Overview
- CDU and SPD leaders in Berlin agreed Tuesday to create a mandatory rental register, with reports placing its scope between 1.75 million apartments and 2.2 million tenants.
- Landlords would have to file unit-level details that include address, floor, size, rooms, features like heating, tenancy start and length, the net cold rent, advance payments for heat and water, modernization surcharges, and each unit’s share of property tax.
- Authorities plan automated legality checks that compare entries with rent rules, with suspected violations routed to district housing offices and alleged rent gouging sent to prosecutors.
- The database would not be public, with access limited to authorities, and the draft sets fines up to €10,000 for false data or up to €100,000 for repeat or large-scale cases, plus a 12‑month window to file and one month to update changes.
- Landlord groups and opposition parties warn of heavy burdens and privacy risks, while reporting highlights open questions about building the system, staffing housing offices and courts, and whether enforcement can scale before September’s elections.