- SPD MEPs call for correction of Vonovia's rent increase
The two SPD members of parliament, Andreas Geisel and Tamara Lüdke, along with SPD Lichtenberg, are calling on the housing corporation Vonovia to withdraw the recently announced rent increases. This is reported by the "Tagesspiegel" (Friday).
The demand relates to the housing stock in Lichtenberg, which the state-owned housing company Howoge acquired from Vonovia in the spring. The actual transfer of the apartments into Howoge's portfolio is scheduled for the end of 2024 or early 2025.
Vonovia plans to increase rents by 15 percent
Vonovia is exploiting the legal possibility of increasing rents by 15 percent within three years. However, in the 2022-founded Berlin Housing Alliance, which includes representatives from politics, housing companies like Vonovia, and associations, an agreement had been reached on a so-called cap of 11 percent over three years.
The Housing Alliance was launched around two and a half years ago under Geisel as the then Senator for Urban Development and Franziska Giffey (SPD) as Governing Mayor, to promote "cooperation instead of confrontation" in housing policy. Critics had already warned at the time that the agreements were not binding for the companies.
SPD members of parliament speak of an affront
Geisel and Lüdke appeal to Vonovia to at least reduce the rent increases in the aforementioned portfolios to the level agreed in the Housing Alliance, namely a maximum of eleven percent over three years. "For us, this one-sided step by Vonovia is an affront to Berlin and its tenants and a clear breach of trust."
Geisel's successor as Senator for Urban Development and Housing, Christian Gaebler (SPD), has already announced that he will address the rent increase announced by Vonovia in the "Alliance for Affordable Housing" at the meeting in September. It will also be discussed whether the agreements made there two years ago are still up-to-date and where adjustments may be necessary.
The other SPD member of parliament involved in this issue is Andreas Geisel. Despite the agreement in the Housing Alliance for a maximum rent increase of 11% over three years, Vonovia plans to increase rents by 15% in certain portfolios, which Andreas Geisel and Tamara Lüdke find to be an affront to Berlin and its tenants.
