Berlin launches an online portal to combat inflated rents: what it means for tenants

Berlin is taking another major step toward strengthening tenant protection. Amid a chronic housing shortage and rising rental prices, the city authorities have announced the launch of a new online portal that will allow residents to independently check whether their landlord is violating existing legal rent limits. The project is backed by substantial funding and is viewed as a key tool in the fight against speculation in the rental market.

This news is especially relevant for tenants, expats, and foreign professionals living in Berlin — including Blue Card and residence permit holders — for whom housing costs often represent one of the largest expenses.

Berlin’s governing CDU–SPD coalition has announced the launch of an official online portal for rent verification. Using this service, tenants will be able to quickly determine whether their rent complies with federal regulations under the so-called “rent brake” (Mietpreisbremse).

The main goal of the initiative is to simplify access to legal protection and reduce the widespread practice of unlawfully inflated rents, which city authorities say remains a mass phenomenon.

To implement the project and strengthen supervision of the rental market, the city of Berlin is allocating €4.5 million over two years. These funds will be used for:

• the development and operation of the tenant online portal;
• strengthening rent control authorities across all 12 Berlin districts;
• hiring 12 state inspectors to investigate cases of excessive rent;
• legal enforcement and prosecution of landlords who violate the law.

This means the initiative goes beyond a digital tool and represents a systemic reinforcement of administrative oversight.

The urgency of the initiative is supported by existing data. After the launch of the Rent Price Review Office (Mietpreisprüfstelle) hotline in August 2025, it was found that 93 out of 95 reviewed rental contracts charged rents above the legally permitted level.

This indicates that the issue is not isolated but systemic, affecting thousands of households across the city.

Germany’s federal rent regulation mechanism — the Mietpreisbremse (rent brake) — has been in force since 2015 and applies in regions with tight housing markets, including Berlin.

Under the law:

• rent for new contracts may not exceed the reference rent by more than 10%;
• exceeding the limit by 20% constitutes an administrative offense;
• fines for landlords can reach €50,000;
• exceeding the limit by more than 50% may result in criminal liability.

A notable case occurred in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, where a landlord was fined more than €26,000 for charging rent 190% above the permitted maximum.

Previously, tenants could seek help through:

• the Mietpreisprüfstelle hotline;
• public advisory centers;
• independent calculators, including an online tool by the Left Party, which identified over 146,000 cases of excessive rent across Germany.

The new Berlin online portal will serve as an official and centralized tool, fully integrated into the city’s monitoring system. It will allow tenants to:

• quickly verify whether their rent is legal;
• understand whether there are grounds for a complaint;
• initiate an official review process.

For tenants — including foreigners, students, professionals, and residence permit holders — the launch of the portal means:

• more transparent rules in the rental market;
• reduced risk of overpaying;
• easier access to legal protection;
• an additional leverage point in negotiations with landlords.

This is especially important for those planning long-term residence in Germany or applying for or renewing a residence permit.

Berlin is consistently strengthening oversight of its rental market, moving from declarations to practical enforcement tools. The new online portal, supported by substantial funding and an expanded inspector workforce, could become a turning point in the fight against illegally inflated rents.

For tenants, this means greater transparency, stronger protection, and real mechanisms to hold unscrupulous landlords accountable.

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