April 2026: Urban Development, Climate, and Housing in Lingen

Housing in Focus – Rental Price Index and Construction Planning

What was important this month

• The Lingen (Ems) 2026 Rental Price Index was adopted and will take effect on May 1. Rental prices rose on average by up to 10%.
• The Development Plan No. 42 for Laxten was approved and is now in force. The goal is to designate residential and mixed-use areas.
• The Municipal Heat Plan for Lingen was unanimously approved. It lays the foundation for climate-neutral heat supply by 2040.
• In several districts, planning procedures for new construction areas were initiated – for example, in Bramsche with the "Special Area Agri-PV."
• The wastewater treatment plant in Lingen will be increasingly integrated into the heat planning due to its stable heat supply potential.

Rental Price Index 2026 – More Transparent and Up to Date

The Lingen (Ems) 2026 Rental Price Index was unanimously adopted in April and will take effect on May 1, 2026. It is based on 1,223 lease agreements from the years 2020 to 2025 and takes into account, among other factors, the year of construction, location factors, and equipment features.

Compared to the 2023 rental price index, rental prices increased in some areas by up to 10%. The average rental price per square meter is €8.08, with a range between €1.03 and €19.24. The so-called "Building Turbo" is already being applied; no rent control mechanism is planned.

The cost of producing the rental price index amounted to approximately €900, funded from budget section 08. The data was provided by the Appraisal Committee Osnabrück-Meppen and the State Office for Geoinformation and Surveying.

Urban Development – Planning and Public Participation

Work on the city's future was carried out in several districts this month. In Laxten, Development Plan No. 42 for the area "Between Mühlenbach and Haselünner Straße" was adopted. The planning area covers approximately 5.1 hectares and provides for the designation of residential and mixed-use areas.

In addition, the land use plan amendment No. 73 was approved. The planning was carried out within a standard procedure with a two-stage public participation process. The justification for the development plan was prepared by the planning office regionalplan & uvp and submitted in the meeting documents.

In Bramsche, two new construction areas were planned: the "Special Area Agri-PV" and the construction area "An der Kuhwiese." For both, a decision to prepare the plans was made, and early public participation was initiated.

Climate-Neutral Heat Planning – Future for Lingen

The Committee for Environment, Climate, and Sustainability has unanimously approved the Municipal Heat Plan for Lingen. The plan divides the city into central, decentralized, and areas requiring further evaluation for heat supply. The wastewater treatment plant in Lingen is highlighted as a particularly stable heat supply potential, as it has a consistently high water temperature of over 10°C and is spatially close to central heat consumers.

The heat plan must be evaluated compulsorily after five years. The Lingen Economic Enterprises GmbH is tasked with implementation, and BBH Consulting AG prepared the plan. Measures 1 to 6 are to be implemented within the next five years. In addition, the administration will submit annual reports on the implementation status to the specialist committee.

Further Developments – Mobility, Culture, and Infrastructure

In addition to urban and climate-relevant topics, local infrastructure and cultural projects were also in focus. In several districts, grants were applied for by associations, village events, and school projects. For example, the shooting association in Altenlingen received a grant for carriage rides during the 2026 shooting festival, and in Holthausen, four grant applications for school projects and village development were presented.

There were also advances in mobility: In Lingen, a speed limit of 30 km/h was approved for the Langschmidtsweg. In addition, a 30 km/h speed limit was adopted for the Reuschberge area to increase road safety.

Outlook – What's Coming in May?

In May, the new rental price regulation will come into force, and the first effects on tenants and landlords will become noticeable. In addition, the heat plan will move into concrete implementation, and the first pilot projects for decentralized heat supply could start.

Further urban development plans are planned in several districts, and public participation will play an important role.