Finding an Apartment in Berlin: Municipal Housing and Residence Restrictions

Cold rents in 2026, the six state-owned housing companies on inberlinwohnen.de, WBS eligibility, and Wohnsitzauflage limits on moving outside Berlin.

Updated on 3 August 2026

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Berlin is not the "cheap German capital" story many people still expect. Average rents have risen about 69% since 2016, and a few hundred listings can draw tens of thousands of applications within minutes. If you only chase private portals, you will burn weeks. For national rules on SCHUFA, deposits, and scams, see Finding an Apartment in Germany.

By Q2 2026, average cold rent for existing stock was about €15.30 per m². New builds averaged around €19.00 per m². In high-demand central neighbourhoods, averages often sit above €19.27 per m². Vacancy stays very low.

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