Housing officials in Germany and Austria debate rising rents and reforms

Policymakers and organizations in Germany and Austria are addressing rising housing costs and the need for structural reforms. In Germany, the Wohngipfel 2026, hosted by the Deutscher Mieterbund and the Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund, highlighted the critical issue of affordable living. Rents in major German cities have increased by an average of 43 percent over the last decade, with Berlin seeing a 69 percent rise. Discussions centered on the shortage of approximately 1.4 million housing units and the role of speculative vacancies.

In Austria, housing officials from all federal states met in Rust to advocate for reforms to the non-profit housing law. Officials called for increased planning security for tenants and criticized variable interest rate models that pass costs to renters. Proposals include reducing bureaucratic hurdles for housing construction, continuing exemptions from land registry fees, and abolishing real estate transfer taxes for first-time homebuyers to facilitate property ownership.