Berlin: How to Populate an Empty Residential Building
Germany's capital has been in a housing crisis for years. Still, there are empty apartment buildings. One of the most beautiful ones is falling apart. What is the city doing about it?
Berlin, September 27th, 2026 – The city of Berlin faces a severe affordable housing crisis, with 100,000 more apartments urgently needed. One glaring example of this issue is the empty "Flora" building in the Friedenau neighborhood, a property that has been vacant for nearly two decades. Locals refer to it as a "haunted house," and the owner, an elderly woman, refuses to renovate the deteriorating structure.
The building's windows are missing, the staircase is broken, the roof leaks, and there is a possibility that the beams may be rotted. Despite its architectural beauty, allowing the "Flora" to deteriorate is not an ideal solution. A neighborhood initiative has been advocating for its renovation, as the district authorities have also expressed concern over the situation.
Legally, in Berlin, owners are required to address abandoned properties. Since 2014, having an uninhabited building without permission has been deemed illegal due to the housing crisis. Recently, the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district authority announced that they had received funds for an initial assessment of the "Flora" building. The Berlin Senate Administration of Finance provided the necessary financial support.
Eva Majewski Sparacino, a district councilwoman from the CDU, confirmed that the district can now begin the first steps towards the building's renovation. This process includes thoroughly examining the property's condition and planning the necessary measures for its restoration. One crucial step involves appointing a trustee responsible for handling all administrative tasks and ensuring that the renovation process is carried out systematically.
The district's primary objective is to determine the building's structural stability before proceeding with an estimated renovation cost. If the owner continues to ignore legal requirements and district directives, the authorities may take further action on their own. However, this process might take years, primarily due to potential legal proceedings.
In the meantime, protective fences have been erected around the building to prevent debris from falling onto passers-by. The neighborhood initiative has also installed banners with a rhyming slogan, stating: "Property demands care. Here, it’s left to despair." While it remains uncertain when the "Flora" will once again house residents, the initiative aims to revitalize this architectural gem and address the ongoing affordable housing crisis in Berlin.
Written by urgent.news from The Berlin Spectator's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
