Suche
Mein Konto
Cologne in the rent crisis: New measures against rent usury decided!
Cologne is fighting against rent usury: Current challenges in the housing situation and new measures by the Cologne Council in July 2025.
Cologne in the rent crisis: New measures against rent usury decided!
The housing situation in Cologne is a hot topic that not only concerns Cologne tenants, but also calls city politics into the spotlight. The fear of rent increases is omnipresent, while apartment hunters search in vain for fair prices. That reports Review online. Many real estate offers in the cathedral city are significantly higher than the typical local rent.
The numbers speak volumes: an 80 square meter apartment in Nippes, for example, costs 1,450 euros, and the 90 square meter in Longerich is not exactly a bargain at just under 1,200 euros. Experts warn of a trend in which vacant apartments are often only given out secretly, which puts additional strain on the already tense market.
Political measures for regulation
The Cologne rent index, which forms the basis for calculating the comparative rent, takes into account a variety of factors, such as the location, size and condition of the apartment. Interestingly, this covers all parts of the city and is adjusted to market developments every two years. Unfortunately, it turns out that many real estate offers in Cologne are well above this rent index.
Meeting of politics and tenancy law
In order to reduce the pressure on the housing market, the rent cap will remain in force until the end of 2029. This emerges from new decisions by the Bundestag, such as Daily Mirror reported. Under this regulation, rents for new rentals may be no more than 10% above the local comparative rent, with the exception of newly built or comprehensively modernized apartments.
The discussion about rent controls has given rise to many opinions. The German Tenants' Association is calling for effective fines for violations of this regulation as well as the deletion of all exceptions, apart from new buildings. Critics from the owners' association Haus und Grund see the rent cap as unnecessary and warn of negative effects on the planning security for landlords.
Looking into the future
The housing situation in Cologne will remain an urgent issue in the future. Tenants and politicians are faced with the challenge of creating fair housing conditions while demand continues to rise. Rents in Germany's largest cities have increased by almost 50% since 2015, especially in tight markets like Cologne. In this mixed situation, transparent regulations and responsible offers are required in order to protect the interests of both tenants and landlords.
In a further step, expert groups are to develop proposals for tenancy law by the end of next year, which also include regulations for furnished and short-term rentals. Developments on the housing market should therefore continue to be monitored closely.