Overview of the Report
The city‑profile “Stadtprofil Münster: So wirkt der Mietendeckel” is a study produced by the Rosa‑Luxemburg‑Stiftung, a German think‑tank focused on social justice and housing policy. It was authored by Andrej Holm and Christoph Trautvetter, researchers with experience in urban housing markets, and the data were prepared by Isabel Peretto, Roberto Cruz Romero and Itziar Gastaminza Vacas. The study analyses the impact of a nationwide rent cap on Münster, a medium‑sized German city that the authors classify as experiencing a “housing emergency”.
Key Rental Market Figures
Between 2010 and 2022, the average listed rent in Münster rose from €8.25 /m² to €12.30 /m², a 49 % increase, while the median existing rent changed only marginally (from €6.99 /m² to €6.97 /m²). The gap between asking and actual rents reached 76 % in 2022. Private landlords and profit‑oriented companies control 83.6 % of the 117 000 rental units, with cooperatives supplying 3 218 flats at an average of €5.60 /m². The city’s vacancy rate is low at 2 %, and the population has grown by about 1.28 % per year since 2010, intensifying demand.
Ownership Structure and Rent Differentials
The report breaks down rental units by owner type: cooperatives (3 218 units, €5.60 /m²), private housing companies (3 755 units, €10.22 /m²), private individuals (average €8.56 /m²), and municipal housing (average €6.38 /m²). Overall, the average rent across all owners is €8.07 /m². The stark contrast between the average listed rent (€12.30 /m²) and the reference rent (€6.97 /m²) illustrates the pressure on tenants.
How a Nationwide Rent Cap Would Work
Under a federal rent‑cap regime, new tenancy contracts could not exceed the reference rent of €6.97 /m². This would cap rent increases for existing tenants and significantly lower the rents of newly let apartments, narrowing the 76 % rent gap. The authors suggest that such a measure would protect roughly 117 000 households that collectively spent €733.7 million on rent in 2022.
Implications for Sustainable Housing
The study links high rent growth to reduced housing affordability, which can drive longer commutes, higher car use and greater carbon emissions. By stabilising rents, a rent cap could enable more stable, locally‑based communities, supporting the broader European agenda for sustainable, inclusive cities. The data also highlight the dominance of private profit‑driven landlords, a factor that policy makers might address through incentives for cooperative and municipal housing, which tend to have lower rents and can contribute to social sustainability.
Comparative Context within Germany
Münster’s population grew from 276 897 in 2010 to 322 904 in 2023 (+16.62 %). This growth outpaces the national average (7.90 % increase). While the proportion of rental housing in Münster (70.5 %) is slightly below the German average (72.5 %), the city’s rent dynamics are more acute, positioning it as a case study for other urban areas facing similar affordability crises.