Overview
- An analysis by the Bund der Steuerzahler shows about 140 of 396 North Rhine‑Westphalia municipalities increased their Hebesatz for 2026, and other states such as Hesse reported similar spikes in July 2026.
- Some places enacted very large hikes: Dinslaken raised its Hebesatz by 350 points to 998, Duisburg moved to a uniform rate of 1169 percent, and Riedstadt set 1600 percent for 2026 with plans to reach at least 1850 by 2028.
- Several cities dropped differentiated rates that treated residential and non‑residential land differently and instead adopted a single Hebesatz, which often shifts a bigger share of the burden onto homeowners.
- Municipal leaders say the increases are meant to fund services such as schools, childcare and road maintenance, while critics and tax groups blame chronic underfunding from federal and state governments for forcing the hikes.
- Homeowners face immediate higher tax bills and renters will largely feel the change later through Nebenkostenabrechnungen, so families and small businesses should expect rising local housing and operating costs into 2027.