"City of Tomorrow" RSxEAB
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
In this episode RSxEAB of (our spinoff series recorded in collaboration with the )we focus on the future of urban living; asking the question, “What is the city of tomorrow?”. Host is joined by architect and author . The conversation begins with Max sharing how skateboarding background influenced his urban design approach, and with Mira reading a passage from their award-winning novel “Neurobiest” describing Berlin of the future topped by green rooftop communities. From there we discuss visions for the future: inclusive, polycentric urban design,...
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Toilets, Sidewalks & Parks - Who Owns Berlin? RSxEAB
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
Public space in Berlin is used for private profit. Does that rob or enrich the citizens? From business-run toilets to footpath vehicles and food sales in parks, we share our space with commerce. Can we also use private spaces like empty malls as public property? Radio Spaetkauf partners with the Europäische Akademie Berlin to invite an intelligent panel of activists and politicians to discuss the good and bad uses of public space for commercial gain. Sophie Menzel is a big fan of public toilets. She raises awareness of the need for more and better toilets in Berlin through the...
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Beauty In The Streets: Graffiti & Street Art - RSxEAB
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
Recorded live in Grunewald, Dan is joined by guests Josefine Köhn-Haskins, Ryan Balmer, Júlia Mota Albuquerque and a handful of chirping birds to explore the significance of urban art in public spaces. In partnership with the Support Radio Spaetkauf: Guests and Links: Josefine Köhn-Haskins, Journalist: Ryan Balmer, Tour Guide: Júlia Mota Albuquerque, Muralist: Editing & Mastering: Kaleb Wentzel-Fisher Written, Produced and Engineered by Daniel Stern: With kind support of the Federal Foreign Office and EU (CERV) under the project “Europe Behind the Headlines”...
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Maisie’s Voice – The Last Conversation With Maisie Hitchcock
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
Zombies in the GDR. Deutschrap. Heavenly lakes. Joy despite cancer. Days before her death, Maisie Hitchcock and I talked for one last time. In a hospital room in London, she shared her favourite memories from her years in Berlin - and revealed a few untold surprises. It's not all tears, because Maisie could be so funny. Her depth of knowledge about architecture, German history, music and culture is astounding. This is just a sample of her best moments from more than a decade of co-hosting Radio Spaetkauf. Make time for this. Take a walk. Listen until the end. Be prepared to laugh and cry. And...
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RSxEAB: Sharing Urban Space
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
RSxEAB: "Sharing Urban Space". host dives into a discussion of public spaces informed by three insightful guests. Johnny Whitlam () shares his passion for Berlin's history and hidden stories. Martin Aarts, the former head of spatial planning in Rotterdam emphasizes child-friendly cities and nature's role in urban design. Lea Fink () offers a philosophical angle, stressing the need for accessible spaces that encourage learning and reflection. In this episode we explore the balance between historical preservation and contemporary needs, the transformation of places like Tempelhof and...
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Rent Freeze #4: How To F#€k Up A Mietendeckel
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
The Berlin Mietendeckel experiment has been killed in court. Who will voters punish - the R2G parties who promoted the law, or the opponents who challenged it? Will backpayments and higher rents hurt the local economy? What hope is left for affordable housing? We interview politicians, lawyers and campaigners on this special extended podcast. Presented by Maisie Hitchcock, Joel Dullroy, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern.
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Rent Freeze #3: Don't Spend It
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
This month residents of Berlin should experience the biggest collective rent reduction in history. About 340,000 residents - one in six - may be eligible for a rent cut under the Mietendeckel, Berlin’s radical new housing policy. But landlords are doing their best to stop it through tricks and court challenges. And what are the effects of the rent freeze so far?
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How To F#€k Up An Airport #5: Crash Take-Off
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
BER is finished, but the biggest disaster could soon come. What happens if the airport goes bankrupt? Is the pandemic hiding a capacity crunch? Should it open at all? We visit Berlin Brandenburg Airport to see if it's really ready for the last episode of How To Fuck Up An Airport. Producers: Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik, Daniel Stern.
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Rent Freeze #2: Magic Words
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
How To F#€k Up An Airport team presents: Rent Freeze, a podcast about Berlin's rental revolution. The rent freeze has begun, but nobody seems to know what's going on. Landlords and tenants alike are confused about what to do next. On this episode we go inside Berlin's parliament to hear the moment the rent freeze law was passed. We hear what landlords think about the new law and how they're planning to cheat.
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Rent Freeze #1: The Experiment
Radio Spaetkauf Presents
What happens when an entire city of 3.5 million residents stops paying rent increases for the next five years? Welcome to Rent Freeze, a podcast about Berlin’s radical new housing law. On this episode we explain the basics and talk to Daniel Halmer of Wenigermiete.de about why the existing rent controls haven't worked.
info_outlineThis month residents of Berlin should experience the biggest collective rent reduction in history. About 340,000 residents - one in six - may be eligible for a rent cut under the Mietendeckel, Berlin’s radical new housing policy. But landlords are doing their best to stop it.
On November 23 landlords must reduce rents to regulation levels or face fines of €500,000. Tenants can check if they're paying too much at this website: http://www.mietendeckel.berlin.de
And they can cheating landlords to the city government here: https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/330040/
Anyone who gets a rent reduction should save the money, as they might have to pay it back. The Mietendeckel is being challenged in Germany's constitutional court, with a ruling expected in mid-2021. Jöran Mandik explains the court process - and the judges' red robes.
Furnished flats are not exempt from the Mietendeckel. But some companies are offering a buy-and-lease-back service model to help landlords get around the law. Tenants are told they have no choice but to rent both the flat and the furniture together. Other tricks include renting expensive basements, parking spaces and coworking desks inside their flat.
Double contracts have become standard: residents are offered two prices - a lower one that matches the rent freeze legislation, and a higher one they'll have ot pay if the law is later ruled unconstitutional. Such double contracts are most likely legal and enforceable, says rental expert Daniel Halmer from Conny.de (formerly Wenigermiete). But they could still be challenged using the Mietpriesbremse law, an older regulation which limits rent prices under some conditions.
What's the effect of the rent freeze so far? If you already have an apartment, the rent freeze appears to be working as expected. If you’re looking for an apartment, things are tougher due to landlords restricting supply. A study by the ZIA found average rental prices have sunk by 5.7% in the first half of 2020. But availability has also fallen by about 50%, as property owners withhold empty flats from the market. For new flats built after 2014 - which are exempt from the Mietendeckel - prices are up 7.5%, and availability has increased by 18%, according to real estate portal ImmobilienScout24.
Swedish property management company Heimstaden Bostat isn't deterred by the rent freeze. The company is trying to purchase about 130 buildings with almost 4000 apartments at a cost of €830 million. Heimstaden told us they had factored the rental regulations into their financial planning.
Researcher Christoph Trautwetter recently produced a report called 'Who Owns Berlin' for the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. He debunks the myth that warned the Mietendeckel would scare investors away. "There is an excess of capital looking to invest under any condition, and ready to accept the Mietendeckel as a condition to invest in Berlin," Trautwetter said. You can read his report here: https://www.rosalux.de/publikation/id/43284
Next up on this series - who is to blame for Berlin's lack of new properties? We'll also hear from small-time landlords who face financial ruin under the rent freeze.
Rent Freeze is produced and presented by Joel Dullroy, Maisie Hitchcock, Jöran Mandik and Daniel Stern. Music by Tom Evans. Artwork by Jim Avignon. Produced in partnership with RadioEins, Berlin's public broadcaster.
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