
Our resident inquisitor René Blixer asks kind of dumb questions about smart Berlin businesses, and we do our best to answer them. This time round, we’re talking about Conny.
Okay, what are we talking about today?
We’re going to be talking about Conny.
How did you know about Conny? Look, getting catfished is nothing to be ashamed of, it happens to lots of people.
Wait, what on earth are you talking about?
That time I got catfished by someone calling themselves Conny, and how I had to fight to get back the thousands of euros I had loaned them.
Okay no, we have our wires crossed, not that Conny – although that is a remarkable coincidence. This Conny is the opposite and will actually fight for money on your behalf.
This Conny sounds so much better than the one I was caught out by. Can you introduce me to her?
Well, Conny is not actually a person. Conny is a legal services platform in Berlin that represents tenants facing illegally high rent.
How illegal? Like, jaywalking illegal, or vacuuming after 10pm on Sunday illegal?
What? Both of those are verboten in German. No, Conny is a legal practice specialising in Berlin rental law. Tenancy regulations in Berlin are notoriously complicated, and landlords often take advantage of tenants who are new to the city or not up to date on German tenancy laws. Conny helps tenants reduce their rent if they’re eligible.
Okay, so if I set off fireworks in my bathtub as an art project then my landlord ups my rent in retaliation, will Conny fight for my right to set off fireworks in my apartment?
To be honest, the fireworks thing seems unrelated.

But it’s censoring freedom of expression.
No, it isn’t. Conny primarily works with the Rent Control Law, which states that new rental agreements (signed in 2015 or later) can’t exceed rents for comparable apartments in the same area by more than 10%. While extreme cases – like paying €2,000/month for a 50m² single-room apartment – clearly violate the law, rent control isn’t just for sky-high rents. Many people think their rent isn’t “crazy enough” to challenge, but even seemingly moderate overpricing, such as €12-15/m², can actually be above the legal limit. Basically, Conny helps enforce rent control even in the less extreme cases to make sure that tenants aren’t overpaying.
Okay, that actually sounds useful – though they’re clearly missing out on a lucrative bathroom-fireworks business. But this must cost so much, right?
Actually, no. If Conny successfully manages to reduce your rent, any claims from before the rent reduction will then be paid by your landlord. This money then goes towards funding Conny’s team of legal experts. If they are unsuccessful in reducing your rent, you don’t owe anything, so regardless of the outcome, you never have to pay Conny directly.
I’ll bet they make it super hard to sign up though – it’s all in German, they need a billion different forms, they won’t accept legal tender shredded by fireworks…
The process starts with a simple questionnaire on their website, in English or German, where you can quickly find out if you’re eligible for a rent reduction. Additionally, all their customer service representatives are fluent in both languages, ensuring that they can provide bilingual support over the phone as well.
But this must be some back-alley operation that no one’s actually tried out before. You know I’m very picky with whom I trust to do business.
Conny is highly regarded by former clients. Andreas from Neukölln shared his experience on their website: “I had minimal effort, was informed about everything important by Conny, had no extra costs, and ultimately saved almost €410 on the basic rent. In addition, the landlord had to refund the overpaid rent for just under a year.”
I get it, they’re like the Robin Hoods of Berlin rental law.
Well, sort of. They’re like Robin Hood – if instead of breaking the law to take from the rich, he took them to court to enforce it instead.
Great, then just one more question: If you can get my rent lowered, I’ll finally have some extra cash to spend on dates. Can you give me Conny’s number?
You know what, sure. If you visit their website , you can sign up to get a call from Conny directly.