At first glance, the rows of houses in the Carl von Weinberg settlement do not show that they are around 90 years old.

They were built north of what is now Miquelallee in the Westend in the early 1930s as one of the last projects of the “New Frankfurt”, and to this day they are mostly in a respectable condition from the outside.

Nevertheless, comprehensive modernization is now necessary.

Water pipes and bathrooms are replaced, outdoor facilities renewed.

Above all, however, the houses are insulated to reduce energy consumption.

From March onwards, the housing company Vonovia wants to renovate 105 of the approximately 400 apartments in a first construction phase for around 17 million euros.

Gunter Murr

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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This should reduce the “CO2 footprint” by 75 percent.

This corresponds to the political goal of making the housing stock largely climate-neutral by 2050.

But that is expensive for the residents, who will have to pay higher rents after the modernization.

That amounts to up to 200 euros per apartment in the Carl von Weinberg settlement, according to a tenant initiative that was founded after the announcement of the modernization.

“We cannot afford this rent increase.” The rent was not adjusted to the rent index until the end of October.

The landlord can add eight percent of the modernization costs to the annual rent – ​​this is regulated by law.

The maximum amount is three euros per square meter within six years.

For landlords, the investments pay off in the long run.

But first of all they are struggling with the construction costs, which have risen by around 17 percent in the past year alone.

According to Vonovia, it is therefore currently continuing ongoing projects, but is not starting any new ones for the time being.

Tenants fear noise, dirt and pollution

The Nassauische Heimstätte/Wohnstadt (NHW) group of companies is planning to completely modernize 460 apartments this year, 504 will be renovated on the outside, and the facade and roof will be insulated, among other things.

Some are switched to district heating.

"It is very important to us to make a significant contribution to climate protection with our modernization strategy," says the company.

Such a modernization is planned in the Adolf Miersch settlement in Niederrad.

Here, too, there is protest among the approximately 60 tenants affected.

On the one hand, there is the rent increase, which should amount to between 120 and 180 euros per month.

On the other hand, the tenants fear noise, dirt and the stress when there is no running water and the bathrooms cannot be used.

NHW modernizes its apartments in the inhabited stock.

This means that the residents have to temporarily switch to sanitary containers that are set up in front of the house.

This is also the case in the Carl von Weinberg settlement.

A Vonovia spokesman assures that it will only take one to two weeks.

There is another special case at Vonovia.

Two years ago, in an agreement with the city, the company committed itself to charging a maximum of two euros more per square meter after modernization.

In the Carl-von-Weinberg settlement, however, the legal framework of three euros is exhausted.

According to a Vonovia spokesman, this has to do with the fact that the apartments only came into Vonovia's portfolio through the takeover of Deutsche Wohnen at the turn of the year.

The planning was finished, it could only have been changed at additional cost.

In the Adolf Miersch settlement, the tenants are demanding that the increase be limited to a maximum of 50 euros per apartment.

The NHW should also provide replacement apartments.

The company rejects a general regulation, instead wanting to respond to individual needs.

Vonovia also announces that it will find solutions for hardship cases.

No tenant has to spend more than 30 percent of their disposable income on rent.

Both housing companies point out that the tenants would have significantly lower heating costs after the modernization thanks to the improved insulation.

But the increased rent should not compensate for that.

NHW states: "We would be very pleased if the tenants recognized the added value of energy modernization and tackled the challenges of climate protection together with us."