Berlin Tenants Push for Expropriation Referendum Tenants in Germany’s capital are collecting signatures to force a citywide referendum that would expropriate private housing firms owning more than 3,000 units. The pro…

The campaign began at the end of February and was given four months to gather signatures from 7 % of eligible voters – roughly 175,000 people – to trigger a September vote. After two months the organizers announced on…

Legal Backdrop: Court Ruling and Constitutional Limits Last month Germany’s constitutional court overturned a five‑year rent‑freeze that had been in place since November of the previous year. The decision affected an …

Deutsche Wohnen benefitted directly from the ruling; its shares on the Frankfurt exchange rose nearly 3 % after the announcement. The company’s stock had been trending downward during the freeze, so the court’s revers…