Lack of housing in Rostock: Citizens urgently demand solutions!

Lack of housing in Rostock: Citizens urgently demand solutions!

Things are simmering in Rostock when it comes to the issue of housing – and not just on paper. On October 27, 2025, the NDR Talk took place in the Kunsthalle, where around 150 guests addressed the pressing questions about the housing shortage in the city. The focus was on the clear demand: rents must fall! The lack of affordable housing is making it increasingly difficult for families, students, skilled workers and seniors to find a home.

The situation is particularly challenging for larger families who are looking for suitable apartments but can hardly find them. People over 65 also have difficulty finding age-appropriate living space. The citizens present made it clear that small, one-room apartments for students in particular are more in demand than ever. Another point that heated up people's minds: the rising construction costs for new buildings. These result from the requirements for climate protection and fire protection as well as from inflation, bureaucracy and wage increases.

Current rental prices and developments

With the new qualified rent index, which has been valid since May 1, 2024, the city is trying to bring a certain level of transparency to the housing market. This is based on a statistical market analysis and is prepared by an institute for housing and urban development. If you're wondering where the rents are in Rostock, you'll find what you're looking for in the current rent index. The average rental prices are now 7.13 euros per square meter, which means an increase of 0.88 euros compared to the last rent index for 2021. The rent cap, which has been in effect since October 2018, limits rent increases for re-letting to a maximum of 10 percent above the local comparative rent. Rents may not increase by more than 15 percent within three years.

The city administration has also thought about planned construction projects. Around 1,000 new apartments are to be built on the southern edge of the city in the “Groter Pohl” project. In the “Warnowquartier” in the south of Dierkow there are even supposed to be around 2,000 apartments, workshops and meeting places. The successful creation of these housing options could help alleviate the lack of living space. As for Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger, who gave insights into the district's development, she expressed realistic assessments: cheap rents in the Warnow district seem unlikely.

The future of living space in Rostock

The difficult circumstances surrounding the development of the district show that Rostock does not have much time to find solutions to the housing shortage. A recent survey of 1,139 Rostock residents showed that almost all of them are of the opinion that rent prices need to be reduced and new living space created. Suggestions from the audience, such as helping older people move into smaller apartments to make room for families, show that citizens are actively interested in solving problems. The increase in per capita living space since 1991 has further increased construction and housing costs.

The housing market in Rostock is therefore a reflection of the challenges that many cities are currently facing. Given the simultaneous needs for environmental protection and housing creation, it remains to be seen what steps the city administration will take in the future. One thing is clear: Urgent action is needed so that the people of Rostock can finally have a good hand at finding the right home again.

Further information can also be found in the [NDR article](https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/wohnen-in-rostock-knapp-teuer- outlookslos,talkvorort-194.html) and in the Rostock town hall.