Foreign residents in Germany pay 9.5% higher rent than citizens, study shows

BERLIN

Foreign residents in Germany face significantly higher rents than German citizens, a new Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) study revealed Wednesday.

According to the study, non-German residents pay an average net rent of €7.75 ($8.79) per square meter, compared to €7.08 ($8.03) for German citizens, or 9.5% higher.

This disparity persists regardless of residency length. Even foreigners who have lived at the same address for 20 years or more pay 9.1% higher rents per square meter than German citizens with similar tenancy duration.

The study suggested that apartment size may explain these higher average rents. Foreign residents typically lived in smaller apartments, averaging 85.7 square meters (922 square feet) compared to 109.6 m2 (1180 sq ft) for German citizens. Apartments with less square footage commanded higher net base rents than larger units.

An analysis of home ownership patterns also revealed significant disparities between demographics – while 54% of German citizens owned their residential properties, the ownership rate among foreign residents stood at just 22%.