Die Linke im Bundestag is here to help. Do the rent-gouging check and stand up against your excessive rent!
Check your rent nowRents are skyrocketing and not being sufficiently regulated. But there’s a tool to lower exploitative rents – and it should be used more often.
Authorities can act against rent usury right now. If you’re paying an excessive rent, you can report it. The housing office can then impose a fine and lower your rent. We help with our Rent Usury Calculator.
Are you paying a usurious rent? Check it with the calculator and take action!
Our Rent Usury Calculator for the cities Berlin, Bochum, Bonn, Dortmund, Erfurt, Freiburg, Hamburg, Hannover, Köln, Leipzig, München, Münster, Potsdam compares your rent with the local reference rent. This helps you find out if your rent is excessive and can be reduced. Because the exact calculation is complex, we only ask for as much information as needed for a reliable estimate.
If the calculator suggests that rent usury may be present in your case, you can send a report to the responsible housing authority with one click. The authority is then required to investigate and will contact you for further information. Your cooperation and testimony will be necessary. But: you are not legally required to take action against your landlord yourself.
If the suspicion is confirmed, the authority can impose a fine on the landlord. Your rent may be lowered and overpaid rent refunded. Many authorities lack experience in dealing with rent usury. We support them and demanding consistent enforcement.
The term 'rent usury' colloquially refers to two violations:
If the local reference rent from the rent index is exceeded by at least 20% and your landlord exploits a shortage in the housing market [or alternatively: and a housing shortage exists], this is considered an administrative offense. The landlord may face a fine of up to €50,000. If the rent is more than 50% above the reference rent, it may even constitute a criminal offense, with more severe penalties including possible imprisonment.
In both cases, the rent can be reduced and overpaid rent reclaimed.
How does it work? Check our FAQ
If the local comparative rent is exceeded by more than 20% and your landlord exploits a shortage in the housing market, this likely constitutes an unlawful excessive rent increase. This is an administrative offense. Fines for excessive rent are imposed in practice, though such violations are rarely prosecuted.
If the local comparative rent is exceeded by more than 50%, this likely constitutes rent usury, which is a criminal offense. In particularly brazen cases, the law even provides for prison sentences. However, we are not aware of any cases where courts have issued such sentences.
Colloquially, both cases are referred to as rent usury.
For Berlin, Freiburg, Hamburg, Leipzig, Dortmund, Munich, Hanover, or Erfurt, we provide the Rent Usury Calculator.
If you live in another city, rent usury can still be identified and pursued. Rent indexes have been mandatory since 2022 in all municipalities with over 50,000 residents and must be regularly updated. Municipalities and local tenants' associations often provide rent calculators to help determine whether your rent is too high. Alternatively, you can manually check your rent using the rent index.
If you live in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Dortmund, Hanover, Freiburg, Erfurt, or Potsdam and have used our Rent Usury Calculator, you can notify the relevant authority with a single click.
If you live in another city and suspect that your rent exceeds the local average by more than 20%, you can contact your local housing authority. Find the contact information by searching for "Housing Office YourCity," fill in your details using our template letter, and send it to the appropriate office.
Many people are afraid to challenge their high rent out of fear of conflict with the landlord or losing their home. However, when reporting suspected rent usury, you are not legally required to take action against your landlord yourself.
Unlike trying to lower your rent using the rent cap or challenging a rent increase, the housing office handles this case. You will need to cooperate in the process but act only as a witness.
If everything goes well, the office will take over. It will investigate and ask you for more information. Your cooperation and testimony will be required. Detailed apartment data and proof of your apartment search are necessary. This may seem burdensome. But the more you provide, the better your chances.
If the office concludes that rent usury has occurred, it must initiate proceedings against the landlord and may impose a fine. You could benefit from a permanent rent reduction and reimbursement of overpaid rent. Even if all goes well, the process may take several months.
If you don't hear back from the office after your report, stay persistent! We will support the office with you to ensure all legally required actions are taken.
If there is suspected misconduct or even a criminal offense, the authorities are obligated to investigate. You can use our template to follow up with the office.
Unfortunately, many offices put in too little effort and don’t pursue leads with the necessary motivation. A landlord-friendly court ruling from 2004 has led many cities to believe they cannot act against rent usury. The issue was forgotten, and many places lack knowledge and staff to fight rent usury. That’s wrong and unfortunate.
But don’t lose hope! More cities are taking action. Frankfurt am Main has shown for years that rent usury can be prosecuted successfully, even with limited staff. Thousands of people had their rent reduced. The fines imposed practically pay for the staff. Where there’s political will, there’s a way.
If the office hasn’t responded after follow-up and you’re sure rent usury is present, contact us: Die Linke in the Bundestag helps!
Additionally, your rent may violate the rent control law. Contact a tenants' association or free tenant counseling near you for help.
Die Linke in the Bundestag advocates for simplifying rent usury enforcement and increasing fines. The Bundesrat has supported this, but the other governing parties have blocked it. It’s time for change! Rent control must be strengthened. Rent caps must be introduced. Stronger tenant protection needs a strong Die Linke in the Bundestag.
Developed by DOT • STUDIO, Photos: SIphotography and Rawpixel, istockphoto.com