Fear of the next luxury renovation in Munich: tenants protest in Schwabing

Created: 01/28/2022 07:03

By: Claudia Schuri

Concerned about their apartments: Schwabinger demonstrate in front of their apartment building © Markus Götzfried

Fear of luxury renovations, rent increases, layoffs: tenants are protesting in Schwabing.

It's not just about the sale of two buildings, but much more.

Munich - "We're staying here!" is written on a poster on the wall of the apartment building in Schwabing, in front of which demonstrators had gathered yesterday.

"Housing is a fundamental right", "Against rent madness" and "Our home is not a commodity" could be read on the signs.

Many of the protesters live in the houses on the corner of Krumbacherstrasse and Hiltenspergerstrasse and are afraid for their homes.

The two buildings, which were owned by a community of heirs, are sold.

Tenants fear rent increases, luxury renovations or terminations.

Mayor Dieter Reiter calls for strengthening of the city's right of first refusal

The houses are in the conservation statute area. But in November 2021, the Federal Administrative Court largely overturned the exercise of cities’ right of first refusal. According to the verdict, it does not matter whether residents could be displaced. The decisive factor is whether the building is empty or decaying. The cities of Munich, Berlin and Hamburg have now joined forces to form an initiative. He wants the concerns of the Munich tenants* "to be heard nationwide," explains Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD). The three cities are demanding a legal reorganization of the right of first refusal at federal level.

The left parliamentary group in the Bundestag has submitted an application that will be dealt with on Friday.

"We are currently experiencing a step backwards in rent policy," complains Nicole Gohlke, member of the Bundestag in Munich and who initiated the application.

Simone Burger from the DMB tenants' association in Munich also emphasizes: "The right of first refusal in conservation statute areas is extremely important."

Some politicians were therefore also present at the rally in Schwabing.

Municipal officer Kristina Frank (CSU) accompanied the protests.

"The traffic light in the federal government must act now," she demands.

15 houses have already passed the city since the verdict.

Munich fights against luxury renovation - "It's about making a lot of money"

What those affected say:

Everything is completely up in the air right now," says

, who lives in one of the houses with his partner Julia Strohwald and their three-month-old son.

He has heard that the sales contracts have already been signed.

"We don't know who the seller is," reports the 37-year-old.

However, he fears that the buyer's main concern is to make a lot of money.

"Anyone who buys a property wants an investment," he says.

He is very worried about what that means for the 19 other parties in the two buildings.

They have joined together to form a tenant association.

I think it's important that there is a right of first refusal," says

.

Although the 45-year-old does not live in the two buildings, she knows exactly how the tenants are doing there.

"Three years ago I was affected myself," she reports.

"It was a damn uncomfortable time." But she was lucky and was able to stay in her apartment in Schwabing.

"Our salvation was that the city bought the house." Now she is dealing with the topic again.

Stefanie Göppl is in charge of the R18 workshop in Milbertshofen, where young people with difficult prerequisites get the opportunity for an apprenticeship.

But the building was bought by an investor, and the workshop has to go at the end of June*.

"Now we are urgently looking for new rooms."

"We are afraid that the rents will be increased significantly or that there will be other measures to get people out," says resident

Markus

But he definitely wants to stay there with his wife Karin and their two children, five and seven years old. "We feel at home in the area and the kindergarten and school are here," explains the 49-year-old. "You can hardly get anything in Munich, everything is very expensive." The family still has hope that there is still a good solution for all tenants. Some elderly women have also been living in the house for 40 years, he reports. "If they had to move out, it would be a real uprooting for them."

Meanwhile, the debate about “hypo-gentrification” continues to smolder on Türkenstrasse.

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