Germany's rental market sees sharp price hikes in Leipzig and Baden‑Württemberg

A new study of Leipzig’s housing market shows existing rents at a median of €7.32 per square metre in 2025, while newly advertised apartments average €10 per square metre – a gap of about 37 %. Offer rents have risen roughly 25 % since 2022 and the number of advertised units fell by about one‑third between 2022 and 2025, leaving only a few percent of listings affordable for larger households.

Data from the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) shows that in Baden‑Württemberg the most expensive cities are Freiburg (average €16.22 / m²) and Stuttgart (€16.07 / m²). Over the past ten years rents rose 46 % in Freiburg and 45 % in Stuttgart, while Mannheim saw the steepest percentage increase at 53.7 % despite a lower absolute level. Across Germany’s 40 largest cities, offered rents have climbed 51 % in the last decade, outpacing most wage growth. The DGB calls for a six‑year rent freeze, stronger rent‑brake enforcement and expanded social‑housing construction.