haus & Grund," advises landlords to exercise caution when renting to companies. He recommends obtaining commercial credit reports before signing a lease and, if the company is from abroad, requesting balance sheets. Schönfeld also calls for a change in the rental law to better protect landlords from tenants who do not pay rent.
Derber, who handed over his home to the Romanian entrepreneur, has not been paid several months' rent and has incurred damages totaling almost 5,000 euros. The businessman, who employs a total of four Romanian employees, has indicated that he intends to file for insolvency for his company.
Derber plans to report the Romanian tenant to the police for rental fraud. However, as of August 2025, there are no specific public or recent documented investigations into rental fraud by foreign entrepreneurs in Trier available.
This is not an isolated incident. Other landlords in the districts of Trier-Saarburg, Birkenfeld, Bernkastel-Wittlich, and the Baden-Württemberg town of Freudenberg am Main have had similar experiences with foreign entrepreneurs.
In a bid to avoid such situations in the future, Derber wants to avoid renting to subcontractors. Schönfeld shares this sentiment and suggests that landlords should not rent to companies that do not want to provide requested information.
The LKA and Trier public prosecutor's office have investigated cases of foreign entrepreneurs causing problems for landlords in the past. In fact, the Trier public prosecutor's office has previously convicted a Macedonian entrepreneur of rental fraud.
Despite these challenges, the exact impact of such alleged fraud on local landlords in Trier remains unclear due to a lack of detailed coverage in the media or official reports. For precise and up-to-date information, it may be necessary to consult official German legal or municipal enforcement sources, local news media from Trier, or specialized real estate and legal reports focused on this region.
As the number of foreign entrepreneurs in Trier continues to grow, it is essential for landlords to be vigilant and take necessary precautions to protect their properties and financial interests.
- In the face of increasing rental fraud by foreign entrepreneurs, Ralf Schönfeld, a member of the landlord association "Haus & Grund," suggests that landlords should exercise caution when renting to companies, particularly those from abroad, by obtaining commercial credit reports and requesting balance sheets.
- Given the recent financial distress caused by rental fraud by a Romanian businessman in Trier, local landlords are calling for a change in the rental law to better protect them from tenants who do not pay rent, recognizing the importance of taking necessary precautions to protect their properties and financial interests as the number of foreign entrepreneurs in Trier continues to grow.
