Overview
- Member companies of the BBU estimate roughly 15% of their stock is being sublet without landlord approval, based on recent spot checks.
- The checks compared doorbell nameplates with tenancy contracts and do not show whether sublets are priced above official rents or how long they last.
- Average 2025 contract rents at BBU members were €7.10 per m² in existing tenancies, €9.54 in new contracts, and €13.55 in new builds, all higher year over year.
- Asking rents on major portals averaged €16.61 per m², rising to €18.76 when excluding BBU listings, underscoring a gap with contracted rents.
- The BBU, whose members manage about 777,000 Berlin apartments (~45% of the rental stock), reports a vacancy rate near 1.6% that it says enables exploitative practices.