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Knowledge for owners and buyers

The BBI guides

Eleven articles, four guides and interactive maps on the questions that really come up when selling, buying and letting in Berlin. With a source for every statement and no legal jargon.

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Interactive map

Social preservation areas

Map and address check

Social preservation areas (Milieuschutz) in Berlin: map and address check

All designated social preservation areas (Milieuschutz) on a zoomable map with districts and neighbourhoods. Check any Berlin address down to the house number and read what applies to alterations, division into flats and sale. Freely accessible, no sign-up.

6 min read

Interactive map

Residential locations

Rent index 2026 by street

Berlin residential location map: basic, average, good by street

The residential location rating (Wohnlage) under the 2026 rent index (Mietspiegel) for every street, split by section and side of the street, zoomable down to the building. With an address search for all 400,505 Berlin addresses. Freely accessible, no sign-up.

3 min read
Social preservation map Residential location map Sell Buy Tax Law Letting Guides

For sellers

Sell 3 articles

Sell

Selling property in Berlin

The process in five steps, what costs arise, which documents you need and when an estate agent is worth the cost.

6 min read

For buyers

Buy 2 articles

Buy

Additional purchase costs in Berlin

Six per cent real estate transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer), notary, land register (Grundbuch) and commission: what buyers need to budget for, with a complete worked example.

6 min read

Tax matters

Tax

Legal matters

Law 3 articles

Law

Property in a community of heirs

Why all co-heirs have to take part, which four routes lead out of the community and why a partition auction is usually the most expensive.

6 min read

Law

Property in a divorce

Four options for the shared home, the problem with the joint loan and the tax trap when transferring after the divorce.

6 min read

Law

Tenant's right of first refusal

When § 577 BGB (German Civil Code) applies, which deadline runs and what else to consider in Berlin's social preservation areas (Milieuschutz).

5 min read

For landlords

Letting 2 articles

Letting

Modernisation levy

Eight per cent of the costs per year, two caps and the line between modernisation and maintenance, which is the most common source of disputes.

5 min read

Free of charge, sign-up from chapter two

Guides 4 articles

Market Report · H2 2026

City West in figures: what the district really costs

Prices, rents and price-to-rent multipliers for Charlottenburg, Wilmersdorf, Grunewald and Westend, broken down to individual neighbourhoods (Kieze), with context for owners and investors.

Guide, 9 pages

Key figures compass · July 2026

Market Compass City West: sale prices vs asking prices

Sale prices and asking prices shown separately, plus property yield rate, price-to-rent multiplier and gross initial yield. Every figure has a source and reference date.

Guide, 9 pages

Guide for owners

Selling property: from timing to the notary

From the right timing through documents and asking price to the notary appointment: what to do in which order and which mistakes cost the most.

Guide, 12 pages

Tax guide · 2026

Saving tax with new-build property

Declining-balance tax depreciation (AfA), special depreciation and what the combination means in figures for investors, with worked examples. Not tax advice.

Guide, 12 pages

You can read the first chapter of every guide without giving any details. For the other chapters, leave your name and a way to contact you, with no payment and no password.

Market data, not gut feeling

Anyone making a decision about a property needs figures as well as the legal framework. Purchase prices, rents, price-to-rent multipliers and standard land values (Bodenrichtwerte) for all twelve Berlin districts are freely available in the Market data section, each figure with its source and date.

Frequently asked questions

About the guides: frequently asked questions.

Answers as of 18 September 2026

Do these articles replace advice?

No, and we mean that. The articles explain the rule and the typical cases. Whether your case is typical depends on details that no article can know: what the land register (Grundbuch) says, what the purchase contract says, how long each deadline runs. For tax and legal questions, an individual review by a tax adviser or lawyer remains necessary, and each article points this out.

Where do the figures and legal provisions come from?

Every article lists its sources at the end. Market figures mainly come from official sources: the Berlin valuation committee (Gutachterausschuss für Grundstückswerte) and BORIS. Listing data, such as that in the IBB Housing Market Report, is labelled as such. Legal provisions are cited with statute and subsection so that you can look them up. Where a figure comes from market observation rather than an official series, we say so.

How up to date are the articles?

Every article shows an as-of date. We update them for legal changes with wide impact, such as the extension of Berlin's rent cap (Mietpreisbremse) or the changed time windows for special depreciation. Official market figures have a systematic time lag: the valuation committee analyses notarised purchase contracts, so the most recent reliable values are typically one to two years old.

What do the guides cost?

Nothing. You can read the first chapter of every guide without giving any details. For the other chapters, you leave your name and a way to contact you. There is no payment, no subscription and no registration with a password.

What happens to my data with the guides?

Your name and contact details go to BBI Immobilien and are used for what you consent to when you request access: for follow-up questions on the topic in question and for relevant information. They are not passed on to third parties. Your browser stores the access locally so that you don't have to click again on your next visit. Details are in the Privacy policy (German).

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What really helps at this point.

Social preservation areas (Milieuschutz) in Berlin: map and address checkAll designated social preservation areas on a zoomable map, with a check of any address down to the house number. Berlin market data: prices and rents by districtPurchase prices, asking rents, price-to-rent multipliers and standard land values for all twelve districts, with source and date. Pricing strategy: what too high a price costsModel calculation based on the Kreissparkasse Köln study on overpriced listings. Investment property in BerlinApartment buildings (Zinshäuser), investment flats and portfolios, price-to-rent multiplier with source and date.

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