Overview
- The Senate approved a four-year renewal of the Mietpreisbremse that takes effect on January 1, 2026 and runs through December 31, 2029.
- At re-letting, landlords may charge no more than 10% above the local comparable rent, the housing department said.
- The Umwandlungsverordnung was extended five years to the end of 2030, keeping a ban on converting rentals to condominiums in buildings with five or more units, with exceptions.
- Tenants who suspect excessive initial rents are directed to the Senat’s Mietpreisprüfstelle, which has logged 255 consultations and flagged 177 cases of clearly inflated rents in its first six months.
- Die Linke and the Greens label the steps insufficient, and SPD lead candidate Steffen Krach urges federal action with high fines for violations and criminal penalties for systematic rent fraud.