Fight for living space: Illegal holiday accommodations threaten locals!

Fight for living space: Illegal holiday accommodations threaten locals!

The coastal regions of Germany face a huge problem: illegal holiday apartments sprout like weeds and put the municipalities under pressure! While locals are desperately looking for living space, numerous accommodations are illegally rented to tourists. Anne Heuermann, marketing manager of the East Frisian Islands, warns: "In some houses, apartments were created in places where there is basically no living space - for example in the attic or in the basement." This situation leads to a dramatic increase in real estate prices and a displacement of the local population.

The location is tense! The search for living space for specialists and locals is becoming increasingly difficult, especially on the East Frisian Islands and on the Lower Saxony coast. Cuxhaven met it particularly: the city was recently included in the "regional backdrop of the tense housing markets". This enables the city to limit rent increases and to receive pre -purchase rights for undeveloped land. But the reality is dark: Between 2011 and 2022, the population of the Langeoog community shrunk by 25 percent, while 562,000 holiday guests visited the island in 2022.

The fight against illegal accommodations

The municipalities are in the conflict! Affordable living space for locals is in direct competition with the flourishing tourism. In order to proceed against the illegal holiday apartments, the East Frisian Islands have changed their building laws. "This was sought because further holiday apartment construction is not desirable," explains Heuermann. But despite these measures, the success fails to do: In the district of Cuxhaven, only five cases of illegal accommodation have been punished since 2022, and fines were not imposed. The authorities cannot become active as long as there are no complaints.

The situation is alarming! The number of administrative offense procedures is low and the municipalities have no overview of the extent of the problem. Tanja Freesemann from the Friesland district confirms: "The number of administrative offense procedures is currently still low." Illegal landlords can continue to behave unpunished while the locals are fighting for their living opportunities.