Advertisement

Berlin jumps ahead on new rent control law

DPA/The Local
DPA/The Local - [email protected]
Berlin jumps ahead on new rent control law
Blocks of flats in the Berlin district of Wedding. Photo: DPA

Berlin is to be the only state in Germany to introduce rent controls immediately after the law allowing them comes into effect on June 1st.

Advertisement

While other states have said that they're interested in the law, none of them have set a firm deadline for when they will introduce controls.

The new measures allow state governments to define areas with high upwards pressure on rents and set limits on year-to-year increases.

Landlords won't be allowed to charge rent more than 10 percent higher than the local average in the region.

The Berlin city government had its plans for rent controls already drafted before a national law passed the Bundestag (German parliament) earlier this year.

Other states want to check which cities have pressurized enough housing markets for rent controls to be worthwhile.

Some states, including Saxony-Anhalt and Saarland, may not make any use of the new law.

In Saxony-Anhalt, one in eight flats belonging to large rental companies stand empty.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also