Berlin Extends Housing Protection to Prevent Tenant Displacement

The city's updated regulation will restrict the conversion of rental apartments into condominiums in protected areas until 2030.

The Berlin Senate has extended its housing conversion regulation for another five years, ensuring protections until 2030 in 81 designated social preservation areas.
The regulation requires special approval for converting rental apartments into condominiums, aiming to preserve affordable housing and prevent tenant displacement.
Approximately 1.2 million Berlin residents, or one-third of the city's population, live in the affected areas covered by the regulation.
Since the introduction of the regulation in 2015, the number of approved conversions has significantly decreased, with only 223 conversions in 2023 compared to tens of thousands in earlier years.
Berlin officials are urging federal lawmakers to extend a similar nationwide regulation, set to expire at the end of 2025, to maintain broader housing protections.