I noticed that there are a tons of flats empty in Munich where I live. As matter of fact I know most of them are kept as investments from wealthy inlanders and from outside. The owners don’t like to rent out their flats since tenants are usually a burden once they are in your house. So they just leave it empty and the overall value will still increase by atleast 10% annually. (https://www.welt.de/finanzen/immobilien/article205779947/Wohnungspreise-Experten-warnen-vor-Preisuebertreibung.html)
Wasn’t there a law which prohibited this? Why has nothing happened yet?
3 comments
>Why has nothing happened yet?
inventing laws does not solve problems – especially if they’re not enforced. Who exactly would even check if flats are vacated for longer periods? Ordnungsamt? Finanzamt? Stop kidding yourself 🙂
I think that the threat of expropriation and/or a [tenants’ strike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_strike) is necessary from time to time, both to motivate state authorities to implement existing laws, and to frighten landlords a bit by reminding them that what was given to them can always be taken away.
So, [watch this space](https://www.rbb24.de/politik/wahl/volksentscheid-wohnen/beitraege/berlin-volksentscheid-ergebnis-57-6-prozent-enteignungen.html).
There is a very easy way to avoid this. Increase property tax by 1000% when there isn’t electricity or water consumption. Apply the same to public institutions.