German renters face housing cost overload, study finds

A study by the Institute for Housing and Environment (IWU) commissioned by the German Tenants' Association shows that roughly one‑third of German renter households are financially overburdened. About 3.2 million households spend more than 40 % of their net income on housing, while another 3.4 million allocate 30‑40 % of their net income to cold rent and heating costs. In total, an estimated 6.6 million renter households – one in three – are under severe cost pressure.

Melanie Weber‑Moritz, president of the German Tenants' Association, described the figures as “alarming” and urged the federal government to protect renters from further financial strain.