But they could still be challenged using the Mietpriesbremse law, an older regulation which limits rent prices under some conditions. Such double contracts are most likely legal and enforceable, says rental expert Daniel Halmer from (formerly Wenigermiete). Other tricks include renting expensive basements, parking spaces and coworking desks inside their flat.ĭouble contracts have become standard: residents are offered two prices - a lower one that matches the rent freeze legislation, and a higher one they'll have ot pay if the law is later ruled unconstitutional. Tenants are told they have no choice but to rent both the flat and the furniture together. But some companies are offering a buy-and-lease-back service model to help landlords get around the law. Jöran Mandik explains the court process - and the judges' red robes.įurnished flats are not exempt from the Mietendeckel. The Mietendeckel is being challenged in Germany's constitutional court, with a ruling expected in mid-2021. Tenants can check if they're paying too much at this website: Īnd they can cheating landlords to the city government here: Īnyone who gets a rent reduction should save the money, as they might have to pay it back. On November 23 landlords must reduce rents to regulation levels or face fines of €500,000. But landlords are doing their best to stop it. About 340,000 residents - one in six - may be eligible for a rent cut under the Mietendeckel, Berlin’s radical new housing policy. This month residents of Berlin should experience the biggest collective rent reduction in history. Rent Freeze is a production of Radio Spaetkauf and RadioEins. Rent Freeze is produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Some are devising ways to cheat - by renting to ignorant foreigners: "Those who screw their landlords are old Germans." Despite the threat of huge fines, some don't think the city has the resources to prosecute them.Īnd what should tenants do if they hope for a rent decrease? Lawyer Daniel Halmer from says they should start adding three magic words to their rent transfers: "Zahlung unter Vorbehalt." It means paid with reservations, and gives tenants the right to to try to claim back overpayments at a later date. We hear what landlords think about the new law. Supporters and opponents gave fiery speeches in a rowdy session, which ended with politicians voting to suspend the free market for rental property for five years. On this episode we go inside Berlin's parliament to hear the moment the rent freeze law was passed. And landlords face fines of half a million euros for cheating. New contracts can't exceed about €9.80 a square meter - half as much as many advertised prices. Rents are now capped at the rate paid in June 2019 - all increases since then are invalid. Landlords and tenants alike are confused about what to do next. How To F#€k Up An Airport team presents: Rent Freeze, a podcast about Berlin's rental revolution.īerlin's rent freeze has begun, but nobody seems to know what's going on. Music by Tom Evans and Ducks! Art by Jim Avignon. Produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. On this episode we explain the basics of the law, and talk to Daniel Halmer of about why the existing rent controls haven't worked. They say the reforms will scare off businesses, leave houses unbuilt and in disrepair, and feed a grey market for off-the-books rental as desperate Berliners try to find a flat. Supporters say it will be the best thing to happen to the city since the fall of the Wallīut investors and landlords are outraged. What happens when an entire city of 3.5 million residents stops paying rent increases for the next five years? Welcome to Rent Freeze, a podcast about Berlin’s rental revolution.īerlin is about to introduce the Mietendeckel, a law that will freeze rents for five years, cap new rental contracts at a maximum price, and allow some tenants to claim a rent reduction. Radio Spaetkauf presents our new series - Rent Freeze.
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