Änderungen an „Re-use of vacant apartments“

What is the problem?

The problem identified is the large number of unutilised or vacant apartments in cities. These empty units represent a significant inefficiency in the housing market - while there is increasing demand for affordable housing, many properties remain unused due to owners’ reluctance to rent them out. This hesitation often stems from inadequate legal protection for landlords, concerns about difficult or precarious tenancies, and the complexities of eviction processes in case of defaulting tenants. Consequently, a valuable portion of the housing stock is effectively withdrawn from the market.

What should be done?

Legislation that better protects homeowners from precarious tenancies should be put in place. Legislation should though be differentiated between big homeownership to small homeownership, so the latter is better protected, as it is more affected. This can act as an incentive for private homeowners to put their houses back to the market. Additional incentives can also be given, such as lighter taxes.

Who should act?

National governments should put in place relevant legislation.

What impact will it have?

Implementing legislation that differentiates between small and large homeowners, providing stronger legal protection for small landlords, and offering fiscal incentives (such as reduced property taxes for rented units) would likely encourage more private owners to rent their properties. This would increase the available housing stock, help stabilise or reduce rental prices, and improve urban housing accessibility.