Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg has extended the "Milieuschutz" area Hornstrasse

Since January 30, the Hornstrasse preservation area "Milieuschutzgebiet" in Kreuzberg (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) also includes the "Riehmers Hofgarten" residential complex between Yorckstrasse and Hagelberger Strasse. According to the district, it is part of Apartment Block 205, to which the conservation statute, i.e. environmental protection, now also applies.

Bild von Karlheinz Pape

Above all, it says that so-called luxury modernizations are prohibited. This includes, for example, the addition of a second hand-basin in the bathroom, but also, and apparently there, with particular attention, the possible merging of smaller apartments into larger ones.

Modernizations to produce a contemporary equipment of the apartments are still permitted as well as energetic renovations, but must be approved in advance. The goal, as in all social protection areas, is to make the currently resident population more secure from being priced out.

The conversion to condominiums cannot be prevented by the Milieuschutz statutes. However, they are subject to strict requirements like selling to sitting tenants only for a set period

The Hornstrasse Conservation Area had already been expanded by several blocks around the Victoria Park in March 2019. According to the district office, there are now almost 8,400 households in this protected area.

The implications for property owners are summarized here:
https://germanproperties.blogspot.com/2018/03/the-can-do-and-cant-do-renovating.html

New Protected "Milieuschutz" Areas Coming Into Effect In Kreuzberg

Since 1. July 2018 the existing Mileuschutz area Hornstrasse in Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg is extended on its eastern border.

In detail the new area comprises the residential areas of the neighbouring city hall block ("Rathausblock") between Obentraut- and Yorckstraße and from Mehringdamm to Großbeerenstraße. Also Block 153, defined between Obentrautstraße and Tempelhofer Ufer, Großbeeren- and Ruhlsdorfer Straße.

For the implications for the owners of apartments and apartment blocks in this area please see the article on our blog  Property Investment In Germany.

Every Major Publication Now Has To Have A Property Ranking

It seems like every main media publication now has to have a price ranking for property prices and rents. Some cover the entire country and some break it down to districts within boroughs of the main cities.

Berlin Property Prices

Here is an example from the weekly publication Wirtschaftswoche which lists areas in five price categories:

• very reasonable city districts - average 2,372 €/m²
• reasonable city districts - average 2,682 €/m²
• middle priced districts - average 2,904 €/m²
• expensive districts - average 3,434 €/m²
• very expensive districts - average 4,415 €/m²

Here is the list for "very expensive districts: 3,750 to 5,870 €/m² in increasing order:

Alt-Treptow, Plänterwald, Wannsee, Charlottenburg, Friedenau, Wilmersdorf, Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Hansaviertel, Moabit, Schmargendorf, Friedrichshain, Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Halensee, Kreuzberg, Grunewald, Dahlem, Tiergarten

*Data based on condos of 75 m²

The full list of all price categories is available in German on Wirtschaftswoche.

Prices up by 10.1% for Condos in Berlin 2014

Average purchase prices for condominums in the Berlin property market increased significantly by 10.1 per cent in 2014. The highest asking prices for apartments in existing buildings were registered in the central districts.

Mitte	3,646 €/m²
Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg	3,269 €/m²
Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf	3,129 €/m²

However the top market segment median in Mitte was at  6,184, up 3.8% from 2013.

At the same time dirstricts like Neukölln and Treptow-Köpenick also saw considerable in creases year-on-year with 17.4 per cent and 13.7 per cent for the latter.

Specific data down to postcode districts are in the Housing Market Report Berlin 2015 available for download at this link.