Strong tenants protection and subsidies supports Germany’s majority renters housing market

Germany is one of the few developed nations with high rentership rates: More than half of all households rent their home. The German government has chosen to focus subsidies on renters rather than owner-occupiers. While renter households are typically younger and less affluent than homeowners, rentership is still widespread even among higher-income and higher-wealth groups. Strong renter protection is a key element of federal legislation and is playing an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic.