City cleaning Hamburg

Winter Services General Information

Want to learn more about winter services in Hamburg? Find out here who is responsible for snow removal and gritting.

Detailed description

The city cleaning department is responsible for removing snow and ice from roads. Their winter service includes spreading grit and clearing snow and ice.

  • important pedestrian routes without residents (for example, bridges, footpaths along parks, green spaces or watercourses)
  • Bus stops (excluding bus stations)
  • Access routes to public transport stops
  • selected cycle routes
  • selected traffic-important routes in green spaces

Exceptions exist for

  • Residential and side streets
  • Footpaths in or around green spaces and recreational areas for which there is no legal obligation to clean

As an adjacent property owner, you are responsible for clearing sidewalks. This includes not only your own property but also adjacent public sidewalks. You must also clear the connection between the sidewalk and bus stops, pedestrian crossings, tunnels, or bridges.

  • Clear snow immediately after the snowfall has ended,
  • Spread the slippery material immediately after it enters the building (at least 1 m wide, for corner properties up to the curb).

If snowfall continues beyond 8 p.m., or if snowfall, slippery conditions or ice occur after 8 p.m., you must carry out the removals by 8:30 a.m. on weekdays and by 9:30 a.m. on Sundays and public holidays the following day.

Please note:

  • Do not push snow onto roads or cycle paths.
  • When the ground thaws, also clear street gutters and drains of accumulated dirt so that the meltwater can flow away unhindered.
  • Road salt must not be used on Hamburg's sidewalks. Use sand, grit, or other environmentally friendly materials with a non-slip effect instead.
  • If it remains slippery despite spreading grit and clearing, you will have to remove the ice mechanically.
 

Information

Prerequisites

Snow removal and gritting must be carried out as soon as snow, ice or slippery conditions make paths or roads dangerous to use.

Documents required

No documentation is required for this service.

Please note

For sidewalks without adjacent properties, the city cleaning department will handle the cleaning, provided these paths have been previously reported as important traffic areas. If you notice that public areas – regardless of whether they have adjacent properties or not – have not been gritted, you can report this to the city cleaning department between November and March.

Deadlines

No

Procedure

  • They or the city cleaning department monitor the weather conditions and check whether snow, ice or slippery conditions pose a danger.
  • They or the city cleaning service assess whether clearing or gritting is necessary, carry out the measures and regularly check whether the paths remain safe.

Processing time

The processing time varies depending on the circumstances of the individual case.

Fees

No fees are charged for using this service.

Legal remedies

Not applicable

Legal basis

Hamburg Roads Act (HWG)


https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-WegeGHAV11P31

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Last updated: 10.06.2026