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Rent twilight: Thuringia calls for nationwide testing centers!
Thuringia is planning rent control centers to combat rent usury and ensure social housing.
Rent twilight: Thuringia calls for nationwide testing centers!
In Thuringia it's about more than just housing - fundamental reforms in the rental sector are on the agenda. The Left parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament is calling for nationwide rent inspection offices in all municipalities in order to put a stop to the constantly rising rents. In the meantime, rents in Thuringia have continued to rise, and the need for action in the area of rent pricing is becoming increasingly clear. According to eisenachonline.de, such a network of testing centers should not only offer advice and support for the affected tenants, but also actively take action against rent usury.
The Left's rental policy spokeswoman, Anja Müller, points to the positive experiences in cities like Berlin and Frankfurt with similar offers. The planned testing centers should be able to initiate fine proceedings against violations of rent and tenant protection regulations. This would allow the rights of tenants to be better protected. In addition, the Left wants to introduce a rent extortion app that will serve as an additional tool.
A comprehensive bill for social housing
Another central point of the Left's initiative is a bill on social housing, which is to be introduced in the state parliament in December. Thuringia has the opportunity to be the first federal state to introduce a nationwide social housing quota. According to bild.de, the quota should be based on the number of households receiving social benefits as well as the proportion of seniors and families with children. The aim is to provide sufficient affordable housing and thus reduce the pressure on the tense housing market.
In addition, the Left is planning to found a state housing company that will not only create cooperative apartments, but also reduce rental prices. This organization is intended to reinvest profits for social purposes and not to pay dividends. Another issue the left wants to tackle is the ban on energy blackouts. Landlords should be obliged to maintain the energy supply even if they do not pay bills.
An urgent problem in Thuringia
The dramatic development of social housing in Thuringia is alarming: from 2015 to 2024, the number of available social housing fell from almost 18,000 to less than 12,000. The current political constellation, in which the Left Party is needed to form the majority of the blackberry government (CDU, SPD, BSW), could give the Left's draft law tailwind. The group could make its approval of other government plans dependent on their demands for social housing being taken seriously.
At a time when affordable housing has become a scarce commodity for many, these plans from Die Linke show that there are political approaches to improve the housing situation in Thuringia. But we can only hope that the discussions in the state parliament actually lead to real change and don't just remain in paper form.