Wednesday 5, April
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150-metre-long queue forms to view three bedroom flat in Charlottenburg
Having trouble finding a flat in Berlin? You’re not alone. On Monday evening, there was an appointment for an apartment viewing on Leibnizstrasse in Charlottenburg which saw some alarming waiting times, even given how bad things have become.
The visit was called off an hour after it opened, without everyone in line even being able to take a look
Temperatures were a brisk 4 degrees when hopeful flat hunters began to line up for the viewing, which was scheduled for 12.30 in the afternoon. And it seemed to be a pretty good deal, combining a nice neighbourhood with a reasonable offer: a three room 74 square-meter apartment, being offered at €1074 warm. What the organisers didn’t know was that this once reasonable deal has become exceptional.
The initial advert was placed on the website Immoscout last Thursday and within an hour it had already generated 600 inquiries. When it came to the actual viewings, a queue formed which would have made Berghain jealous.
Videos and pictures on Twitter showed the 150-metre-long line stretching all the way from the apartment door to the nearby Niebuhrstrasse. Apparently, the visit was called off an hour after it opened, without everyone in line even being able to take a look.
Clearly, something is broken. According to data from the real estate portal Immowelt, Berlin rents have climbed 27% in just the past three months.