5 Comments

While I'm very sympathetic with the argument that there's not enough affordable housing in Berlin, any ruling against Eigenbedarf is likely to reduce that, by forcing small renters out of the market. For example, if you get a job in Brussels for a couple of years, do you rent out your apartment, or are you afraid you can never get back into it anyway and just sell it, or loan it to your kids?

This kind of problem killed rent control in Cambridge MA – apartment owners took the issue to commonwealth-wide ballot, and of course the rural areas couldn't believe you couldn't move back in to your own house if you wanted to. (Massachusetts is one of two commonwealths in the USA, which actually has only 48 states...)

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It is permitted to rent out your furnished flat for a limited period so it's not as if owners aren't without options. This court ruling only delayed eviction to give the tenant more time to find a new home. I think that's reasonable.

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I get that, but I also get that I too would need somewhere to live and also my furniture in that case, so it's not clear that if we are basically in the same situation, both I and my expected-to-be-former renter should both have to search for accommodation in the same market at the same time, only I am looking only for a short rent for an unknown amount of time until my expected-to-be-former renter moves out, so I'm actually at a disadvantage.

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True, the concept that an owner cannot get back into the apartment they own is just ridiculous, it still remains their property!

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"Blood of my (rich) enemies"? I'll have that double

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