Berlin's Left Party pushes radical rent controls to combat housing crisis
Berlin's housing crisis has sparked a fresh political clash over rent controls. The Left Party has put forward a draft law to force landlords into offering a set share of flats at 'affordable' rates. Meanwhile, the Greens and SPD remain divided on how to tackle soaring rents across the city.
The Left Party's proposed Secure Housing Act would require landlords to rent out a percentage of their properties at below-market rates. Those with 50 or more flats would have to offer 30 percent of newly vacated units affordably. For portfolios of 501 to 1,000 units, the quota jumps to 40 percent, while landlords with over 1,000 flats would see half their vacancies subject to the rule.
The party's definition of 'affordable' avoids a fixed euro figure. Instead, it suggests tenants should spend no more than a third of their income on rent and still have money left for leisure. Left Party leader Eralp, who refers to herself as 'mayor' rather than 'Governing Mayor,' has accused the current Senate of enabling a 'rent mafia.' She vowed to enforce the law immediately if her party enters a coalition. The Greens' Katrin Schmidberger has signalled openness to the Left's proposal. She called on the SPD to unite behind a stronger housing law. Yet the SPD faction has so far sidestepped the core demand for mandatory affordable units, instead highlighting its own *Housing Security Act*. Rising rents have fuelled the debate. Nationwide, average net cold rents climbed from €7.28 per square metre in May 2022 to €7.62 in 2024. While Berlin-specific data remains unclear, the Left Party insists urgent action is needed to curb what it calls exploitative practices.
The Left Party's plan would tie affordability to income levels rather than fixed prices. If passed, the law could reshape Berlin's rental market by forcing large landlords to lower prices on thousands of flats. For now, the proposal's success hinges on whether the Greens and SPD can agree on a joint strategy.
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