Zeitwohnen Update: August 2026

With the Berlin House of Representatives election approaching, housing policy developments are multiplying. Jan Hase, CEO of Wunderflats, walks through the federal and Berlin-level changes and links to the full August briefing.

Disclaimer: Picture is AI generated

With the Berlin House of Representatives election just around the corner, housing policy developments are multiplying. Their significance in the current election campaign can hardly be overstated. At the federal level, the German government's goal to ensure greater transparency regarding furnishing surcharges through the Act Amending the Law on Residential and Commercial Leases is to be expressly welcomed. The situation is different with regard to other regulations, particularly the cap on the furnishing surcharge and the duration of leases under temporary use arrangements.

Locally in Berlin, the planned administrative regulations for social preservation areas once again push against the limits of legal permissibility. At the same time, a rental registry is intended to expand oversight of the housing market, while the debate over the communization of large housing portfolios continues. Long-term flexible housing is also increasingly coming into focus.

This briefing examines the situation and explains why greater transparency and tenant protection must be considered in tandem with a functioning supply of flexible housing.

Yours sincerely,
Jan Hase
CEO Wunderflats