City rent too high? One in three complain – among under-30s, it's 44 percent

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents City rent too high? One in three complain – among under-30s, it's 44 percent.

You pay your rent in the city and wonder whether that's still normal? You're not alone: roughly one in three renters in a German major city considers their own rent too high. That's what a Forsa survey commissioned by the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) shows, available to the German Press Agency (dpa).

64 percent of respondents, by contrast, view their rent as reasonable. The question "Rent too high or okay?" divides city renters less than the public debate often suggests – but it's not just a fringe issue either. Exactly one third perceives their own housing cost burden as too high.

What the survey primarily shows: dissatisfaction depends strongly on age. Under-30s view their rent as critical far more often than older city residents.

What did Forsa actually ask?

The Forsa survey was conducted on behalf of the German Trade Union Confederation and was available to the German Press Agency. People who rent in a German major city were surveyed. At its core was a simple self-assessment: Is the rent you pay for your apartment reasonable – or too high?

The key numbers at a glance

• Roughly one in three renters in a German major city considers their own rent too high.
• 64 percent view their rent as reasonable.
• Among under-30s, 44 percent see their rent as too high.
• In the 30-to-44 age group, the figure is 38 percent.

Why it's precisely the younger renters who complain more

The breakdown by age group makes the biggest kink in the data visible. Among under-30s, 44 percent see their rent as too high; among 30-to-44-year-olds, the figure is still 38 percent. The survey offers no explanation – yet the difference is striking nonetheless: those just starting their careers generally have less income available and therefore less buffer against rising rents.

What the numbers show – and what they don't

The data are a snapshot and show how renters assess their own situation – not how high rents objectively are. Even so, the survey delivers a clear mood picture: even those who can generally afford their rent increasingly perceive it as a burden.

At the same time, the figure of 64 percent puts things in perspective: the clear majority of city renters do not see their housing costs as a problem. So the debate over high rents doesn't apply to everyone – but it does apply to one third, who find a political hearing.

More on the DGB survey at Handelsblatt