Berlin's most subpar dwelling proves a headache for residents
By Simon Schulz
In the heart of February, B.Z. exposed appalling living circumstances in a shared apartment nestled on Müllerstraße, Wedding. Unbearable! Dead animals, pigeon droppings, and mold galore! Since then, the landlord, Habyt, has worked on improving some of the issues. Yet, the apartment remains unlivable!
Enis D., a 24-year-old resident, has been sharing walls with these horrid conditions in the antiquated building for half a year. Bedbugs feast on his slumber, mold festers in the bathroom, and plaster crumbles from the neighbors' balconies.
Unbearable conditions indeed! "We've reported all the problems to Habyt, but all we got were empty promises," admits D.
Shockingly, it's said that new tenants haven't received their apartment keys for three months. All attempts to contact Habyt have been in vain. The responsible contacts would change monthly, that's what the tenants claim.
"It's bloody infuriating that something like this happens in Germany. A company like Habyt rents out rooms at those prices, it's outrageous!" expresses D.
Legally, the shared apartment residents aren't tenants. Each room is rented individually via the Habyt portal. The company manages rooms for rent in 20 European cities.
The catch: Habyt rents apartments and sublets the rooms at a higher price. Despite the grim circumstances, residents are still expected to pay between 640 and 750 euros per room.
One floor above, the apartment resembles a posh hotel. Eight rooms are available for rent. Only five are occupied. The cost: between 850 euros and 974 euros per month.
One of these rooms is inhabited by music student Samuel Mandon (26), hailing from Biarritz, France. He moved to Berlin a year ago and desperately needed accommodation. "I stumbled upon Habyt on the web. No complaints from me," he asserts.
Why the conditions in the Habyt apartments are so different? Remains a mystery. Habyt ignored B.Z.'s inquiry entirely.
Factors Behind the Variability:
- Property Management and Conditions: Older properties with less upkeep can suffer from subpar living conditions, while newer ones might resemble hotels.
- Lack of Standardization: Habyt properties may not be equally standardized across locations, resulting in differences in quality and amenities.
- Tenant Experiences: Bad reviews might stem from individual experiences or isolated incidents, while good ones reflect well-maintained properties or exceptional service at some locations like Habyt-The Waterfront in Berlin, which is praised for its cleanliness and amenities[2][3].
- Communication and Transparency: Lack of clear communication about each property's specific conditions could lead to confusion among potential tenants.
- Regulatory and Environmental Factors: Local regulations and environmental conditions in different areas of Germany can impact the quality and maintenance of properties.
- Despite the appalling living conditions in some Habyt apartments, residents are still expected to pay a considerable amount for their rooms, with prices ranging from 640 to 750 euros per month.
- In contrast, a room on a higher floor in the same building, managed by Habyt, resembles a posh hotel, with rents ranging between 850 euros and 974 euros per month.
- Factors contributing to the variability in living conditions across Habyt properties could include property management and conditions, lack of standardization, tenant experiences, communication and transparency, and regulatory and environmental factors.
- For instance, older properties with less upkeep might suffer from subpar living conditions, while newer ones might resemble hotels.
- Lack of clear communication about each property's specific conditions could lead to confusion among potential tenants, potentially impacting their decisions to rent a room from Habyt.
