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Residential building permits up 4.9% in Germany in April

Residential building permits in Germany were up 4.9% in April, the second month of gains in construction planning amid a tentative economic recovery and as Berlin prepares to cut red tape in construction. Federal Statistical Office data showed on Wednesday that 18,500 permits for new apartments and houses were granted in April, up 900 from a year prior. The gain in March was 5.8%, or 1100 permits. During the January-to-April period, permits were up 3.7% compared with a year earlier. Germany’s property sector is tentatively recovering from its most severe slump in decades which began in 2022. Permits are an…

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Germany clears bill to expedite housing construction by cutting red tape

File Photo BERLIN: The German government approved on Wednesday a draft law that aims to speed up the construction of housing units, which has tapered amid a wider property market crisis, by cutting red tape that often ensnares projects for years. The number of apartments built in Germany dropped sharply last year, falling 14.4% from 2023 to 251,900 – far below the previous government’s goal of 400,000 apartments a year – as Germany’s property sector recovers tentatively from its most severe slump in decades, which began in 2022. Residential building permits, an important indicator of construction activity over quarters to…

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Germany proposes rent control extension to dampen housing costs

BERLIN: The German government on Wednesday proposed a law to extend rent controls in an effort to make housing more affordable, following through on a key pledge of the new coalition government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The measure, which extends the price controls by another four years through 2029, is fiercely opposed by property industry executives. The rules, first introduced in 2015, cap new rentals in urban centres to 10% above comparable rents in the area. “Housing must not become a luxury good,” Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig said in announcing the law proposal. It is one of several measures that…