Ask any newer Berlin resident and they’ll likely have an apartment-hunting story of their own to tell. Gabriella Linardi, a 26-year-old working in the technology industry, moved to Berlin from the United States two years ago and took over the lease on a flat-share that currently costs about 300 euros (£260) per month. Her fiancé Max, a 29-year-old German also working in tech, has lived longer in the city and currently pays about the same.

The two are looking to move in together – but even though they’re willing to spend more than double their current rents on a new flat, they’ve had no luck so far finding one. Disappointed by the prices and options when they first started searching, Linardi says: “What we’re looking for, even though we already doubled our budget, is basically a place that is not an upgrade from where we’re living right now – and ever further out from the centre.”

Germany has taken nationwide action in recent years to begin grappling with this problem: in 2015, parliament passed a law restricting how much landlords could raise rents. Under that legislation, the rental price on a new contract should be no more than 10% higher than the average price in that particular neighbourhood.

Politicians and experts on housing policy say that the law, however, doesn’t go nearly far enough in protecting renters. Reiner Wild, head of the Berlin Tenants’ Association, told BBC Capital that it had too many exceptions – and that landlords sometimes choose to ignore it. What’s more, tenants often don’t want to pursue legal action against landlords when it’s hard enough to find a suitable flat.

“[The law has] helped numerous tenants but has not had a sustained effect on the rent levels,” Wild said.

What’s the catch?

Introducing a rent cap, even if temporary, could provide relief to those struggling to keep up with living costs in Berlin – but there could also be significant downsides. Such a policy could exacerbate the city’s existing housing shortage: some experts say it might lead developers to seek buyers, not renters, for their new apartments.