ABSTRACT
The voluntary limited dividend companies and co-operatives had suffered great setbacks immediately before and during the war, either having their property seized or their boards dissolved or being taken over. The first post-war German housing task was rebuilding what could be rescued from the rubble. The second task was to launch a massive new-build programme. Private landlords were desperately needed in the post-war crisis. As German reunification became more and more problematic, and a Communist government took over in East Germany, the system in that part of the country evolved very differently, although still broadly based on the three pre-war sectors – co-operative companies, private landlords, owner-occupiers. The limited dividend and co-operative companies provided the main vehicle for social housing development. High property values, a continuing though reduced shortage of rented housing, and a relaxation of controls ensured this return. Because of multiparty support for private renting, landlords flourished with little fear of political intervention.
