Protection against extreme housing costs: the Bundestag has tightened the status of Mietpreisbremse

German tenants have more rights: the Bundestag has decided to tighten the rent brake. Among other things, the costs of modernization can only be limited.

Tenants should be better able to protect themselves from extreme rent increases from January: a corresponding tightening of the rent brake decided the Bundestag. CDU / CSU and SPD voted for the federal government project, AfD and FDP rejected it. The left and the greens abstained.

In particular, MEPs introduced the obligation to provide information to homeowners: they must now disclose the price paid by the former tenant so that new tenants can more easily determine if their rent is too high. To prevent harbadment and so-called modernization, future fines for homeowners and compensation for the tenants concerned.

Refurbishment fee decreases

In addition, the owners can in the future, after a modernization, limit costs. The modernization allowance goes from eleven to eight percent. At the same time, the rent should not increase by more than three euros per square meter of living space for six years as a result of the modernization. For apartments whose rent is less than seven euros per square meter, it can even be increased by two euros.

In many cities, rents have risen sharply in recent years. This is why the previous government introduced a brake on the rental price. After the adopted regulations were found to be less effective, agreed, the CDU / CSU and SPD improvements were adopted.