Rostock is threatened with a housing shortage: 2,700 new apartments are urgently needed!

Rostock is threatened with a housing shortage: 2,700 new apartments are urgently needed!

Rostock is faced with a serious housing shortage, which now includes a deficit of around 2,700 apartments. These alarming figures emerge from a current analysis by the Pestel Institute, which was carried out on behalf of the Federal Association of German Building Materials Trade (BDB). Those responsible don't have much time for big words; they have to act quickly to counteract the impending housing shortage.  Baltic Sea newspaper reports that Rostock will need around 1,200 new apartments annually over the next five years to close the gap.

The situation is exacerbated by the fact that around 880 apartments in Rostock have been empty for more than a year. With this number, many landlords have painful experiences because these empty properties are rarely rented out again. Effective measures are required!

The new building in Rostock is stalling

The development in housing construction is currently sobering: in the first half of 2023, Rostock only approved 65 new apartments. This is a significant decrease compared to the previous year, when 212 permits were already issued in the first five months. A trend that cannot continue, as Matthias Günther, the head of the Pestel Institute, emphasizes and points out the need for new buildings.  Northern Courier adds that around 1,690 new apartments will be necessary every week by 2028 to meet demand.

This development means that the housing companies in Rostock have to increase their investments in new buildings. The need is gigantic, but the willingness to create new living space has fallen by 14 percent compared to the previous year. The main reasons for this are rising construction costs and high interest rates, which are making construction projects increasingly difficult.

Political demands and decisions

At this point, political decision-makers are called upon. The need for cheap building money and an interest rate program with a maximum of 2 percent interest is seen as central to boosting housing construction. There is also criticism of high construction standards, with the aim of lowering them so that construction can be built more cost-effectively without restricting living comfort. Katharina Metzger, President of the BDB, calls for a “significant reduction” in standards and requirements at all levels in order not to hinder the new building.

The nationwide picture shows that Germany is struggling with an acute housing shortage. Although the number of building permits is increasing nationwide, the situation in Rostock remains critical. According to a thematic analysis by Tagesschau, the number of building permits is far below the required values ​​compared to previous years, despite a slight increase to a total of 131,800 in the first half of 2025. daily news reports that fewer than 250,000 permits are expected in 2025, while 320,000 are necessary. There is a real need for action here.

In summary, it remains to be said: Rostock has a challenge ahead of it that requires both local and federal political solutions. Citizens and those responsible are called upon to jointly set the course for a sustainable housing situation.