The Union parliamentary group is calling for amendments to the draft federal tenancy law presented by Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD). Deputy Union group chair Günter Krings told newspapers of the Funke media group that the draft still needs “corrections in several places”. He pointed to issues with indexed rents and short‑term rental agreements, where “without adjustments a tool that could otherwise benefit tenants would become entirely unattractive”.
Krings said that increased transparency for furnished apartments is generally a good idea, but the rigid five‑percent flat fee could create new conflicts. According to Hubig’s proposal, a furnishing surcharge would be deemed appropriate only if it does not exceed five percent of the net base rent for fully furnished accommodation.
Regarding the planned grace‑period payment, it must be expressly limited to situations where homelessness is a risk. “In addition to tenant protection, small landlords must also be shielded from tenants unwilling to pay” Krings added.
Krings also approved the proposed increase of the limit for small renovations from 10 000 € to 20 000 €-a change he said is justified by the steep rise in construction and trade costs.
He warned that reforms to tenancy law alone will not resolve a housing crisis. “What matters is that the measures actually help tenants and do not deter investment” he said. The Union group seeks to stabilise rents by making construction quicker, easier and cheaper.