The housing corporation Vonovia is retracting numerous rent increases in Berlin. This is confirmed by consistent reports from RBB and the Tagesspiegel, which have obtained corresponding letters from the company. According to these reports, even tenants who had already agreed to the increases are receiving notices cancelling them.

Since the beginning of the year, Vonovia had justified rent increases of 15 percent in several Berlin neighbourhoods using the residential quality criteria of “above-average access to public transport” and “above-average local amenities.” However, these arguments did not hold up in court: several chambers, most recently the Berlin Regional Court, ruled that these features were “invented,” as they were already accounted for in the official rent index. A double assessment, the court found, is legally inadmissible.

Unclear course at Vonovia: reversals even after tenant approval?

According to RBB, Vonovia initially indicated that it would not fully comply with the Regional Court’s ruling, but has now changed course. Particularly surprising: according to the Tagesspiegel, households that had already given legally binding consent to the rent increases are also receiving letters stating that the company will no longer apply the two disputed criteria to their tenancy.

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Vonovia, however, denies that it is generally withdrawing increases that tenants have already accepted. A spokesperson told the newspaper: “Where rent increase demands have been accepted, there is no room for further adjustments.”

The Alternative Tenants’ and Consumer Protection Association (AMV) therefore considers these cases to be isolated, calling them a “mistake by Vonovia.” AMV representative Marcel Eupen expressed doubt that the company was deliberately reversing increases in such cases: “We absolutely cannot imagine that a reversal was genuinely intended here.” If it were, he added, it would be “a step back toward being a socially oriented landlord” — though that would “exceed his imagination.”

Left Party sees success — and demands refunds for all affected Vonovia tenants

The Berlin Left Party, which had supported many tenants in reviewing and contesting the increases, views the letters as a victory. Elif Eralp and Niklas Schenker told the newspaper: “After suffering defeat after defeat in court, Vonovia is finally ending its rip-off scheme. This is good and shows that we can fight back together against brazen rent gouging.”

The two Left Party lawmakers also assume that the letters sent to tenants who had already agreed to the increases are isolated cases. Nonetheless, they make a clear demand: “Tenants who have already agreed must also get their money back.”

Vonovia owns around 138,400 apartments in Berlin — roughly eight percent of the city’s entire rental housing stock.

This article was originally written and published on the 4th of December in German. It was translated in English with the use of Artificial Intelligence.