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Stuttgart in rental price chaos: City must finally act!
Rolf Gaßmann criticizes the city of Stuttgart for excessive rents and calls for measures against rent usury. What now?
Stuttgart in rental price chaos: City must finally act!
In the state capital Stuttgart, things are simmering when it comes to the topic of rental prices. Rolf Gaßmann, chairman of the Stuttgart tenants' association, sharply criticizes the city's inaction regarding excessive rents. No one can overlook the rising asking rents, which are exacerbated by the housing shortage. Gaßmann urgently calls for solutions and help for citizens who find themselves in this tense situation. Mayor Frank Nopper had already received a recommendation from the tenants' association to use a rent monitor in 2021, but it was not implemented. This monitor should check rental apartment offers for violations of the rent cap and rent usury.
The city of Stuttgart used the rent monitor for a few months, but ultimately decided not to continue using it. Instead, Nopper wanted to carry out the analysis of excessive rents himself in the future using internal staff and software. But this decision fills many with skepticism, especially Gaßmann. According to him, the newly created position in the Office of Urban Planning and Housing, which has been responsible for rental matters since October 2022, is a step in the right direction, but the successes remain to be seen.
The bare numbers
The Berlin figures are impressive: a total of 384 advertisements were checked in Stuttgart. The frightening result: 82 were above the rent cap, 132 were above the rent increase and 62 even showed signs of rent extortion. Of the 153 advertisers contacted, 112 responded, but only 45 rents were checked for plausibility and only 15 rents were actually reduced. Stuttgart newspaper highlights that in the past it was difficult for the city to take legal action against excessive rents because the burden of proof lies with the tenant.
Gaßmann emphasizes that the low number of checked advertisements – just 11 per month – leaves much to be desired compared to the performance of the rent monitor. While the city looks the other way, other cities such as Frankfurt, Freiburg and Tübingen are already calling for successful measures and a greater willingness to act.
Legal framework
The discussion about high rents is at the top of the agenda in current political discussions. The Bundestag recently extended the rent control until the end of 2029. This regulation limits the increase in rents for new rentals in areas with tight housing markets, as can also be seen in Stuttgart. Rents in these areas may be a maximum of 10% above the typical local rent. A not insignificant help for the tenants, but it cannot be the last word. Bundestag reports that while the AfD described this extension as “purely symbolic politics,” the SPD sees it as a first step in the right direction.
The various political opinions show the dilemma: While some parties are calling for the rent cap to be extended for a longer period of time, others see the need to push for new construction. The CDU/CSU emphasizes that the rent cap is not a permanent solution and that it is time to take measures to get housing construction going again.
What remains is the experience that the challenges when it comes to renting in Stuttgart cannot be overcome through legal regulations alone. More commitment and solutions that reach people directly are needed. While the housing shortage is driving up prices, the city is called upon to take strong countermeasures.