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Schwerin is planning a toilet fee: 50 cents for clean solutions!
Schwerin is now planning to charge fees for public toilets at five locations in order to cover increasing operating costs.
Schwerin is planning a toilet fee: 50 cents for clean solutions!
On October 10, 2025, a proposal from Schwerin caused discussions: The city is considering introducing a user fee for public toilets. Loud Schwerin.news A corresponding proposed resolution is currently being discussed by the political committees. In the future, a fee of 50 cents per visit to the toilet will be charged at five heavily frequented locations.
Where exactly could the fee come about? The places affected are the Schlachtermarkt (both in the basement and above ground), the old town car park on Grüne Straße, the Platz der Freiheit and Berliner Platz. The proposal is being discussed in the main committee and is scheduled to be voted on at the next city council meeting in November. This initiative is due to rising operating costs and a high need for subsidies from the city budget.
Background to the introduction of fees
The introduction of a toilet fee is part of the “public toilet concept” adopted in July 2023, which aims to provide a user-financed solution. A blanket exemption from fees for all locations was rejected by the decision-makers, but toilets at social or leisure locations, such as Bertha-Klingberg-Platz or at Lankower See, remain free.
Initial forecasts show that the fee would result in savings of around 41,000 euros per year. In order to make payment accessible to everyone, this should be implemented in a barrier-free manner via machines, QR codes, card payments or apps. People with a valid Euro key are exempt from the fee, additional exemptions for social or health reasons could also be considered.
Public toilets under discussion
The need to provide public toilets is not a new issue. An incident from this year shows how urgent the need for functioning toilets in public spaces is. A 78-year-old woman from Mülheim had a great need during a train journey from Cologne to Königswinter. However, her search for a functioning train toilet was unsuccessful and she was forced to urinate in the compartment. Such situations illustrate how essential access to toilets is in public spaces WDR reported.
Does the city of Schwerin want to improve sanitary standards in public spaces with the new fee? The answer remains to be seen until all political processes have been completed and the new access systems can be installed. Until then, the discussion about toilet fees will remain exciting.