The rent brake in Brandenburg: the commuter belt around Berlin
Brandenburg nearly doubled its list on 1 January 2026; Potsdam and municipalities around Berlin are covered.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Maximum rent at the start of the tenancy
no cap
The municipality is in no ordinance on this date.
| Local reference rent | €11.00/m² |
| Reference rent for your floor area | €682 |
| Rent brake | does not apply here |
| Increase cap | 20 % in three years |
Without the rent brake, Sections 556d ff. BGB set no limit at signing. Later increases still follow Section 558 BGB, with the reference rent and the cap.
How we calculateSince 1 January 2026, Brandenburg has had two new ordinances of 3 December 2025: the rent ordinance until 31 December 2029 and the cap ordinance until 31 December 2030, one year longer. Both list the same 36 municipalities, about twice as many as before: the state capital Potsdam and 35 municipalities in eight districts around Berlin, from Bernau and Panketal in the north via Falkensee and Werder in the west to Königs Wusterhausen, Schönefeld and Erkner in the south-east. Anyone renting here is protected by the rent brake (Mietpreisbremse) at signing and by the 15 per cent cap on increases. For Potsdam, an assumed reference rent of €9.60 for 60 m² gives a ceiling of €633.60; at €720, €86.40 a month would be too much. Towns further away, such as Cottbus or Frankfurt (Oder), are not on the list.
Two ordinances with the same list
The Brandenburg rent ordinance (GVBl. II 2025 No. 95) and the cap ordinance (GVBl. II 2025 No. 94) list the same municipalities, each with its district. They replace older ordinances that covered fewer municipalities. We found no Brandenburg ordinance on a longer notice ban after conversion; without one, the statutory three years apply. The legal bases are Section 556d(2) and Section 558(3) of the Civil Code.
Potsdam as an example
For a new 60 m² lease at €720 and an assumed reference rent of €9.60, the ceiling is €633.60. An increase from €490 to €576 is capped at €563.50. If you are comparing Berlin with the surrounding area, the Berlin reference rent is on the Berlin rent index page, where the rent check works it out itself.
Every municipality in the ordinances
| District | Count | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|
| independent cities | 1 | Potsdam |
| Landkreis Barnim | 4 | Ahrensfelde, Bernau bei Berlin, Biesenthal, Panketal |
| Landkreis Dahme-Spreewald | 7 | Bestensee, Eichwalde, Königs Wusterhausen, Schönefeld, Schulzendorf, Wildau, Zeuthen |
| Landkreis Havelland | 3 | Brieselang, Falkensee, Schönwalde-Glien |
| Landkreis Märkisch-Oderland | 4 | Altlandsberg, Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf, Rehfelde, Strausberg |
| Landkreis Oberhavel | 5 | Birkenwerder, Glienicke/Nordbahn, Leegebruch, Mühlenbecker Land, Oranienburg |
| Landkreis Oder-Spree | 2 | Erkner, Woltersdorf |
| Mark) (Lkr. Oder-Spree | 1 | Grünheide |
| Landkreis Potsdam-Mittelmark | 4 | Kleinmachnow, Nuthetal, Stahnsdorf, Teltow |
| Havel) (Lkr. Potsdam-Mittelmark | 1 | Werder |
| Landkreis Teltow-Fläming | 4 | Blankenfelde-Mahlow, Großbeeren, Ludwigsfelde, Zossen |