Heating costs and rents are rising: Berlin is threatened with an expensive winter!

Heating costs and rents are rising: Berlin is threatened with an expensive winter!

Heating costs are rising and the Berlin housing market continues to show worrying developments. Consumers must be prepared for an increase in heating costs next winter, as gas prices are expected to rise by 15 percent, as rbb-online.de reports. As neighbors in the city prepare for freezing temperatures, rental price trends are not lagging behind rising costs. In popular locations such as Friedenauer Höhe, new tenants often pay double the existing rent per square meter. A circumstance that is shocking not only in the capital.

A current report from the Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing reveals the alarming situation on the Berlin housing market. According to the 2025 Housing Needs Report, there is an acute shortage of housing, which affects particularly sensitive income groups such as recipients of transfer payments and low-income households. The current housing offers are simply not sufficient to meet demand. In order to create decent living space, measures to protect tenants are urgently needed so that all Berliners have a roof over their heads, according to the analysis of this problem.

Rental price development at record levels

If you look at the numbers, it quickly becomes clear that prices only know one direction: up! The median asking rent in Berlin is currently EUR 13.99/m² – an increase of a whopping 21.2 percent compared to the previous year. The districts of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, Mitte and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf in particular have exorbitant prices of over 17 EUR/m². But asking rents are rising not only in the city itself, but also in the surrounding communities, here by around 11 percent to EUR 12.38/m². A look at the development of the last few years shows impressively: rents have almost doubled since 2012. A real challenge that young people and families in particular feel.

Initiatives against rent pressure

In order to counteract this tense situation, the state-owned housing associations as well as cooperatives and private project developers are relying on the construction of affordable apartments. As the report by ibb.de shows, it is urgently necessary to expand the housing supply for all sections of the population. Marginalized groups in particular need housing that is not only affordable but also worth living in.

And while housing affordability is being discussed, the Red Cross is calling for blood donations. In another social step, a new initiative in Berlin, run almost entirely by women, is welcoming a new departure in the security industry. The carnival for the future with the motto “Other worlds are possible!” also ensures creative cooperation and wants to remind people of the urgency of social change. A colorful autumn shows that there is a lot going on in the city and that a lot is being done to break new ground.

The event is rounded off by local celebrations: The 26th Pumpkin Festival in Schöneberg attracts numerous visitors and offers a cozy atmosphere. Football is also very important, as Hertha can celebrate their first home win of the season in a popular pub. It remains to be seen how these and other initiatives will contribute to improving the quality of life in Berlin.