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Berlin Raises Housing Misuse Penalties as Linke Launches Tenant Push

City leaders pair higher fees with planned data access plus short‑term rental curbs to keep more apartments on the market.

Overview

  • The Senate lifted the cap on one‑time compensation for demolished or permanently repurposed homes to €4,600 per square metre, up from €4,100.
  • Officials present the change as part of a package that includes a planned ban on time‑limited letting in protected neighborhoods and additional staff for rent‑gouging enforcement.
  • Berlin seeks federal rules for platform data transfers to the Bundesnetzagentur and is exploring electricity‑use indicators to spot illegal holiday rentals or prolonged vacancy.
  • Since 2016 authorities have initiated roughly 13,500 cases against unauthorized holiday rentals, returning more than 8,100 units to regular leasing, while the 2022 census recorded 40,681 vacant flats.
  • Die Linke launched a citywide tenant campaign and proposed a luxury‑villa tax expected to yield at least €150 million a year, a 100‑post enforcement office, a one‑year rent freeze for municipal housing, and implementation of the 2021 expropriation referendum.