FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) – Many property owners in Hesse are shying away from investing in rental apartments, a survey shows. In a survey by the owners’ associations Haus und Grund Hessen and Haus und Grund Frankfurt, only 15 percent of participants said they planned to invest further. About 60 percent ruled this out, according to a statement published Thursday. The main hurdle was a lack of confidence in “trustworthy housing policies”.
The Energy Building Act (GEG), also known as the Heating Act, was mentioned as an example of postponed investments. More than three-quarters of private owners (78 percent) had so many unanswered questions about the GEG that they were postponing planned energy-efficient renovations for the time being, it was said.
Haus und Grund considers reducing bureaucracy to be the most important requirement for future housing policy after the state elections in Hesse. According to the data, 78 percent of respondents were in favor of creating additional living space by extending roofs and adding floors to buildings. However, only 14 percent thought such projects were easy to plan and quick to approve.
The results showed that politicians must take action, said Younes Frank Ehrhardt, director of Haus und Grund Hessen. “In Hesse, more new construction areas must be urgently made available and more citizens must be enabled to dream of their own home, especially through a reduction in property transfer taxes.”
The non-representative survey was conducted between July and September, with more than 2,700 private property owners and landlords participating. The data was collected in an online survey by the Gewos Institute for Urban, Regional and Housing Research./als/DP/tih