Munich to use AI monitor to flag potentially excessive rents

Munich will introduce an online rent monitor to identify potentially unlawful rental prices, BR reports. The tool will use artificial intelligence to scan publicly available listings, and the city plans to contact landlords when it detects significant overpricing.

The city’s social affairs committee approved the measure. Landlords whose advertised rents are flagged will be asked to review them. Mayor Dominik Krause said some landlords may not realise their asking prices could be unlawful, and may rely on prices suggested by online platforms.

The city says it repeatedly finds advertised rents above permitted levels when homes are offered to new tenants. But it has limited scope to intervene in private rental contracts, and imposing fines for excessive rents is difficult because the legal requirements are high.

The project is set to run until December 31, 2028, when its effectiveness will be reviewed. Frankfurt has used a similar tool since early 2025 and continued it after a pilot phase following positive experiences.