Rental price brake: over 360 euros too much paid - tenants fight back!

Rental price brake: over 360 euros too much paid - tenants fight back!

Altona, Deutschland - On July 1, 2025, the rental price brake has been used for ten years now, and the debate about it seems to be an end. Originally introduced to dampen the increase in rents in tense housing markets, the regulation was recently extended until the end of 2029. So the NDR that the rental price brake applies especially in cities such as Rostock, Hannover and the East Frisian islands.

The rental price brake enables the rent for new rentals may be a maximum of 10% above the local comparison rent. In Hamburg, the rental price brake had been used again since July 3, 2018, according to a judgment by the regional court, which declared the previous regulation invalid due to formal defects. Previously, an existing regulation had lost its validity on June 30, 2020, but the Senate reacted promptly and extended the rental price regulation for another five years. This information comes from Hamburg.de .

tenants suffer from high prices

While the rental price brake offers a certain protection, rents in many cities are still exorbitantly high. Christiane G. from Hamburg, for example, pays 1,500 euros in a cold rent for your apartment in Altona. This sum is over 20 euros per square meter - a clear violation of the rental price brake if you keep an eye on the rental mirror, which shows a customary comparison rent for your neighborhood.

Niklas Wendeborn, on the other hand, was lucky: he was able to reduce his rent by 300 euros per month and also receives too much rent for the last two and a half years. This shows how important the rental price brake is for tenants if one does not want to end in the rental trap. The tenant association Hamburg reports an average of 360 euros too much rent paid per month for violations of the regulation. Rolf Bosse, Managing Director of the Association, sees the rental price brake as an important instrument, but calls for more dismissal protection for tenants.

political voices for the rental price brake

The political landscape on the subject of rental price brakes is as diverse as controversial. While the Federal Government brought in the current bill to extend the rental price brake of the CDU/CSU and SPD and this was also supported by Bündnis 90/The Greens, the AfD and the left rejected corresponding changes or tightening. The latter criticized the rental price brake as ineffective and called for a real rent stop.

The Bundestag emphasized that the regulation could not be a permanent solution. CDU/CSU demands more new construction to get the constantly increasing rents under control, while voices continue to be loud for more comprehensive reforms and improvements in rental policy.

a mixed conclusion

The rental price brake remains an exciting topic in German housing policy. Despite their introduction and the latest extension by 2029, there are still many questions and uncertainties for both tenants and the landlord. Especially in heavily sought -after cities, the struggle for living is far from over. The rental price brake can protect many tenants, but the housing shortage alone can not be solved, because Torsten Flomm from the Landowner Association Hamburg is also safe. Without new construction and better framework conditions, it will be difficult to stabilize the market sustainably.