Verena Hubertz (second from right, SPD, Federal Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Construction) and Kai Wegner (centre, CDU, Governing Mayor of Berlin) are attending Gewobag’s topping-out ceremony for the Landsberger Allee housing project.
© dpa
Around 1,500 new flats are set to be built in Lichtenberg by 2027, most of them with rent caps.
The state-owned housing association Gewobag announced this at the building’s topping-out ceremony. A topping-out ceremony is the equivalent of a traditional topping-out ceremony; the term is used specifically for modular construction methods.
Accordingly, the majority – 1,316 of the 1,548 flats being built on Landsberger Allee – will be subject to rent and occupancy controls. This means that rents are capped and may only rise up to a limit set by the state. Furthermore, they may only be let to people holding a housing eligibility certificate (WBS).
The first residents are expected to be able to move in as early as this year. Basic rents range from 7 to 11.50 euros per square metre, according to the housing association. “Even with a monthly net income of 3,300 euros, a two-person household can secure a two-room flat for 860 euros,” said Markus Terboven from the Gewobag board. Federal Minister for Construction Verena Hubertz (SPD) and Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) attended the topping-out ceremony on Monday (18 May 2026).
The development is being built using a modular construction method. This involves prefabricating large sections of the buildings, which are then assembled on site. In addition to flats, the neighbourhood will also feature a nursery, shops, restaurants and green spaces. Around 85 per cent of the flats are being built with funding from the social housing scheme. The project is being financed through grants, low-interest loans and funding from KfW and the European Investment Bank, according to Gewobag.