Overview
- The German Tenants’ Association says roughly six million renters were extremely overburdened in 2024, spending more than 40% of income on housing.
- Germany’s renter population grew by about three million in five years, with 52.8% of people renting in 2024, or roughly 44 million residents in over 20 million households.
- Survey results cited by the tenants’ group report 29% fear they will no longer afford their homes and 16% fear losing them.
- A Haus & Grund analysis finds offering rents for new leases are significantly above existing rents, pushing average post‑move burdens to 19.4% of income for families and 26.3% for single tenants, with singles in cities like Munich, Berlin and Offenbach exceeding 40%.
- Tenant leaders call for a tougher rent brake, stronger eviction protections, tighter short‑term rental rules and a social‑housing build‑up, while owner representatives warn rent caps can curb mobility and investment and argue for measures that boost supply.