The Berlin House of Representatives have approved a rent register for the city, which will be a digital database logging all 1.8 million rental apartments in Berlin. The aim is to gain an oversight of all of the properties, as well as to uncover current cases of and potential attempts to gouge people in the city.
The database will not be available to the public, but will be a source for authorities to survey. Landlords will be required to upload all relevant data for their properties in Berlin, including the address of the apartment, its location and the floor. They must also include the size, number of rooms, furnishings, duration of the tenancy, the agreed net rent, a breakdown of additional costs and the landlord’s share of property tax and rental income.
The plan can only go ahead once the Senate has established a legal ordinance and according to the Senate, this will happen no sooner than next year. Notably, once the register has been implemented, landlords will have 12 months to submit the data. Failure to do so will lead to fines of €10,000 and upwards of €100,000 for repeat offenders.
If you’re interested in Berlin housing, read more about rent issues in Berlin and Berlin sublets sagas.
