A recent development in German housing policy has garnered support from the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wohnungslosenhilfe, a national association for the homeless. The organization has welcomed the government’s plans to expand the regulation of advance payment of arrears in the event of a tenancy agreement being terminated.
According to Sabine Bösing, the association’s managing director, the move will strengthen social tenant protection, particularly for individuals who have fallen into arrears due to unforeseen circumstances. The current system allows for a two-month grace period for tenants to settle outstanding rent before a regular termination of the tenancy agreement can be enforced. Under the new plans, this grace period will also be applicable in the case of a regular termination, providing tenants with more time to settle their debts.
While the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft Wohnungslosenhilfe has praised the move, Katja Kipping, the managing director of the Paritätischer Gesamtverband, a social welfare organization, has expressed a more critical view. She believes that the creation of affordable housing, a more effective rent cap and stronger tenant protection are necessary to address the issue of homelessness.
On the other hand, the Eigentümerverband “Haus & Grund”, a real estate association, has criticized the government’s plans. Inka-Marie Storm, the association’s chief justice, argues that the move will lead to significant burdens for private landlords, who already face difficulties in evicting tenants who have accumulated arrears. The association also points out that the proposed law does not cover all types of outstanding claims, such as those for additional costs, leaving landlords with a portion of their legitimate demands unmet. This, in turn, may lead to a decline in the willingness of private landlords to rent out their properties in the future.