Berlin housing shortage: Over 40,000 apartments are empty!
Berlin housing shortage: Over 40,000 apartments are empty!
Neukölln, Deutschland - nag/nag editors -
In a dramatic step, the Berlin Senate recently imposed a fine of 500,000 euros against an illegal driving service. This was announced by the transport administration on Wednesday. The investigation by the State Office for Citizens' and Ordinary Matters (Labo) and the police covered a particularly serious case of illegal rental car operation. Between August 2021 and March 2022, the company carried out over 100,000 trips with around 160 vehicles without possessing the necessary permits. This information was provided by Tagesspiegel
The situation in the Berlin housing market is also worrying. According to an inquiry to the Berlin House of Representatives, over 40,000 apartments are empty in the capital, while around 40,000 people live without their own apartment. These alarming numbers illustrate the precarious location, which is further intensified by the vacancy of apartments. The districts are responsible for taking action against the misuse of living space. In 2023, the district administration of Neukölln already took 425,384 euros through fines, which underlines the urgency of the situation, as reported
The punishments for vacancy
In the district of Neukölln, owners of empty apartments threaten fines of up to 5,000 euros per apartment if they cannot submit any rental contracts completed by January 2025. This measure is part of the efforts to bring the living space back onto the market. The district administration has already taken steps to take action against misuse, and it is expected that the penalties could still increase in the future, especially if entire buildings are empty for a long time.
The problem of vacancy is not only a question of housing shortage, but also a challenge for the district administrations, which often do not have the necessary resources in order to work on all cases. In Steglitz-Zehlendorf, for example, an additional position in the misuse authority is created in order to speed up the processing of cases. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how many apartments are actually empty, since the procedures can take different lengths and often depend on special circumstances.
The challenges of the rental car industry
In parallel to the challenges in the apartment sector, there are also considerable problems in the rental car industry. The illegal driving service, which has now been occupied with a high fine, has drawn attention to the practices in the industry. The providers who work with large Ride sharing platforms such as Uber, Freenow and Bolt must comply with strict legal requirements to ensure the safety of passengers. The transport administration has asked the users to pay particular attention to whether the vehicles are properly licensed to protect themselves from possible risks.The combination of empty apartments and illegal driving services shows how important it is to enforce the existing laws and to fold the responsible persons into account. The Berlin authorities are faced with the challenge of regulating the housing market and monitoring the rental car industry in order to ensure the security and well -being of the citizens.
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| Ort | Neukölln, Deutschland |