A new interactive subway map provides Berlin residents and rent property seekers valuable information on rent costs from one subway station to another.
This amazing project was the brainchild of Immobilienscout24.de property portal. Available in a zoom-in friendly version, this map gives a comprehensive look at Berlin's monthly rent for one-bedroom apartments. Using the city's U-Bahn and S-Bahn networks to map the average rate of apartment properties, it becomes a rather helpful tool in finding those affordable spots that you just might not achieve by scouting on your own.
Another great use of this map is that it serves as your protection from insane rental rates. It helps you easily determine whether a landlord or apartment owner is illegally hiking your rent. It serves as proof that you can utilize to demand fair rent should this be the case. How does it work? When you go to the rental map link, you will see a form beneath where you can input your monthly rent, address, and the size and condition of your apartment.
Charging exceptionally high rents in Berlin is illegal since the introduction of a new law on June 1, 2015. The "Rental Price Brake" law regulates the average rent per square meter for every neighborhood. Anyone who will charge more than 10 percent of the average rate will be subject to questioning by authorities.
According to a report by Feargus O'Sullivan through CityLab, looking at the map will also show an interesting shift in Berlin's wealth area since the German reunification. History will tell that the wealthiest areas of the city are originally in the villa districts far west. Presently however, the subway map shows that the city's wealth has shifted eastward. Sullivan further stated, "It's right in the center of East Berlin, meanwhile, that rents have truly shot up. Apartments among the new fancy boutiques and hotels near Französische Strasse coming in at €980 ($1,054) a month. This area's rocket ride to the top has been pretty dramatic considering that there were still people of my acquaintance squatting here in the 1990s. Despite this shift, East Berlin still continues to offer the best deals."
