When it comes to the rent problem in Munich, you might think that thousands go to demonstrate whenever there is an opportunity. But only around 70 to 80 people came to Leonrodplatz on Saturday lunchtime to express their protest: against the measures for affordable housing in the coalition agreement of the traffic light, against displacement and for a legally secure right of first refusal, which they consider to be far too short-sighted. “The rent robs us of sleep,” says a poster. “Rent eats up season tickets,” says one of the alleged football enthusiasts.
This demonstration is also about the very concrete happening in a very concrete residential complex. It is located in Schwabing, three years ago the Luxembourg fund company Jargonnant Partners (JP) bought the square. Since then, residents have been concerned about whether they will still be able to afford the rent in the future.
Susanne Klatten, BMW major shareholder and probably the richest woman in Germany, also holds shares in the building. At the same time, it financed the Munich Urban Colab start-up center, which opened in the summer and is intended to promote ideas for good and sustainable urban development. In her speech at the opening of the center, she described overpriced living space as one of the big problems in Munich. On this possible contradiction, Klatten had the SZ report through its spokesman in October: “We see the problem and have decided not to invest in projects with residential real estate in Germany in the future.” The cooperation with JP had already ended in 2019.
The instrument of the conservation statute is on the brink
At least for the time being, this does not change anything about their participation in the Schwabing residential complex. Because investment contracts have long terms that you cannot simply get out of prematurely. The demonstration march is therefore now moving a few hundred meters from Leonrodplatz along Dachauer Straße to Munich Urban Colab on Freddie-Mercury-Straße. The initiators wrote “Munich Urban Collapse” on their invitation to the demo.
This is how you see it: For many people something is collapsing in Munich, the city with the most expensive rents in Germany. Thomas Klühspies, spokesman for the tenant community of Schwabinger Karrees, will now speak. He has pinned a button to his cap, “Tenants make steam”, it says, a child from Munich can be seen. He got it from the flea market, he says, it came from a tenant demo in 1981 on Marienplatz. The collapse has been going on for a while.
The ruling of the Federal Administrative Court on the right of first refusal is also discussed. The reasoning for the judgment has been available for a few days and confirms all fears: Exercising the municipal right of first refusal in areas with a conservation statute will therefore no longer be considered in future for predominantly rented residential buildings. Buildings that are in great need of renovation, so-called scrap properties, are an exception.
Exercising the right of first refusal has so far been a building block in the city’s struggle for affordable rents. Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) has already turned to the traffic light coalition parties and called for a quick change in the building code. “We need a nationwide regulation quickly, otherwise we will no longer be able to exercise our pre-emptive rights in the next few months,” said Left City Councilor Stefan Jagel, who came to the demonstration. Otherwise the instrument of the conservation statute would be taken ad absurdum.