Wohnen: Linke: Mehr als 11.000 Mieter alarmierten über App die Ämter

In the past two years, over 11,000 households have reportedly reported suspiciously high rents to authorities using the Link Party's "Mietwucher-App" in Germany. This app, initially available in 39 cities and now extended to Bremen, has been used over 333,000 times. According to the app, nearly two-thirds of the reported rents (215,941) were deemed excessive.

However, many renters did not report the issue, likely due to fear of losing their homes. Among the 11,157 suspicious claims submitted to authorities, the average overcharge was found to be around 66 percent, with the required reduction in rent being more than 250 euros per month. In Berlin, the app was particularly popular, with 123,698 users submitting their data and 5,083 triggering authority notifications.

The city alone imposed fines totaling 81,600 euros, of which 27,500 were actually paid. Frankfurt am Main stands out as the city with the most rigorous enforcement, having conducted over a thousand proceedings since 2020 and recovering 330,330 euros in restitution. The Link Party believes their app has also contributed to these efforts, noting that several cities have implemented their own rent calculators.

Despite the data, the results are alarming, with Link Party representative Caren Lay stating that millions of euros in illegally high rents have gone to landlords. She calls on the federal government to make it easier for municipalities to take action against excessive rent.