Large investors are driving up house prices and rent across Europe, says study

There are calls for action from EU on ‘financialisation’ of housing, reports Liam James

Institutional housing is worth tens of billions in Berlin and other major cities (Getty)

Large investors such as private equity and pension funds are driving up the price of rents and housing in major European cities, according to new research.

About €64bn (£53bn) worth of housing was bought and sold by institutional investors in 2020 and the total value of their property was €150bn, according to data from Cities for Rent.

Berlin was found to have €40bn worth of institutional housing, the highest amount in Europe and more than the combined totals of London and Amsterdam, the next two highest. Paris and Vienna followed.