https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Europe in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed If you're renting in Germany, you may have heard about a tenants' association - or Mieterverein. But you may not be aware that joining one could help save you money in the long run. https://www.thelocal.com/20240910/how-a-german-mieterverein-can-help-you-reduce-your-rent Tue, 10 Sep 2024 11:17:51 +0200 how-a-german-mieterverein-can-help-you-reduce-your-rent Finding a long-term apartment to rent in Berlin has become an infamously painful process. We spoke to two professionals about the best tips for securing a long-term rental contract in Germany. https://www.thelocal.com/20250403/always-be-vigilant-expert-tips-for-finding-an-apartment-in-berlin Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:59:22 +0200 always-be-vigilant-expert-tips-for-finding-an-apartment-in-berlin Sweden’s housing market is famously difficult to break into, with first-hand rentals especially hard to come by. Or is it? One report reveals that while some areas have long queues, others have empty apartments ready to move into straight away. https://www.thelocal.com/20250513/where-is-it-easiest-to-get-a-first-hand-rental-apartment-in-sweden Tue, 13 May 2025 14:05:14 +0200 where-is-it-easiest-to-get-a-first-hand-rental-apartment-in-sweden A subletter is set to get back more than 120,000 kronor after having paid too much rent for an apartment in Stockholm's upmarket Östermalm area, the Svea Court of Appeal has ruled. https://www.thelocal.com/20250423/subletter-to-get-120000-kronor-back-for-overpriced-stockholm-rental Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:40:10 +0200 subletter-to-get-120000-kronor-back-for-overpriced-stockholm-rental Finding an affordable home in the German capital is an uphill struggle for those on normal incomes, a new study has revealed. https://www.thelocal.com/20250415/just-one-in-four-berlin-apartments-is-affordable-on-an-average-income Tue, 15 Apr 2025 14:40:18 +0200 just-one-in-four-berlin-apartments-is-affordable-on-an-average-income New rules on temporary rental contracts mean that long-term renters in Barcelona and across Catalonia will have better protections against landlords who try to use get around rules on price caps by only offering contracts under a year in length. https://www.thelocal.com/20250410/barcelona-to-limit-temporary-rent-prices-so-landlords-stop-skirting-rules Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:56:48 +0200 barcelona-to-limit-temporary-rent-prices-so-landlords-stop-skirting-rules Germany has been in the throes of a housing crisis for years, with a lack of affordable homes in many regions. With a nationwide election coming up, what are political parties promising to do about it? https://www.thelocal.com/20250205/how-germanys-political-parties-plan-to-tackle-high-rents-and-create-affordable-homes Wed, 05 Feb 2025 15:05:14 +0100 how-germanys-political-parties-plan-to-tackle-high-rents-and-create-affordable-homes A man who made hundreds of thousands of kronor from subletting his Gothenburg apartment to tourists via Airbnb has been sentenced to nine months in jail. https://www.thelocal.com/20241024/gothenburg-man-jailed-for-overcharging-airbnb-guests Thu, 24 Oct 2024 08:55:56 +0200 gothenburg-man-jailed-for-overcharging-airbnb-guests Spain's Housing Minister has resorted to appealing to the "caring" nature of Spanish society in a bid to get landlords to lower rents, as the government appears unable to find tangible solutions to the ongoing housing crisis. https://www.thelocal.com/20240926/spains-govt-calls-on-landlords-to-show-solidarity-and-drop-rents Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:21:05 +0200 spains-govt-calls-on-landlords-to-show-solidarity-and-drop-rents University is back in session in Germany, leading to higher demands for a "WG-Zimmer" or room in a flatshare. Sharing a flat is a common way for people to keep rental costs down in Germany but they are getting more expensive. https://www.thelocal.com/20240918/renting-where-flatshare-prices-are-rising-steeply-in-germany Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:24:43 +0200 renting-where-flatshare-prices-are-rising-steeply-in-germany Inheriting a home from their deceased parents will increasingly determine whether young people in Spain are rich or poor in future, as the housing crisis and unstable job market make it impossible for them to get on the property ladder any other way. https://www.thelocal.com/20240903/waiting-for-mum-and-dad-to-die-is-inheriting-the-only-hope-for-young-spaniards Tue, 03 Sep 2024 16:00:40 +0200 waiting-for-mum-and-dad-to-die-is-inheriting-the-only-hope-for-young-spaniards Spain’s recent protests against mass tourism reached their peak on Saturday when angry protesters in Barcelona squirted water at tourists whilst telling them to ‘go home’. Alex Dunham asks who's really to blame for the country’s housing crisis? https://www.thelocal.com/20240708/opinion-spaniards-need-to-point-their-water-guns-elsewhere-not-at-tourists Mon, 08 Jul 2024 17:51:13 +0200 opinion-spaniards-need-to-point-their-water-guns-elsewhere-not-at-tourists Barcelona’s mayor recently announced plans to get rid of all tourist flats in the next four years as a means of controlling rent hikes. It’s the most drastic measure so far in Spanish cities’ battle against Airbnb - but will it actually happen? https://www.thelocal.com/20240704/can-barcelona-really-ban-all-airbnbs Thu, 04 Jul 2024 17:48:47 +0200 can-barcelona-really-ban-all-airbnbs The mayor of Barcelona announced on Friday that the city will bring an end to 10,000 tourist flats by 2028 simply by not renewing licences. https://www.thelocal.com/20240621/breaking-barcelona-to-get-rid-of-all-tourist-rental-flats-by-2028 Fri, 21 Jun 2024 16:47:11 +0200 breaking-barcelona-to-get-rid-of-all-tourist-rental-flats-by-2028 Spain is trailing behind the rest of the EU when it comes to social housing and has one of the lowest proportions of stock, so could replicating the Austrian capital's model be the solution? https://www.thelocal.com/20240426/why-spain-is-looking-to-vienna-to-fix-its-housing-crisis Fri, 26 Apr 2024 12:50:17 +0200 why-spain-is-looking-to-vienna-to-fix-its-housing-crisis Despite Switzerland’s wealth, it has the lowest percentage of home owners in Europe. Why? https://www.thelocal.com/20210804/content-to-rent-why-do-so-few-people-in-switzerland-own-their-home Wed, 04 Aug 2021 15:04:02 +0200 content-to-rent-why-do-so-few-people-in-switzerland-own-their-home The current shortage of housing in some areas of Spain means that 761,000 affordable rental properties and 442,000 social housing units need to be built in the next 10 years to meet demand, a new study has warned. https://www.thelocal.com/20231025/spain-needs-to-build-1-2-million-affordable-rental-homes-in-a-decade Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:24:09 +0200 spain-needs-to-build-1-2-million-affordable-rental-homes-in-a-decade More people are now queuing for a rental apartment in Stockholm than at any other point since records began. https://www.thelocal.com/20230912/new-record-as-stockholm-apartment-waiting-list-grows-to-810000-people Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:56:52 +0200 new-record-as-stockholm-apartment-waiting-list-grows-to-810000-people The Austrian government is proposing a three-year rent brake to help curb the rising cost of housing. Here's what we know about the plans so far. https://www.thelocal.com/20230905/key-points-what-we-know-so-far-about-austrias-planned-rent-cap Tue, 05 Sep 2023 12:37:52 +0200 key-points-what-we-know-so-far-about-austrias-planned-rent-cap New proposals from politicians and housing experts are focussing on getting older renters to downsize in Germany - and help out younger families as a result. https://www.thelocal.com/20230504/could-intergenerational-flat-swaps-solve-germanys-housing-crisis Thu, 04 May 2023 13:05:30 +0200 could-intergenerational-flat-swaps-solve-germanys-housing-crisis