Rental crisis in Berlin: Over 27,000 residential units illegally disappeared!

Rental crisis in Berlin: Over 27,000 residential units illegally disappeared!

Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Deutschland - The housing situation in Berlin remains tense! For years, rental prices in the capital has been a hotly discussed topic, and the waiting lists for available apartments seem to be endless. Various factors contribute to this, including the illegal misuse of living space. According to the Senate, Berlin tenants have to deal with dramatic numbers. Less living space means less choice, and a ban on the need of use in 2014 should counteract this. But how effective is it really?

With an inquiry to the Senate, MP Niklas Schenker (left) wanted to gain more clarity. The answer, which was now followed by the request, shows that a total of 27,588 apartments have been brought back to the housing market by the ban since 2016. This year alone, over 2,000 of these apartments were brought back, with Tempelhof-Schöneberg recorded the highest number of returns, followed by Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf and Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg. However, this situation is still precarious, since over 3.7 million people live on a limited living space in Berlin, which increases the current pressure on rental prices.

persistent price increase

The developments on the housing market are worrying because rental prices are constantly increasing. Compared to other major German cities, such as Munich, the prices in Berlin are comparatively moderate, but the market also shows a continuous increase here. The most expensive rents per square meter can be found in the districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Mitte, while in Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf the purchase prices for condominiums have increased by over 170 percent in the past ten years. This reveals an unmistakable trend that will employ both tenants and those seeking housing for a long time, as Statista