Vonovia flies out of the apartment alliance: rent increases under fire!

Vonovia flies out of the apartment alliance: rent increases under fire!

In a pioneering decision, the Berlin Senate has excluded the housing company Vonovia from the "Alliance for New Housing and affordable living". This measure was decided on the initiative of Governing Mayor Kai Wegner and building body Christian Gaebler. Vonovia was the last remaining sole proprietorship in the alliance and was faced several times with rent increases of up to 15 percent, which was based on "invented" enhancing features. The increases were justified, among other things, with a "good public transport connection" and "good local supply", but are expected to be difficult to enforce in court. Despite these difficulties, Vonovia continues to send such rent increases to the tenants concerned.

The alliance was created in 2022 to promote housing construction and to keep rents in Berlin affordable. However, the Berlin tenant association did not join the alliance because the negotiation results were considered inadequate. In October 2024, the Senate announced an extensive restructuring of the alliance. Mayor Kai Wegner described the alliance as "in need of renovation" and plans to convert it into a "association alliance" in the future, in which only associations may be members. This is done in cooperation with the Bausenator.

background and consequences of the exclusion

The exclusion of Vonovia follows after the company violated the alliance's central agreements in the summer by raising rents by 15 percent instead of the agreed maximum increase of 11 percent. A year ago, the apartment company Adler had left the alliance in order to fully exploit the legal framework for rent increases. With the exclusion of Vonovia, the alliance not only loses a member, but also a significant influence on rental prices in the city.

political reactions to the exclusion of different nature. Niklas Schenker, spokesman for the left faction, has significantly criticized the failure of the alliance and demanded the expropriation of Vonovia. Marcel Eupen from the alternative tenant and consumer protection association described the exclusion as late, but necessary. He advocates that the Senate's rental premium testing agency becomes active and that the tenants should inform Vonovia about the wrong characteristics.

with Vonovia, which under Rolf Buch's leadership caused excitement in January, when he described the Berlin rent index as "faithed" without evidence, the alliance has overcome another hurdle. The realignment of the alliance will be decisive in order to redefine the jointly defined goals in view of the changed framework conditions. Berlin Live and nd Current provide information about the urgent need for measures to ensure affordable living space in the capital.