I moved to Berlin with partner in late 2019. We were looking for 3 rooms for < 1800 in East (Pberg/Xberg/Friedrichshain). After long, tiring search of 20+ plac

I moved to Berlin with partner in late 2019. We were looking for 3 rooms for < 1800 in East (Pberg/Xberg/Friedrichshain). After long, tiring search of 20+ places with 100+ people at each, through a friend of friend we got a place for 1400 because we were the only ones that looked at it. Then rent control happens and now we pay 1000. And we would have paid 2000+... --- If you find something you like, it doesn't matter because there would be 20 other people applying. Landlords want to rent for a long time, so they prefer Germans over foreigners/expats, and people with long-term stable jobs (government, teachers, etc.) instead of startup people, so we were at the back of the queue. When we found a place we liked, we would have been prepared to pay way more than the asking rent, and put down multiple years of rent in advance just to get it - like happens in NYC for example. But no landlord/agent is interested in this in Berlin. I guess this is an example how well-paid tech ppl are driving rents up. Even though "well-paid tech" in Berlin is not that much. Only at rent levels of 2200+ do you start to find places you really like in good areas, but there are lots of places advertised at ~1500 that were even more ideal but unattainable due to demand, which is frustrating. I really don't know how anyone can get an apartment in Berlin now after rent-control. When we move out, we will most certainly find a friend to hand over to. --- Re: Rent control Before it was impossible to find a place, now it must be insane. For existing tenants though, it's like an unexpected yearly bonus - but for us, completely unnecessary. It's like a middle-class handout.