Erfurt in the apartment stress: City fights against housing shortage!

Erfurt in the apartment stress: City fights against housing shortage!

In Erfurt, around 200 apartments are currently being put to the test. The city is increasingly against unauthorized holiday accommodation to counteract the housing emergency that has reached a occupancy rate of over 99 %. Urban development director Lars Bredemeier made it clear that a commercial registration and building permit for holiday apartments are essential in order not to further tighten the situation on the housing market. These measures are necessary because more and more rental apartments are being converted into holiday accommodations, which endangers the creation of living space. MDR reports that this trend puts the city under pressure.

A look at the numbers: Around 650 providers are active on platforms such as Airbnb, and many of them also operate several apartments. As a result, the city continues to confront the population with a large number of complaints and information. In about 60 procedures for illegal holiday apartments, the building authority is considering measures. Erfurt Tourismus and Marketing GmbH has been behind the city's approach. Managing Director Christian Fothe emphasizes that although holiday apartments are important for tourism, but the preservation of acceptance among the population is absolutely necessary.

a clear need for action

The situation could still tighten in the coming years. Forecasts show that between 3,800 and 6,900 new apartments in Erfurt will be needed in the next 15 years in order to meet the increasing demand. The acute lack of housing in Erfurt cannot be denied. "About 4 % of the apartments should be empty for a functioning housing market," explains Bredemeier. However, the numbers in Erfurt are currently alarming. In the Free State of Thuringia, there is also a lack of a nationwide law to regulate the misuse of living space, which is already available in other federal states.

It is interesting that an open procedure does not automatically result in a ban on use as a holiday apartment. Owners are informed in writing and have the option of submitting missing documents. You have to expect deadlines, and if the continued letting is repeated, compulsory money threatens that can be up to 500,000 euros if the procedures prove to be unlawful. These measures are intended to help the city regain control of the housing market and at the same time ensure that tourism does not suffer from it.