Unofficial Free English Translation of the Rent Cap / Rent Freeze "Mietendeckel" Law as Published

This document is an unofficial translation of the Berlin Rent Cap / Rent Freeze Law known by the name “Mietendeckel” and it’s official title

Gesetz zur Neuregelung gesetzlicher Vorschriften zur Mietenbegrenzung 

It was published on the Journal of Laws and Ordinances for the State of Berlin on 22 February 2020 and came into force on the following day 23 February 2019.

This date is important to keep in mind when reading the text because it makes it much easier to understand when exchanging the phrase “date of entry into force” by the actual date.

Another phrase is “the effective date” which is the date the Berlin Senate announced the plan of the “Mietendeckel” law, it is 18 June 2019. Replacing the phrase by the date again makes it easier to understand.

I wanted to stay as close to the original text as possible to not obstruct the comparison of the language versions.

This translation has no official character and is free for personal use only. It does not constitute by any means legal advice in any form. The purpose is for non-German speakers to get an understanding of the content of the law and draw conclusions regarding actions to be taken and questions to be asked.

There is a tight timeline and most of the actions have to be taken as an initiative by the landlord. The first action is due by 23 April and the next one 23 November 2020.x

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Unofficial Free English Translation of the Rent Cap / Rent Freeze "Mietendeckel" Law as Published

Rental Price Break in 16 Town and Cities in Hesse Unlawful

The Frankfurt District Court (Landgericht) has ruled that the Rental Price Break (Mietpreisbremse) in 16 towns and Cities including Frankfurt has not been sufficiently substantiated and is therefore invalid. This follows similar court rulings in Berlin and Bavaria.

The main feature of the Rental Price Break is a regulation that the rent for new contracts is not allowed to be higher than 10% above the rent table (Mietspiegel) for the area.

This is another blow against attempts by Federal and State Governments to slow the rent increase mainly in urban areas. The legal discussion is not focussing on the regulation itself but on the determination of the areas it should be applied and the data provided to prove the need for the measure.

However, it is not the time for property owners to lean back and take whatever rent they can get. All court rulings are on their way to the next level of appeals up to the Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht).

Rental Price Break in 16 Town and Cities in Hesse Unlawful