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Berlin (dpa) - One year after the Berlin rent cap came into force, the Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) defended the controversial measure.
It was important to give the tenants a "respite" until the housing market was relieved by increased new construction, he said on Tuesday in Berlin.
"That is of course a controversial way," admitted Müller.
However, the SPD politician justified the measure with the fact that the incomes of those affected and the rental price development were not in line with each other.
With the rent cap law, rents for around 1.5 million apartments in Berlin have been frozen at the June 2019 level since February 23, 2020.
They may increase by a maximum of 1.3 percent annually from 2022 to 2025.
If an apartment is rented out again, the landlord must adhere to upper limits and the last rent requested.
Excessive rents have been banned since November 23 and have to be reduced.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210223-99-558520 / 2