Water cottages belong firmly to the Frankfurt cityscape. For many, they are an institution to be preserved. The message that many of these popular meeting places, which in recent years have even experienced something like a small renaissance, due to an announced lease increase the end threatens, was therefore not only for the operators a real shock. Mayor peter Feldmann has now taken a clear stand: he rejects the announced rent increase for water huts. The city leader pledged his support when he met with watering hole operator Elif Kalkan in Sachsenhausen on Friday, 24 August, to find out about the economic impact of the rising rent. Tenants had publicly protested against the move in recent days.
Individual water shack operators expect rates to rise by up to 73 percent. The background is an increase initiated by the Office of Construction and Real Estate, which the Radeberg Brewery as an intermediate tenant, according to its own information, passes on. The small entrepreneurs fear therefore to get into existence troubles. A tenant in Rödelheim, for example, calculated that he would have to sell an additional 28 crates of beer a month in order to be able to pay the increased rent. Realistically, this is hardly possible.
Feldmann understands the worries and fears and therefore took a clear stand: "I say it clearly: Away with the rent increase!". In doing so, he is counting on a top-level meeting that the department head responsible for real estate, Jan Schneider, wants to hold with the Radeberger Group. The mayor expects that this problem will be solved quickly. Because the operators of water huts are struggling with an increasingly difficult market environment. Longer opening hours of supermarkets and petrol stations open around the clock intensify the competitive environment.
Even though the Lord Mayor has promised his help and wants to stand up for the water shack operators, their worries are of course far from off the table. Because whether Feldmann will be able to prevail, whether the rent increase will be completely overturned or whether there will be a compromise, which will perhaps not be quite so drastic, but nevertheless difficult for the tenants, is at the moment still completely unclear. Until clear words can be spoken, numerous operators will have to worry about their existence.
The drinking halls have a special significance in the recent history of the city. Originally, they were created to provide clean water to workers. Now they serve not only as decentralized outlets in the city's neighborhoods, but also as meeting places with an important social function. "This is where life takes place, the life of ordinary people in the diversity of the city. German and non-German, bankers and social workers, children and pensioners meet here," said the Lord Mayor. "The Wasserhäuschen are an intrinsic value, a piece of Frankfurt culture. That's why I'm here and support you!" he addressed the operators of the drinking halls. Let's hope that this support will have positive effects for the water hut operators very quickly. We keep our fingers crossed!
