Overview
- Average asking rents in Germany have risen 18.3 percent since early 2022 following higher construction financing costs triggered by the Ukraine war.
- In Berlin, new rental prices have jumped 42 percent to €14.90 per square meter, creating a “divided housing market” between low-rent incumbents and high-cost newcomers.
- Counties such as Kaiserslautern and Cottbus have recorded rent increases exceeding 40 percent as urban spillover drives demand into smaller regions.
- Steep price hikes have frozen tenant mobility, with many renters choosing to stay put rather than face significantly higher costs elsewhere.
- Berlin SPD leader Raed Saleh has called for a new city rent cap after federal lawmakers extended the national rent-brake through 2029.