Authority endorses rule for preserving natural surroundings

In the heart of Germany, the city of Düsseldorf is taking significant steps to address its growing housing crisis. On December 15, 2020, the city administration presented the final draft of the Residential Protection Charter to the city council.

The charter aims to protect freely financed residential space from unauthorized conversion, a trend that has become increasingly noticeable in the city, particularly in the inner city. Short-term rental of apartments as vacation apartments is a major problem, contributing to the tense housing market in Düsseldorf.

The charter creates the basis for systematically recording and preventing vacancy in Düsseldorf. It states that social facilities such as educational, training, care, or health facilities, essential services like medical care, and urgent public needs can be considered overriding public interests. Overriding public interest or protected private interests must outweigh the interest in preserving the affected residential space for conversion.

However, if residential space is used as a second or vacation home, for other purposes in self-used residential property, or as an ancillary apartment, it is not considered a conversion. A conversion is deemed to have occurred if residential space is used for purposes other than living in Düsseldorf, particularly when the residential space is used for more than half of the available area for commercial or professional purposes. In Düsseldorf, residential space remains vacant for more than six months or is demolished, it is considered a conversion under the housing protection charter.

Violations of the housing protection charter can result in fines of up to 50,000 euros per residential unit. The charter is an important building block for securing the supply of affordable rental apartments in Düsseldorf.

The city of Düsseldorf aims to build 2,000 affordable homes annually but falls short of meeting the growing demand. As of the end of 2018, 3,987 households were registered with the housing office as seeking accommodation in Düsseldorf. The city's housing construction action concept requires that 40% of affordable housing (at least 20% subsidized and at least 10% price-reduced housing) be built when drawing up development plans.

Last year, only 675 social housing units could be newly occupied in Düsseldorf. The trend in the city leads to the permanent withdrawal of rental apartments and price increases in commercial short-term rentals. There is a need for action regarding permanently vacant apartments in Düsseldorf.

The city council is utilizing all legal possibilities to counteract the scarcity of housing in Düsseldorf, the state capital. The housing market remains significantly tense, necessitating urgent action, particularly in commercial short-term rentals. The charter is a significant step towards securing affordable housing for its residents and ensuring a balanced housing market in the city.