From outsider to hotspot.
Lichtenberg is working its way up. Just a few years ago, the district, which stretches east of Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg and Treptow from north to south, was regarded as a "grubby child" in terms of real estate. Massive new housing construction, a lot of available space and the immigration of a young population have turned the former GDR slab district into lively neighbourhoods with a high quality of life and residents who identify with their surroundings. In Lichtenberg, the typical Berlin alloy has emerged: Young people, post-modernity, agility and much more diversity than ever before. A large number of small and medium-sized enterprises in trade, crafts and the service sector now shape the district's economy.
Existing buildings
New buildings
Property prices Lichtenberg
There is motion in the housing market in Lichtenberg. The district is well connected, the demand is sustainable and the occupancy potential is very good. Demand includes all sizes, but smaller apartments are preferred. The average apartment size is about 80m². Of a total of about 151,500 apartments in Lichtenberg, about 10,360 units have been converted, which corresponds to an ownership rate of less than 7 percent. On average, current offer prices of approx. 4,750 EUR/m² are called. Altogether in the time period of 12 months about 660 Existing apartments were on sale. The price development compared with the same period of the previous year is 6.30 %.
The development in the new construction segment is dynamic. In 12 months amounts to approx. 360 apartments were offered at an average list price of 7,130 EUR/m². The price correction for the same period last year is thus 8.10 %.
Price index Lichtenberg
Period | Existing buildings Median Offer price | Index (base 10 years = 100) | New buildings Median Offer price | Index (base 10 years = 100) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Current quarter | 4,750 EUR/m² | - | 7,130 EUR/m² | - |
1 Year | 4,470 EUR/m² | 6.30 % | 6,600 EUR/m² | 8.10 % |
3 Years | 4,560 EUR/m² | 4.10 % | 6,250 EUR/m² | 14.20 % |
5 Years | 3,740 EUR/m² | 26.90 % | 5,130 EUR/m² | 39.10 % |
10 Years | 2,050 EUR/m² | 131.80 % | 3,150 EUR/m² | 126.60 % |
Bird's eye view: Property Prices in Berlin Lichtenberg
The Bubble Chart shows the supply situation of the last 12 months for the property market in Lichtenberg. The colors indicate the year of construction classes, the size of the bubbles the quantity of offers, the location in the coordinate system the price radius (square meters) and apartment sizes.
Development of property price segments in Berlin Lichtenberg
Development of the housing offer (existing apartments) in Lichtenberg. The chart shows price increases and price segment shifts over the 10-year period.
Trend
Lichtenberg offers what long-term investors are looking for: Growth, increasing demand for residential, commercial and infrastructure space. Growth in Lichtenberg is taking place in an organised manner. New jobs support growth and the population benefits from the positive structural developments. Lichtenberg is one of the top districts in terms of building activity. Most flats were built in Karlshorst, Rummelsburg and Sewanstrasse, followed by Friedrichsfelde and Neu-Lichtenberg. The intensive construction of new flats has led to a measurable easing on the housing market. Only in the Herzbergstraße and Rüdigerstraße neighbourhoods there are still larger housing deficits. Investments in Lichtenberg should not be directed at high-priced segments / submarkets. The conversion rate is moderate. The introduction of the milieu protection areas Kaskelkiez and Weitlingstraße, the application of the conversion ordinance and the Building Land Mobilisation Act will prevent subdivisions for the time being.
Apartment buildings
Apartment buildings in Lichtenberg are also proving 2024 to be a solid commitment. Thus, rapid population growth is accompanied by the settlement of businesses and the creation of jobs. At the same time, migration into the labour market is taking place, which contributes to the economic stabilisation of the neighbourhoods. Since there is a lot of construction going on in Lichtenberg, the housing deficit is relatively low compared to other districts across almost all neighbourhoods. For the further course of the market, we therefore expect moderately rising rents; the most recent rent increase was 11.70 %.
In most neighbourhoods, housing is dominated by high-rise and prefabricated buildings. In the Kaskelkiez and Weitlingstraße neighbourhoods, where apartment buildings predominate, conservation statutes were introduced in 2017 and 2018.
The table shows the values for multi-family houses published by the German Real Estate Association (IVD) for Lichtenberg by location and year of construction.
"Baujahresklasse" = year of construction.
"Einfache bis mittlere Lage" = Simple to good area.
"Gute bis sehr gute Lage" = Good to very good area.
Neighbourhoods in Berlin Lichtenberg
After the fall of the Berlin Wall Lichtenberg, marked by an outsider image, has been undergoing structural change for a number of years; since 2010 the population of the district east of Friedrichshain has risen significantly after a long period of outmigration. The district is characterised by more than large residential areas in slab construction. Old village centres with nice, Berlin-typical old building quarters alternate with GDR blocks. Both forms of housing are very popular and the vacancy rate, which used to be a major problem for the district, no longer exceeds the fluctuation buffer. Micro-locations with refurbished old buildings attract an in-scene public, especially in Frankfurter Allee Nord, Victoria City and Kaskelkiez (Kiez = quarter). The Rummelsburger Centre establishes itself as an artists' quarter. Lichtenberg consists of a total of 10 very differently shaped districts with more than 30 small quarters. Construction activity is high.
Rental market in Berlin Lichtenberg
The price correction for re-rentals in Lichtenberg compared to the previous year for all residential locations is 11.70 %. Currently apartments are offered on average at a value of 13.65 EUR/m². Lichtenberg shows that residential construction effectively counteracts the steep rent increases. Between 2013 and 2017, slightly more than 1,700 units were converted, and around 2,550 construction completions were reported during the same period. The construction of affordable apartments and the conversion into residential property go hand in hand in Lichtenberg.
Rent index Lichtenberg
Period | Existing buildings Median Offer price | Index (base 10 years = 100) | New buildings Median Offer price | Index (base 10 years = 100) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Current quarter | 13.65 EUR/m² | - | 19.75 EUR/m² | - |
1 Year | 12.20 EUR/m² | 11.70 % | 21.25 EUR/m² | -6.90 % |
3 Years | 11.00 EUR/m² | 24.10 % | 16.25 EUR/m² | 21.60 % |
5 Years | 9.70 EUR/m² | 40.40 % | 12.45 EUR/m² | 59.00 % |
Snapshot
The Bubble Chart shows the supply situation of the last 12 months for the property market in Lichtenberg. The colors indicate the year of construction classes, the size of the bubbles the quantity of offers, the location in the coordinate system the price radius (square meters) and apartment sizes. In Lichtenberg, younger construction year classes dominate the rental market. The majority of the apartments are offered in size clusters of 50 - 75 square metres. Higher rents are usually reserved for new buildings and renovated old buildings. Overall, the rent level is very moderate.
Development of rental price segments in Berlin Lichtenberg
The chart shows the changes in the price structure of the district based on four price segments. How many apartments were offered in the different price segments? The line shows the development of the average offer price per square metre across all apartment types and price segments for existing apartments.
Building activity in Lichtenberg
Lichtenberg is second in the ranking with a housing stock of 156,000 units. The statistical household size is 1.77 persons and the calculated household size is 1.87 persons per household. Across a total of 32 statistical planning rooms LOR (Lebensweltlich orientierte Räume) the average apartment size is 65.6 m². Therefore, Lichtenberg has the largest share of small apartments.
During the past 2 years, the construction activity in Lichtenberg has been the highest in Berlin. When and in which quarters (LOR) construction completions were reported, can be seen from the map. (Source: Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg)
Milieu protection
In Lichtenberg there are three milieu protection areas in force.
Milieu protection area | In force since | Area in ha | Extended | Last update |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kaskelkiez | 2017 | 28.2 | - | - |
Weitlingstrasse | 2018 | 88.0 | - | - |
Fanningerstrasse | 2021 | 29,2 | - | - |
Milieu protection map Lichtenberg
Check in our milieu protection map Berlin whether your property is located in a protection area, an investigation area or a suspected area. Our milieu protection map is continuously revised and updated on basis of the resolutions of the district assemblies (BVV). Please also visit our milieu protection area for further information.
General background
The development in Lichtenberg has been unexcited and very positive in recent years. The number of inhabitants is growing steadily, as is the number of the labor force (54.8 percent), of which 94.2 percent are in employment (source: Wirtschaftsbericht 2017, Bezirksamt von Lichtenberg). This puts Lichtenberg among the top 4 districts in Berlin. In 2016, around 11.4 per cent of the workforce were self-employed. The high number of start-ups reflects that Lichtenberg is extremely interesting for small and medium-sized founders. The settlement and establishment of companies leads to a clear growth trend of households with higher incomes. Everything indicates that the positive development that has been going on for years will continue to stabilise. At the same time, construction activity in Lichtenberg is high. Two large hotels with 166 and 151 beds each have been inaugurated. In 2017 and 2018 many apartments were completed in Lichtenberg and further projects are being planned and built. Everything points to Lichtenberg becoming an inner-city growth engine. In the coming years, Lichtenberg will benefit considerably from the ongoing commercial investments in the areas of production, lodging, leisure, trade and creative industries as well as large residential construction projects.
Population by nationality
Migration
The population in Lichtenberg has been growing continuously for years. The influxes are carried equally by international migrations and internal migrations.
- All migrations
- International
- National
- Suburban
- Binnen
- Hotspot
District Reports Berlin
This report was last updated on 01.10.2024 .
Disclaimer
The Guthmann Market Report is a semi-automated report about the property market in Berlin. All information has been carefully researched and is given to the best of our knowledge and belief. We assume no liability for completeness, deviations, changes and errors. Our report does not represent an investment recommendation.
Sources
Amt für Statistik Berlin-Brandenburg: Einwohnerregisterstatistik (Bewegungsdaten), Fortschreibung des Wohngebäude- und Wohnungsbestandes, Ergebnisse des Haushaltegenerierungsverfahren KOSIS-HHGen, Baufertigstellungen. IMV GmbH: Rohdaten Preise und Mieten. Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Wohnen: Umwandlungsdaten (2018), Geoportal Berlin (FIS-Broker). Immobilienverband Deutschland IVD (2018/2019): Immobilienpreisservice 2018/2019.
Methodology
Housing deficit (Treemap): The Statistics Office updates the household data based on the 2011 micro-census. Determination of household count and statistical household size via household generation procedures (KOSIS). We calculate the real household size / housing deficits via the ratio number of inhabitants to number of apartments.
Purchase prices and rents (charts and reports): Calculation of the median on the basis of raw data, own visualization.
Migrations: Aggregation and visualization based on transaction data.