Quite Hours (Ruhezeit) in Germany – Must Follow Rule [2024]

Are you moving to Germany and want to know the Ruhezeit rules in Germany? Do you work on Sundays in your current residential country? Do you perform all house chores like running a washing machine, cutting extra grass from your lawn, vacuuming your home’s carpet, and cleaning your car during the weekend? Well, if so, then the case is entirely different in Germany. As you start living in Germany, you will probably face issues if you don’t know about Ruhezeit in Germany. We are here to tell you all about German quiet hours and relevant rules implemented in Germany.

The German Word “Ruhezeit”

If you are a newcomer to Germany, you would wonder why nothing happens on Sundays in Germany. Most of the shopping malls, stores, and shops are closed there. People do not prefer to work on Sundays as it is considered that Sunday is the rest day after a whole hectic week. This is called Ruhezeit. The German word Ruhezeit means that making noise on Sundays is legally forbidden in Germany. If you are making noise and someone from your neighbors or surrounding makes a complaint, you will be caught up for fines and penalties for breaching the German rules. 

German Rules for Quietness

With an increase in the population of Germany, noise pollution has also increased. Noise laws have made a legal requirement for Germany as Germany is a very religious country, so the German government has imposed a law in all cities in Germany regarding quiet hours. This allows German people to attend church on Sundays without any work responsibilities. People can close their businesses and not need to go to the office on Sundays. They can enjoy time with their families and attend church to fulfill their religious obligations. German laws are implemented so that people can enjoy life at specific hours.

Kinds of Noise Forbidden By German Law

Normal noise is up to 50 decibels, and noise beyond that is forbidden by law in Germany. Noise pollution that is prohibited by law includes activities as mentioned below;

• Running the leaf blowers
• Loud gatherings, events, and organizing parties
• Use of chainsaws and hedge cutters
• Washing clothes in a washing machine
• Vacuuming the house with a vacuum cleaner
• Cutting the grass from your lawn
• Cleaning your vehicles
• Using loud electric pieces of equipment and appliances
• Any construction work
• Snow blowers
• Any DIY do-it-yourself job like drilling
• Water pumps and motors
• Use of hammers
• Listening loud music

These are all kinds of noise that are not allowed legally. If you create any above noise, your neighbors may file a complaint. If someone complains about you, you can request your neighbors that you will not do this again and take care next time. Your neighbors may call the police and can go to court too, so it is highly recommended that you try to abide by the German Laws of quietness.

On the other hand, if your neighbors are making noise, you can also make noise complaints. Before going to the police or court, leave an anonymous note to your neighbors and ask them to stop making noise. If they do not follow the German Ruhezeit rules, you can call the police and go to court.

Time to Stay Quiet in Germany

In Germany, quiet hours are typically from 10 pm every day, 6 am to 7 am on weekdays, and the entire Sunday. Time may vary in different cities in Germany as the German city Hamburg have a quiet time between 1 pm to 3 pm. In Berlin, quiet hours are between 10 pm to 6 am. Ruhezeit rule is implemented on all public holidays in Germany when an entire day will be considered a quiet day.

Wrapping Up

Even if you abide by German laws, you can still face problems from your neighbors and suffer from noise pollution. There are a lot of cases in which people are taken to the courts to arrange barbeque parties during quiet hours. It is best to ask your neighbors and get all the information before signing a rental agreement to avoid any inconvenience.