Berlin tenants' association calls for overnight tax to combat illegal housing abuse!

Berlin tenants' association calls for overnight tax to combat illegal housing abuse!

There is a buzz in Berlin regarding the increasing number of illegal holiday apartments. The Berlin Tenants' Association sharply criticizes the Senate's measures, which are apparently not enough to stop this trend. According to a current study carried out by the Institute for Social Urban Development on behalf of the tenants' association, there are around 40,000 illegally operated holiday apartments in the capital. It was found that existing approval processes are difficult to understand and often do not bring the desired success.

What is particularly striking is that around 5,000 applications for permits for holiday apartments have been submitted since 2016, but these are only being processed slowly due to strict regulations in the districts. The possibility for private providers to circumvent the legally required registration numbers by declaring their offers as commercial further exacerbates the problem. These workarounds remain uncontrolled by the platforms on which the rental offers run, which leads to an enormous control effort for the city authorities.

Need for regulation and new regulations

However, the situation could soon change: a new EU regulation, which is due to come into force in April 2026, could introduce mandatory registration numbers for commercial offers. This would potentially put the authorities in a better position to take action against illegal vacation rentals. A further sign of the need for action is the decision of the Higher Administrative Court from 2024, which determined that holiday apartments that existed before the Misappropriation Act came into force could be declared inadmissible.

The study also shows a worrying mix of living space for holiday use and regular residential use. Tenants are increasingly looking for furnished apartments, as unfurnished options are in short supply in Berlin. Interestingly, the prices for furnished short-term apartments are on average twice as high as for unfurnished ones. So many people ask themselves the question: “Where is this all going to lead?”

A suggestion for a fairer solution

In order to tackle the problem of illegal holiday apartments, the tenants' association is proposing an accommodation tax for private providers. This could help make illegal places less attractive. In addition, a publicly controlled, public interest-oriented brokerage platform is required that takes care of temporary offers or holiday apartments. Furnished rentals should be severely restricted, particularly in environmental protection areas, in order to preserve the living space potential for the local population.

The discussion about the holiday apartment problem in Berlin is far from over. In view of current developments, it is to be hoped that clear and fair regulations will soon ensure more order and fairness in the housing market. Further details about the illegal holiday apartments in Berlin can be found on the website of the Dehoga-Bundesverband.