Home truths Berlin shows how private renting can work better
The Guardian Weekly|December 01, 2023
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
Home truths Berlin shows how private renting can work better

“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.

この記事は The Guardian Weekly の December 01, 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Guardian Weekly の December 01, 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLYのその他の記事すべて表示
Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma
The Guardian Weekly

Starlink's conquest of the Amazon leaves Brazil in a dilemma

The helicopter swooped into one of the most inaccessible corners of the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian special forces commandos leaped from it into the caiman-inhabited waters below.

time-read
3 分  |
September 13, 2024
Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom
The Guardian Weekly

Dalai Lama's mountain town feels the strain of tourist boom

SUVs and saloon cars pass slowly along McLeod Ganj's narrow one-way Jogiwara Road, blaring horns at pedestrians and scooter riders and playing loud music.

time-read
3 分  |
September 13, 2024
'I am all the world' The brutal rule of a West Bank settler
The Guardian Weekly

'I am all the world' The brutal rule of a West Bank settler

Palestinians tell ofblacklisted Yakov's reign across the Jabal Salman valley and heisjust one of many violent bosses

time-read
2 分  |
September 13, 2024
Stormy waters New flashpoint emerges in South China Sea dispute
The Guardian Weekly

Stormy waters New flashpoint emerges in South China Sea dispute

Hopes that tensions in the South China Sea might ease have been short lived.

time-read
2 分  |
September 13, 2024
'Justice delayed' Why trust in public inquiries to bring closure is fading
The Guardian Weekly

'Justice delayed' Why trust in public inquiries to bring closure is fading

After the final report of the Grenfell fire inquiry was published, Hisam Choucair, who lost six family members in the blaze, said: \"We did not ask for this inquiry... It's delayed the justice my family deserves.\"

time-read
2 分  |
September 13, 2024
Celeriac soup with almond pangrattato
The Guardian Weekly

Celeriac soup with almond pangrattato

I'm not ashamed to say that as soon as September hits, my stick blender comes out. Just as I embrace salads when the clocks go forward in the UK, I wholeheartedly throw myself into soup season once the summer holidays end. Autumn is approaching in the northern hemisphere and I'm ready with my ladle. Celeriac is one of my favourite soup heroes, because it gives the creamiest, silkiest finish with little effort. You don't have to make the almond pangrattato, but it is a wonderful addition.

time-read
1 min  |
September 13, 2024
Are smoke signals telling me to make an oil change in the kitchen?
The Guardian Weekly

Are smoke signals telling me to make an oil change in the kitchen?

Should you that is, not can you) cook with extra-virgin olive oil? Antonio, Atlanta, Georgia, US

time-read
1 min  |
September 13, 2024
Going underground
The Guardian Weekly

Going underground

A darkly humorous encounter between an American spy-cop and the members ofan eco-commune she is hired to infiltrate

time-read
3 分  |
September 13, 2024
All work and no play
The Guardian Weekly

All work and no play

Hard Graft, a powerfulnew London exhibition, focuses onworkers’ exploitation, from the ruined hands ofa washerwoman to mothers forced to sell their bodies

time-read
4 分  |
September 13, 2024
What the princess and the shaman tell us about hereditary privilege
The Guardian Weekly

What the princess and the shaman tell us about hereditary privilege

It should have been an Instagram-perfect wedding image, but it turned out to be something more embarrassing.

time-read
3 分  |
September 13, 2024