BERLIN, June 18 (Reuters) - The Berlin Senate on Tuesday approved a five-year rent freeze designed to tame soaring housing costs in the German capital, bowing to pressure from residents angry that their city has become unaffordable.

The Senator for Urban Development and Housing in Berlin, Katrin Lompscher, said the five-year freeze, which was originally planned to take effect in January 2020, would apply retroactively from June 18. (Reporting by Holger Hansen und Joseph Nasr Editing by Michael Nienaber)