The BFW Regional Association Berlin/Brandenburg has welcomed the introduction of a new, automated rent scan by the State of Berlin. This digital review process serves to monitor publicly available rental listings for potential violations of the rent cap. The association sees this as an important signal for a fairer structuring of the housing market, as the focus is on preventive education rather than indiscriminately fostering mistrust towards landlords.
In the tight Berlin housing market, political debate has often recently been dominated by a general suspicion of property owners. The Senate’s initiative to now comprehensively digitally check online advertisements for compliance with the rent cap and to directly contact landlords in the event of discrepancies is considered a constructive turning point. This direct contact acknowledges that incorrect rental prices in complex tenancy law often do not result from malicious intent but are based on ignorance or misinformation.
Differentiated consideration and transparency
According to the association, a differentiated consideration of the situation is essential. An automated scan initially only provides initial indications. Consequently, an individual and precise determination of the permissible rent level in each individual case is important. The new procedure offers the possibility of creating transparency without additional bureaucratic hurdles and checking whether a requested rent is actually excessive or is based on a legally permissible exception.
At the current stage, it is essential to consistently speak of suspected cases rather than established violations. A sound legal assessment can only be carried out after individual review. For the real estate companies organised in the BFW Regional Association, strict adherence to the law is a matter of course. The targeted search for actual 'black sheep' in the market is expressly supported by the association, also to protect the reputation of the vast majority of honest landlords.
Demand for complete data transparency
Michael Kranz, Chairman of the Board of the BFW Regional Association Berlin/Brandenburg, stated that the digital rent scan represents a promising and fair path for all parties involved. He demonstrated that smart digital solutions are more effective and cheaper than building a bureaucratic comprehensive surveillance system, for example, in the form of a rent register. Kranz emphasised that the Senate must remain completely transparent with the published figures when consistently pursuing this path.
- —For an honest picture of the rental market, it is not enough to publish only the number of mere suspected cases.
- —The association demands the mandatory public disclosure of the concrete results of investigations.
- —Only then can it be seen how many 'real black sheep' exist.
- —This also shows in how many cases it is merely a need for advice.
