Half of renters in Germany worry they won’t find a new home

A recent report by the German Tenants’ Association reveals that half of Germany's renters are concerned they will not find a new home. The Rent Report 2026, which surveyed 1.021 tenants between June 29 and July 7, 2026, uncovered several worrying trends. While 50% of renters fear their next house search will be unsuccessful, 29% worry about their ability to afford rent in the future, and a majority, 58%, reported increases in rent and utility bills over the past year.

Germany's housing crisis is becoming increasingly unaffordable, even for middle-income earners. Over the past decade, rents in major cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Dortmund, Essen, Bremen, Dresden, Nuremberg, and Duisburg have surged by an average of 44%, with Berlin and Leipzig experiencing the highest increases.

As a result, landlords in these cities are now charging tenants an average of 69% more than they did in 2016, and in Leipzig, 67% more. Despite wages not keeping pace with these rising costs, Germany has approximately 40 million households, with 20 million of them being renters. A significant portion of renters are struggling financially; 3.2 million pay over 40% of their income before tax towards rent, while another 3.4 million pay between 30 and 40%.

The president of the German Tenants’ Association, Melania Weber-Moritz, emphasized that the welfare state is increasingly having to intervene to address the housing market's issues, stating, "Housing is becoming a risk of poverty and social decline for more and more people."