Berlin is the most expensive city in eastern Germany
In eastern Germany, Berlin is the city with the highest rents. If you want to rent a new apartment in Berlin, you have to pay an average of eleven euros per square meter. This emerges from an investigation by the Internet portal immowelt.de, which was published on Tuesday. In 54 of 72 East German urban and rural districts, asking rents have increased over the past twelve months.
The study included the asking rents for 40 to 120 square meter apartments, which were published on Immowelt in the first half of 2021 and 2022. New buildings were not taken into account.
Although the rent cap in Berlin is no longer valid, prices in the federal capital have risen by only two percent within a year. The situation is different in Potsdam, which is approaching the Berlin price level after an increase of eight percent in road traffic. In Potsdam, 10.60 euros per square meter are now being charged for rental apartments.
In the district of Oberhavel, north of Berlin, apartment seekers are also paying significantly more after a nine percent increase in rents: namely ten euros per square meter. But not all of the area around Berlin has become more expensive. In the equally high-priced district of Dahme-Spreewald, rents are stagnating at ten euros per square meter, just like in the slightly cheaper districts of Potsdam-Mittelmark at 8.80 euros and Märkisch-Oderland at eight euros per square meter.
Potsdam is approaching the rent level of Berlin
According to Immowelt, Berlin and Potsdam are among the most expensive cities in the East. The gap did not narrow noticeably in the past year either, since most urban districts only show moderate increases. In Dresden, rents without taxes rose by one percent to EUR 7.60 per square meter. In Leipzig, the increase of six percent is somewhat stronger, but the price level of EUR 7.40 per square meter is below that of the Saxon state capital.
The cities in Saxony-Anhalt also remain at a relatively low level. At EUR 6.20 per square metre, Halle registered a slight increase of three percent, in Magdeburg rents stagnated at EUR 6 per square meter, and in Dessau-Roßlau they even fell by two percent to EUR 5.90 per square metre.
Living in Thuringia’s major cities is already more expensive. In Jena, the average rent is 9.60 euros per square meter after an increase of three percent, in Weimar after a four percent increase it is 8.20 euros per square meter.
Rostock is an exception among the cities: In the city on the Baltic Sea, rents without heating have increased by 13 percent within a year. However, the high percentage increase is closely related to the price level, which is also lower, currently €6.80 per square meter.
Growing demand on the rental housing market is forecast
According to Immowelt, there could be stronger increases in the big cities in the future. Because of the rise in building interest rates since the beginning of the year, buying real estate is no longer feasible for many people. Those previously interested in homeownership are now also entering the rental market, where demand continues to grow. According to the experts, this should continue to drive up prices.