District in turmoil: garage owners fight against property tax shock!
Garage owners in Connewitz are struggling with drastic property tax increases. A city council inquiry highlights the financial consequences.

District in turmoil: garage owners fight against property tax shock!
On June 29, 2025, important issues surrounding the new property tax were discussed in the Leipzig city council. This came into force at the beginning of the year and aims to abolish outdated standard values. The current standard land value is now used as a benchmark for calculating property tax. Loud Leipzig Internet newspaper Some property owners, including a garage community in Connewitz, have already experienced drastic tax increases of up to thirteen times.
At the council meeting, Dirk Franke, a representative of the garage owners, asked the city council about the possible connection between the property tax and the environmental protection statutes for Connewitz. He reported a doubling of property taxes on his home and expressed concerns about the financial burden that could affect both him and other average earners in the district. Enrico Taubert, chairman of the garage community, spoke during the meeting about the valuation process of his garage, which was estimated to be worth 270,000 euros.
The role of the tax office and land values
Finance Mayor Torsten Bonew emphasized that the city is not the contact person for these valuation questions, but the responsible tax office. The standard land values are determined by the Real Estate Transport Committee and are based on the sales prices of properties from previous years. These new procedures for determining the property tax value are regulated in the Valuation Act, which lays down the basis for the valuation of land and buildings, especially in the context of property tax.
How bodenrichtwerte-deutschland.de As explained, various factors influence the property tax value. This includes the size of the property, the standard land values and special features such as the type of use. These adjustments are particularly relevant for areas like Connewitz, where demand for real estate from investors has increased since the 2008/2009 financial crisis. This not only leads to an increase in purchase prices, but also to an increase in rents and gentrification of the district.
Impact on local residents
The garage owners are in a tense situation because the garage property at Ernestistrasse 30 is designated as residential building space in the land use plan, which affects the standard land values. However, a change to the land use plan is not expected. Bonew made it clear that the environmental protection statute was not responsible for the price increases, but rather the persistently high demand from wealthy investors.
Enrico Taubert was apparently little comforted by the finance mayor's statements, but saw the urgency of raising the issue in the city council. The feeling of insecurity and the threat of displacement from the district makes the conversation about the new property tax values and their far-reaching effects on residents all the more necessary.