Forced evictions in Berlin: 2015 figures show decline across all boroughs

Decline for the second year running

The number of forced evictions in Berlin fell again in 2015. The data comes from the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection, published in response to a parliamentary inquiry by the Green Party. The trend is observable across all twelve boroughs simultaneously for the first time since data collection began.

The numbers in detail

In 2013, 8,323 apartments were forcibly vacated due to rent arrears. In 2014, the number dropped by around 11% to 7,421 cases. In 2015, it fell a further 16% to 6,236.

While in 2014, individual boroughs such as Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Tempelhof-Schoeneberg or Spandau still saw slight increases, all boroughs recorded a decline in 2015. The strongest drop was in Spandau: minus 30% compared to the previous year.

Possible reasons

Several factors contribute to the decline: Berlin's economy is performing well and unemployment is falling. Prevention measures and advisory services supporting tenants at risk of arrears also appear to be taking effect. For landlords and investors, this is a positive indicator for the overall market trend.

What this means for owners

Falling forced eviction rates translate into lower default risk, reduced costs for court and eviction proceedings, and more stable rental income. The figures point to generally improved payment reliability among tenants in the capital.

Contradictory study by HU Berlin

In contrast to the official figures, a study by researchers at Humboldt University labels Berlin the "capital of forced evictions." The authors, however, cannot support their claim of rising numbers with official data. For a sound risk assessment, the Senate administration's data remains the more reliable source.