Under a state law called the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, landlords can reset the starting rent price at any level once tenants move out of a unit and new residents move in. That's where things got tricky in Woo's situation. According to a lawsuit Woo filed in January, their building's property manager had Woo's partner sign the lease in March 2024. Woo, even though they were the one who'd found the apartment and would be moving in together with their then-partner, was told to sign a separate document instead.
Anyone who has tried to find an apartment to rent long-term in Germany's big cities knows that it isn't easy even with an above-average income and impeccable credentials. Browse through online property portals and you will likely find hundreds of apartments on offer in the most sought-after districts of cities like Berlin, Munich and Hamburg. But look more closely and the majority of those will be short-term, furnished rentals charging well above the standard rates landlords can ask for open-ended leases on unfurnished apartments.
"Any information you provide to the city - including your address, email and phone number - will become a matter of public record," an Oct. 20 letter from the park's attorney Paul Beard II warned of a questionnaire sent out by city staff. "If you decide to respond," it continued, "the park may need to depose you" as part of litigation between the two, and "it may be advisable for you to hire counsel."
The Ford government introduced a new housing bill on Thursday that it says would streamline approvals and let developers build homes more quickly. But buried in the legislation is a proposal for "alternative options to lease expiry rules that could allow landlords to control who occupies their units and for how long," including through adjustments to rental arrangements based on market conditions, personal needs or business strategies, according to the province's briefing slides Thursday.
