Berlin's Empty Apartments Spark Fight Over Rent Control and Housing Crisis
A housing dispute in Berlin-Neukölln has brought fresh attention to the city's ongoing rental crisis. At Ziegert-Haus on Donaustraße, 36 of 40 subsidised apartments sit empty, despite strict rent control rules in place until 2027. Local authorities are now stepping in to force action from the property owner.
The vacant flats at Ziegert-Haus fall under Berlin's rent and occupancy restrictions, which remain enforceable until December 31, 2027. These rules cap rents and limit how landlords can use the space. The Berlin Senate recently updated its Zweckentfremdungsverbot-Verordnung (misuse prohibition ordinance), raising fines for owners who permanently convert or demolish residential units. The changes also clarify that new owners cannot bypass existing regulations, even after purchasing a property.
Neukölln's district office has launched an investigation into the building's owner for failing to cooperate with housing enforcement. Officials suspect the prolonged vacancies may be a tactic to wait out the restrictions, allowing the apartments to re-enter the market at higher rents in 2028. The district has previously penalised companies for leaving habitable flats empty during the housing shortage.
Berlin's housing market remains under extreme pressure, with high demand and limited supply pushing rents up across inner-city areas. The dispute at Ziegert-Haus highlights how vacant units worsen the crisis by removing potential homes from circulation. Over the next few months, district and state policies will determine whether the apartments stay empty or are forced back into use.
The outcome of this case could set a precedent for how Berlin handles long-term vacancies under rent control. If the district's intervention succeeds, the 36 apartments may reopen to tenants before the 2027 deadline. Until then, the flats remain off-limits in a city where affordable housing is increasingly scarce.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
