Home unaffordable – how born-and-bred Berliner Katharina could barely afford her own neighbourhood any more
More and more lifelong Berliners now have to accept illegal, sky-high rents. That is what happened to Katharina, 32, in Kreuzberg. Once scruffy and unpopular, the district is now one of the most expensive corners of the city. Katharina had no choice: to stay in her Kreuzberg home close to her family, she agreed to €609 a month excluding service charges for 38 square metres. Here she explains how she cut her rent by almost 40 per cent, or €233, with CONNY:
What was it like for you, as a born-and-bred Berliner, to look for a flat?
It felt pretty crazy. I have lived in Kreuzberg 61 my whole life – I grew up on Mittenwalder Strasse. When I was a child it was seen as rather run-down, and it was cheap. Today the same flats get a fresh coat of paint and a nice floor and are re-let at astronomical prices.
How did the flat hunt go?
I searched seriously for six months, mainly on ImmoScout. I wanted a small flat, and there weren't many of those. I viewed five flats, with around a hundred people at each viewing. Because my salary isn't bad, I got one of them: 36 square metres in the rear building for €600 a month excluding service charges. I moved in at the end of 2018.
Did it have to be Kreuzberg, and a place of your own?
I moved into a shared flat in Kreuzberg straight after school. After ten years of flat-sharing I really wanted to live on my own for once, but also stay close to my family and friends.
Had you grudgingly accepted the rent, or did you plan from the start to do something about it?
I thought I would just have to put up with it, unfortunately. In a way I even felt lucky: an acquaintance of mine, still a working student and earning less than me, has been searching for ages and never even gets the chance to sign a tenancy agreement.
How did you come across CONNY?
I had a flyer in my letterbox, had a look at the website and thought I'd try my luck.
Did you have any reservations about instructing CONNY?
I had no problem entering my details, but I thought it all sounded a bit too easy. When I got a call back, it was clear to me that there really are people behind CONNY who know what they are doing, and I was pleasantly surprised.
How long did the process take?
It took two or three months. My property management company was overwhelmed – supposedly or genuinely – and the staff responsible were off sick, but then CONNY told me I could now go to the property management company and sign my new tenancy agreement with the reduced rent.
What is your relationship with the property management company like now?
It is a very large property management company, and things are no worse than before. Recently my letterbox was broken into, and the property management company had it repaired within a day.
Was the rent reduction more or less than you had hoped for?
My rent went down by around €230, and that was more than I had thought possible.
Did you think the fee was fair?
Yes. I think a lawyer – a specialist tenancy lawyer, whom I would first have had to find – would have been more expensive. It was important to me to have the whole thing handled as a service by someone competent.
What have you done with the rent you saved?
The money I save means a better quality of life. Now I can afford nice furniture, training courses and holidays. I don't have to sit at home after an eight-hour working day because I can't afford a coffee with friends and I spend so much on my flat that I no longer feel like leaving it.
A lot of tenants today think: if only I had bought something ten years ago. Did you ever think: if only I or my family had bought a flat back then, 10 or 20 years ago?
Yes, I have thought that, but I neither had the money back then nor, of course, any idea that rents in multicultural Kreuzberg would take off like this. Prices have tripled, and next to nothing has been modernised in the buildings and flats. I am grateful that CONNY negotiated a fair price for my flat, and I am always happy to recommend the site.