Overview
- Dresden’s administration has circulated a draft housing‑misuse ordinance for a city council vote that would cover the entire city for an initial five‑year term.
- Under the draft, a home is classed as misused if rented to tourists for more than 12 weeks a year or left empty for over 12 months, with a two‑year grace period and exemptions for already approved holiday flats and company guest units.
- City data count about 2,200 short‑stay apartments, up from roughly 1,400 in 2019, and officials project about 700 could return to the regular rental market if the rules take effect.
- Owners found in violation would have to create replacement housing or pay a compensation fee, while exact fines and the staffing needed to enforce the rules are not yet set.
- Political views diverge, with SPD and Greens calling the plan overdue and Team Zastrow opposing it as ineffective, as other cities like Leipzig, Munich and Hamburg report both recovered homes and high oversight workloads.