Home truths Berlin shows how private renting can work better

When Bex Burch swapped the choppy world of private renting in the UK for a new life in Berlin, “it was a weight off my shoulders”, she said. After spells in at least 10 rentals in London and Brighton over 15 years – and two evictions – she discovered having somewhere to live need not be so stressful.

- Robert Booth

“I felt like instead of being just a renter while I am living here, this is my home,” said the 39-year-old musician.

A key difference is that tenants cannot be forced out for no reason in the German capital. The numbers are also stark: Burch was paying about 30% less in rent for 50% more space in Berlin compared with London.

It is no surprise then that Germans typically stay 11 years in rented homes on average, compared with 2.5 years in the UK, according to one study. The average German renter is aged closer to 50, while in the UK the bulk of tenants are younger. More than half of German households rent privately, compared with 20% in England and Wales and 15% in Scotland.

Millions of German renters belong to tenant organisations, affording them greater influence over landlords, and there have been limits on in-tenancy rent rises. Yet Germany is not a renting paradise. The stability of tenancies means acquiring one can be arduous. In cities such as Berlin, rents have more than doubled in some areas since 2015. Nevertheless, it is one of many EU nations where renting is cheaper and more stable than the UK.