A German court on Thursday ruled in favour of men’s right to urinate standing up, after a landlord tried to retain part of a tenant’s €3,000 (£2,300) deposit for allegedly damaging the marble floor of a toilet by sprinkling it with urine.

The debate about whether men should stand or sit when urinating is no laughing matter in Germany, where some toilets have red traffic-style signs forbidding the standing position. There is also a derogatory term for men who sit and pee – “Sitzpinkler” – which implies that it is not masculine behaviour.

Judge Stefan Hank in the city of Düsseldorf said men who insist on standing “must expect occasional rows with housemates, especially women” but cannot be held to account for collateral damage.

“Despite growing domestication of men in this matter, urinating while standing up is still widespread,” he said.