Immobilien: Mit diesen Tricks verdrängen Eigentümer ihre Mieter

In Frankfurt, Kai Schönbach, a lawyer, enjoys a panoramic view from the rooftop of the city's public housing department, situated on the twelfth floor. The vista encompasses the University campus of Westend, towering high-rise buildings in the city center and city west, the Federal Bank in the distance, and the Feldberg mountain range beyond.

However, Schönbach can't fully appreciate this view. As the head of the Housing Protection unit at Frankfurt City Hall, he advises community housing groups facing displacement threats – tenants threatened with involuntary eviction due to rising rents, renovations, or conversions. Where others see neighborhood charm, Schönbach perceives vacant lots.

Where others admire exterior facades, he observes precarious tenancy situations. Displacement is becoming increasingly prevalent in Germany's housing market. Consequently, seven years ago, Frankfurt City initiated the Housing Protection unit, an unprecedented municipal body in Germany. Schönbach is well-versed in the tactics employed by landlords to raise rents or force residents out, as well as the methods tenants can employ to resist.