Has Berlin Banned Vacation Rentals?
 

I see that Berlin has passed a law banning short-term apartment rentals. Yet, I still see many apartments listed on the various rental sites. Are those hosts flouting the law, or are they legal? We'd like to rent an apartment sometime in 2018, but want do it legally. Thanks!

It's stil a grey area.
Technically, there is no full ban on short-term rentals.
The boroughs of Berlin can decide if they allow short-term rentals.
Some do, some don't. In the most wanted areas of Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or Neukölln they don't.
So far, some 6K apartments have been identified as illegal and have been taken off the market.
But the law itself is still under review by the courts whether or not the ban is constitutional.
In 2018, the law shall be revised to allow short-term rentals for up to 60 days per year.
Nevertheless, no one really knows what will happen next year.

Thanks for the reply. And yet there are many, many listing for the most wanted areas.