BERLIN (AP) — A German court has ruled in favor of a 78-year-old chain-smoker who faced eviction from his apartment, a case that was closely watched around a country where most people live in rented accommodations.

The Duesseldorf regional court ruled Wednesday there was insufficient evidence that Friedhelm Adolfs had exposed other tenants to secondhand smoke by failing to air his apartment properly, the grounds cited for his eviction.

German news agency dpa reported that Adolfs flashed a victory sign and a big cigar at the end of his 3-year legal odyssey.

Asked whether he planned to smoke less now, Adolfs told reporters: "For God's sake, no way."

Tenant rights laws are traditionally strong in Germany.