The Munich Tenants' Association "DMB Mieterverein München e.V." wants to attain a stop for rent increases in Bavaria, and therefore initiated a petition titled: "Uns glangt's! Mieten-Stopp in Bayern!" which translates to "We've had enough! Stop rent increases in Bavaria!".

According to the tenants' association, a total of 137 cities and municipalities in Bavaria are struggling with a tense housing market, accordingly, the problem of sharply increased rents no longer only concerns the city of Munich.

Central demands for the petition is the freezing of current rents in Bavaria. Rents may not be increased for a limited period of time, such as five years, and remain at their current level.

In addition to that, it should also be stipulated that re-letting rents may not exceed the rent index and that a maximum of two euros per square meter can be allocated to the monthly rent for modernizations of residential complexes. In the case of a violation, there should be clear sanctions for landlords as requested by the tenants' association.

At present, the rental price brake does not apply in Bavaria because the Bavarian state government has issued the required regulation incorrectly. With rental price brakes, rents for new lettings are likely to be at most ten percent above the rent index. However, since the rental price brake does not apply, there is currently no limit on re-rentals in Bavaria.

For the petition, the tenants' association has received support from two tenancy and constitutional experts: Markus Artz and Franz Mayer, professors of the University of Bielefeld, who will draft a bill by autumn of this year. The signature collection is due to start after the Oktoberfest 2019.

In order to be able to apply for a petition, 25,000 valid signatures are required (i.e. application for approval of the petition). After admission, ten percent of the Bavarian electorate population must register in the town halls within 14 days. About one million signatures are required for the actual referendum. The state parliament then may or may not accept the bill. If the bill is not accepted, a referendum will take place.

The Munich Tenants' Association is an advocacy group for tenants in Munich with currently around 68,000 members and part of the German Tenants' Association. The aim of the association is, inter alia, the realization of a social and ecological housing and rent policy, the improvement of housing conditions and the preservation of tenant rights and interests. Members pay an annual fee and can ask for advice on rent issues, as often as necessary, from the legal advisors the association provides.

 

Logo/image © Mieterverein München/in a nutshell