u/Repulsive_Second_961

Hey everyone,

Looking for advice on a stressful landlord situation in Berlin (managed by Covivio). I’ve been dealing with a major water damage issue since mid-April and am now being completely ghosted.

The Situation:

 What happened: A pipe burst upstairs. The leak was finally fixed around May 9, so the dripping stopped.

 Current state: The contractors left a massive open hole in my bathroom ceiling. No professional drying equipment was ever installed. The ceiling is still damp, and a heavy, musty mold smell is rapidly taking over the room.

 The issue: Property management emailed me on May 11 saying they would fix it "promptly" (zeitnah), but provided no dates. I sent a formal email setting a strict deadline for May 18 to get a binding repair date, stating I am paying rent under reservation (unter Vorbehalt).

The deadline passed, and they have completely ignored me.

My Questions:

1 Mietminderung (Rent Reduction): Since I am paying under reservation, how much can I realistically withhold from June's rent for an open ceiling and mold smell? Is 10–30% realistic?

2 Wohnungsaufsicht (Housing Office): Can I report the mold to the Bezirk's Wohnungsaufsicht to force the landlord to act? Has anyone tried this in Berlin?

3 Next Steps?

Thanks for any help. The smell is becoming a health hazard.

I just don't understand gay people sometimes. I live in a big European capital, and I don't really have trouble meeting guys. I’m not saying I can snap my fingers and get a hookup instantly, but between Grindr, clubs, and even gay saunas/bathhouses, meeting people is not the issue.

The thing that confuses me is this: I’ll hook up with someone, we have good chemistry, conversation is easy, the vibe is good, and at the end they ask to exchange numbers or Instagram. They’ll say stuff like, “we should meet again,” or “this was really nice.”

So I give them my number, Instagram, whatever.

Then after a few days I reach out, and suddenly the energy is completely different. The replies become cold or distant. If I suggest meeting again, they're always busy, or vague, or it just never happens. And then they never contact me either.

This has happened with at least 10 guys at this point, so now I’m genuinely wondering: am I doing something wrong, or is this just normal? Is this some unspoken thing where people exchange numbers in the moment and don’t actually mean it? Should I stop giving out my number/Instagram entirely?

I honestly just don't get it.