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Rostock is threatened with a housing shortage: 1,700 new apartments are urgently needed!
Rostock is struggling with a housing shortage: 1,700 new apartments are missing. New projects and building permits should help.
Rostock is threatened with a housing shortage: 1,700 new apartments are urgently needed!
What is happening in the Rostock district? The current figures are alarming: there is a shortage of around 1,700 apartments. While demand continues to rise, many existing properties are not available for rental. There are an impressive 3,290 empty apartments in the entire Rostock district, many of which have been waiting for their new tenant for over a year. This situation makes it clear that the housing market in the region is in need of a turnaround. The Baltic Sea newspaper reports that in particular the construction of new apartments is being pushed forward at various locations, e.g. on Severinstrasse, Mühlenfließ and in the Ehm-Welk district in Bad Doberan.
In order to counteract the lack of living space, new residential complexes are planned on the former mud bath site. These projects are urgently needed because, according to the Pestel Institute, 660 new apartments should be built in the Rostock district every year. But the reality is different: in the first half of 2025, only 330 building permits were issued. Action is urgently needed here so that living spaces can actually be created.
Housing construction requirements
But how do you get a building permit? This can be applied for online or in paper form, with all required building documents attached. The responsible lower building supervisory authority examines the application and, if necessary, involves the municipality. If documents are missing or there are ambiguities, these must be remedied before the process can move forward, as can be read on the City of Rostock website ( Rostock town hall ).
What makes matters worse is that many property developers perceive the high cost structure as an obstacle due to rising interest rates and expensive building materials. A reduction in loan interest rates to a maximum of two percent is required here. In addition, the President of the Federal Association of German Building Materials Trade would like to see stronger incentives and clear signals for housing construction. They are even considering withdrawing all the requirements of the last ten years in order to make construction easier.
Current developments in construction
However, the industry is showing slight upward movements. ZDB managing director Felix Pakleppa reported that they are coming out of a long trough, but further investment impulses are needed. This could allow construction to pick up speed again in the region and beyond. The knot has to burst – that’s clear.
New apartments are also being planned in Kühlungsborn with around 100 units and in Ticino, where eight apartment buildings with a total of 105 residential units are to be built. The hope is that with these new projects the shortage of living space can be alleviated somewhat and the people who live in Rostock and the surrounding area can find a home.