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Fee increase in Berlin: What does that mean for your wallet?
On August 11th, 2025, the fees for street cleaning and garbage disposal will increase in Berlin. Find out more about the new price adjustments.
Fee increase in Berlin: What does that mean for your wallet?
Berlin is facing an increase in fees for street cleaning and waste disposal, which is due to come into force next year. According to reports in the Berliner Zeitung, the city's character is characterized by both its unique “Berlin snout” and a familiar closeness that many of the city's residents value. But while these cultural aspects enrich life in the capital, citizens now have to prepare for rising costs.
From 2025, waste disposal fees in Berlin will rise by an average of 4.9 percent. This adjustment not only affects cleaning, but also the fees for the residual waste bin, which is emptied every two weeks. The costs will be increased from 47.03 euros to 50.14 euros per quarter. At the same time, the basic fee per household increases by 41 cents to 9.09 euros per quarter. Despite the increases, the fee increase remains behind the adjustments of previous years, which averaged about seven percent, as rbb24 reported.
Fee structure details
The new prices apply for a period of two years, and the additional costs for households amount to less than two euros per month. Homeowners are particularly affected because they have to pay the cleaning fees themselves, but can pass them on to the tenants through additional costs. The fees for organic, leaf and garden bins remain unchanged, while the prices for street cleaning increase between 1.05 euros and 10.50 euros per quarter, depending on the number of residential and commercial units.
According to the Berliner Stadtreinigung (BSR), cleaning and garbage collection fees remain among the lowest compared to other large German cities. This information is noteworthy, especially considering the upcoming increases, which still need to be approved by the Senate before they can take effect.
In a city characterized by the diversity of its residents and the unique atmosphere, the question arises as to how these changes will affect the everyday lives of Berliners. For many, the love of the city, as expressed in a personal description of the connection to the metropolis, could be at odds with the threat of additional costs. Nevertheless, it is this special mix of Berlin snark and familiarity that makes the capital so endearing to its residents the Berliner Zeitung emphasized.