681–690 of 724 posts
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> I really don't think there is a good solution. There is a good solution - for outsiders like you to go away and not come back. That leaves more housing for long term residents who are the people it's protecting. It sounds nasty but people everywhere can't stand outsiders coming into their place. Xenophobia.
Also, nobody should have children.
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The beauty of it is it doesn't matter to the bureaucrats: since the 19 years old can't live in the city he also can't vote in the municipal elections! It also has bad impact on the type of buildings that get built. If you have to build some rent-controlled housing as part of your development project, and some jurisdictions will force developers to do that, it pushes you to build the rest of your building to be as ups…
I don't know how it is in Germany, but in the US, rent controlled buildings can only have the rent increased if the landlord upgrades the building, so it actually incentivizes them to do upgrades, as that's the only way they can increase rent.
And then, if the tenants sue because of course that is illegal, then the public court records can be and are used by all the landlords in town to avoid renting to them, who would dare to exercise their rights.
I happen to know this, not because I've ever lived there or had firsthand experience or anything, but I once happened to see a court document on the internet, in which the judge considered an emergency request from a plaintiff to not release information about their lawsuit at an early stage, because it would prevent them from having anywhere to live.
In other words, this corrupt system is well known enough that the housing courts acknowledge it as a matter of course.
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This is a national problem requiring a federal solution. Anything less will be exploited by desperate people. Don't hate the poor players. Hate the rich exploiting them for profit.
What would you propose the federal solution would be?
Vacant properties should be taxed at an increasing rate sufficient to force the owners hand to either lower rates (and realize the losses from the new valuation from their creditors) or liquidate the property. The proceeds of these taxes can go towards the building and maintenance of affordable housing in the district their collected from.
This should encourage liquidation of speculative properties in hot markets and allow those without capitol to compete against those living parasitically off of their "investments".
Obviously this isn't perfect, and I'm open to admitting it's a terrible plan. But can we at least try something FFS? So long as people are homeless and can't afford to buy homes near their jobs I don't think anyone is entitled to profiting off of renting property.
Also worth trying:
Eminent domain land and task the national guard or army engineers with building minimally viable affordable housing condos. Attach a jobs program to train the un/under-employed from the area and scale up to the size of the problem.
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Is there a functional difference between places that have a front-desk person and actual doormen, besides opening doors? Not that the former is super-common in San Francisco either, but it's at least existent.
Yes, receiving packages and deliveries has become an extremely valuable amenity.
An issue that many commenters here are missing is that the problem with rent control will manifest more sharply in the future. Sure, the impact today seems relatively equitable: a windfall for people that rent today coupled with a small drop in supply. But fast forward 10 or 20 years and the situation looks far worse: everyone who got a windfall today is still living in the same apartment, whereas anyone trying to en…
I live in Berlin. What you're describing in "10 or 20 years" is already the case. That's why these actions are being taken now . I waited 6 months for an apartment here when I first moved. Pretty much everyone who doesn't want to spend insane prices on a unit has to. And even then, I'm still paying 500-600 more than I should be. It's insanity. The main problem is that there are immigrants (primarily from one country…
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>A counterexample is Vienna, which utilizes a well balanced system of rent-control and social housing to have incredibly low rents I beg your pardon? You can't possibly call rent prices in Vienna incredibly low and still keep a straight face. Maybe for the lucky Viennese that got grandfathered in some rent controlled flats, but last time I looked (pre-covid), rents there for new comers were insane compared to the nex…
Sorry, but judging from neighboring Germany the rents in Vienna ARE incredibly low. The measure I would apply is whether middle class people can live in the city, and that's definitely the case, in contrast to e.g. Munich.
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Sorry, but judging from neighboring Germany the rents in Vienna ARE incredibly low. The measure I would apply is whether middle class people can live in the city, and that's definitely the case, in contrast to e.g. Munich.
Except not all Germans live in Munich, Europe's biggest property bubble. There are affordable cities in Germany that are cheaper than Vienna, if we keep moving the goal posts.
Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though.
So I don't see how this is moving the goalposts.
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Except not all Germans live in Munich, Europe's biggest property bubble. There are affordable cities in Germany that are cheaper than Vienna, if we keep moving the goal posts.
Not all Austrians live in Vienna. There are afordable cities in Austria that are cheaper than Vienna. Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though. So I don't see how this is moving the goalposts.
That's exactly what I said. What's your point in the end?
>Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though.
"$EXPENSIVE_CITY in the country I live in, is less expensive than $EXPENSIVE_CITY with higher wages in another country I don't live in."
Great, how does that help me? I'm sure rent is even more expensive in SF or NY but I don't compete on the jobs or rental market with those over there. Whataboutism doesn't pay my rent or feed my kids.
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Not all Austrians live in Vienna. There are afordable cities in Austria that are cheaper than Vienna. Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though. So I don't see how this is moving the goalposts.
>There are afordable cities in Austria that are cheaper than Vienna. That's exactly what I said. What's your point in the end? >Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though. "$EXPENSIVE_CITY in the country I live in, is less expensive than $EXPENSIVE_CITY with higher wages in another country I don't live in." Great, how does that help me…
Turning it around since I don't see your point. Comparing to smaller, and/or less in demand, less wealthy cities doesn't give a good comparison to whether rent control/social housing in Vienna works or not.
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>There are afordable cities in Austria that are cheaper than Vienna. That's exactly what I said. What's your point in the end? >Munich is the only city in Germany that I can think of that's comparable to Vienna in terms of wealth, demand and size though. "$EXPENSIVE_CITY in the country I live in, is less expensive than $EXPENSIVE_CITY with higher wages in another country I don't live in." Great, how does that help me…
>That's exactly what I said. What's your point in the end? Turning it around since I don't see your point. Comparing to smaller, and/or less in demand, less wealthy cities doesn't give a good comparison to whether rent control/social housing in Vienna works or not.
The fact that there are cities in Germany, or in any other country, that are even more expensive is irrelevant for the people here.