housing

Housing creeps over 1/3 of monthly budgets

Germans spend more than a third of their household budgets on keeping a roof over their heads each month, new figures showed on Thursday – an increase of almost three percentage points in recent years.

housing

Berlin rents drop as price controls take effect

A new study published on Wednesday showed that Berlin's “rent prices brake” introduced on June 1st has had an immediate effect, with asking prices on one top website sinking by 3.1 percent within a month.

Immigration

2014 sees jump in refugee home attacks

Federal investigators said on Sunday that attacks against refugee housing had increased dramatically in 2014, but refugee organizations warned against panic.

Renting

Tenant must pay for shirking paint duties

A tenant must pay more than €3,000 for failing to follow German etiquette and repaint the walls of his apartment white after moving out, a Munich court has ruled.

welfare

Unemployed could be forced into tiny apartments

People on Hartz IV unemployment benefits could be restricted to renting apartments of 25 square metres or less under a radical plan floated by the Ministry of Labour, media reported Friday.