What Wohnbau eG Essen does

Wohnbau eG Essen is a registered housing cooperative (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft, Genossenschaftsregister Nr. 327, Amtsgericht Essen) that owns and manages approximately 4,560 residential apartments and a smaller commercial portfolio across multiple districts of Essen and the city of Velbert, serving roughly 6,400 cooperative members. Founded in 1903 through predecessor cooperatives and renamed to its current legal form (Wohnbau eG Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Essen) in 1990, the company operates under a democratic one-member-one-vote governance model with a two-member Vorstand (Dr.-Ing. Jasmin Janßen as Chair and Dipl.-Kfm. Sven Heiko Bellemann) supervised by an elected Aufsichtsrat and audited annually by VdW Verband der Wohnungs- und Immobilienwirtschaft Rheinland Westfalen e.V. Core products consist of long-term residential rental housing, a small commercial-rentals offering, and community-facing services (Wohnbau-Treffpunkte community centres, senior companionship in partnership with Ehrenamt Agentur e.V. and Mehrgenerationenhaus, sports sponsorships and the annual Towerrun). The digital product surface centres on the Mieterportal "Meine Wohnbau" tenant portal (web and iOS/Android) launched in July 2024, backed by SAP ERP for property management and accounting, supported by operational services (24/7 Notdienst, Winterdienst) and the Wissenswert information-video series.

The business model is rental-income-driven: members pay a EUR 1,000 entry share (Geschäftsanteil, up to 49 shares) and historically receive a 4% dividend on paid-in capital, while tenant pricing is quote-based and brokered through the wholly-owned subsidiary WSG Wohnbau Service GmbH (Geschäftsführerin Misaela Kevric) at Dahnstraße 2. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer rental consultations via the subsidiary with community-led acquisition through word-of-mouth referrals, the Vertreterversammlung representative elections, and member-facing communication channels including the website, social posts across multilingual energy-saving content, the annual Wohnbau-Magazin (since 1993), and grassroots sports sponsorships of local clubs. Reported 2025 financial outcomes include net income of EUR 2,078,397.51 and Bilanzgewinn of EUR 1,870,397.51 after EUR 208,000 to legal reserves.

Name

Wohnbau eG Essen

Legal name

Wohnbau eG Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Essen

Website

https://wohnbau-eg.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wohnbau eG Essen is a member-owned housing cooperative managing approximately 4,560 rental apartments across Essen and Velbert, serving around 6,400 members through a democratic Genossenschaft governance model with digital self-service via the Mieterportal tenant platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Housing and Residential Property Rental

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513)

akta.pro primary industry

HOA / Condominium Association Management (BPAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Cooperative housing services
• Residential property rental
• Tenant portal platform
• Housing cooperative management
• Apartment rental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Essen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Residential and Commercial Rental Income: Primary revenue from renting approximately 4,560 residential apartments and commercial units to members across Essen and Velbert. Rental income is the core business of the cooperative.
2. Membership Shares (Geschäftsanteile): Members pay 1,000 EUR per share. Historical dividend of 4% paid on Geschäftsguthaben (member capital accounts).
3. Social Services and Community Programs: Senior companionship services, community center operations, and tenant event coordination provided to enhance member value and retention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wohnbau eG Essen rents approximately 4,560 residential apartments and commercial units to cooperative members across multiple districts of Essen and in Velbert. Members purchase business shares (Geschäftsanteile) at €1,000 each, historically earning a 4% dividend, in order to access the housing stock. The cooperative also offers a digital tenant portal ("Meine Wohnbau"), social management programs including senior companionship, community meeting points (Wohnbau-Treffpunkte), winter clearance, and 24/7 emergency repair coordination through contracted service providers.

Product overview

Wohnbau eG Essen is a housing cooperative offering residential and commercial rental properties across Essen and Velbert. The company's product portfolio centers on its digital Mieterportal "Meine Wohnbau" tenant portal (web and mobile app) for 24/7 self-service access to contracts, documents, and communications. Core services include residential apartment search, commercial rentals, and social management programs such as senior companionship and community meeting points (Wohnbau-Treffpunkte). Supporting services include educational content via "Wissenswert" videos, the annual Wohnbau-Magazin publication, snow removal services, and weekend/holiday emergency repair coordination. All digital services are provided alongside traditional property management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mieterportal "Meine Wohnbau" Digital tenant portal providing 24/7 online access to contracts, documents, cost statements, repair requests, and direct communication with Wohnbau eG Essen. Available as a web portal and smartphone application (iOS and Android).
• Residential Apartment Rental (Wohnungssuche) Online residential property listing and rental service showing available cooperative-owned apartments for prospective tenants in Essen and Velbert, managed end-to-end through subsidiary WSG Wohnbau Service GmbH.
• Commercial Space Rental (Gewerbe) Commercial space rental service within the cooperative's mixed-use building portfolio, offering retail, services and office spaces to business tenants.
• Emergency Repair Service (Notdienstregelung) Weekend and holiday emergency repair coordination covering plumbing, heating, electrical, elevator, locksmith and cable TV issues, delivered through contracted service providers for tenants in Essen and Velbert locations.
• Winter Snow Clearance Service (Winterdienst) Snow removal and gritting service for walkways and common areas of cooperative properties, governed by the city of Essen's municipal ordinances.
• Senior Companionship Service (Sozialmanagement / Begleitung für Senioren) Social management program providing voluntary companionship visits and social activities for elderly cooperative members who live alone, delivered in partnership with Ehrenamt Agentur e.V. and Mehrgenerationenhaus Essen.
• Community Meeting Points (Wohnbau-Treffpunkte) Network of community contact points in Frohnhausen, Freisenbruch and Altendorf offering weekly office hours and coordination for housing-related services and social support for cooperative members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dividend payment of 4% on Geschäftsguthaben historically paid to members
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VodafonecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2025Vodafone is a new framework contract partner for telecommunications services with contract start date 01.07.2025. The partnership involves technical inventory assessments of buildings conducted by authorized service providers. Vodafone will notify residents about upcoming signal supply changes and provide on-site consultants.
• Ehrenamt Agentur e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Begleitung für Senioren' (Senior Companionship) program. The Ehrenamt Agentur provides volunteer companions who visit elderly residents regularly. Volunteers are prepared for their tasks and supervised by the Mehrgenerationenhaus.
• Mehrgenerationenhaus EssencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Begleitung für Senioren companionship program and operator of Wohnbau-Treffpunkte community centers. Provides coordinator for the senior companionship program and manages volunteer companions.
• WSG Wohnbau Service GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWholly-owned subsidiary of Wohnbau eG Essen that handles all rental inquiries and apartment search services. Located at Dahnstraße 2, 45144 Essen. Managed by Misaela Kevric (Geschäftsführerin).
• VdW Verband der Wohnungs- und Immobilienwirtschaft Rheinland Westfalen e.V.coreOthersAudit association (Prüfungsverband) that conducts statutory audits of the cooperative. The cooperative is a member of this association and receives annual audits to verify financial health and proper business management.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Wohnen SE: Berlin-headquartered major residential landlord (~155,000 units, now part of Vonovia). Comparable in core multi-family rental offering and tenant-facing digital services platform.
• Vivawest GmbH: Largest residential landlord in the Ruhr region with ~120,000 apartments across NRW. Joint venture between RWE and several municipal utilities—operates the same catchment and competes for the same tenant pool.
• LEG Immobilien SE: Major NRW-based residential landlord with ~166,000 apartments across North Rhine-Westphalia, headquartered in Düsseldorf. Closest direct geographic overlap with Wohnbau's Essen/Velbert footprint.
• TAG Immobilien AG: Mid-sized German residential property company focused on secondary cities and northern/eastern Germany; comparable in scale (~85,000 units) and value-add acquisition/maintenance business model.
• Vonovia SE: Germany's largest residential property company managing ~540,000 apartments nationwide. Direct competitor in multi-family residential rental, with overlapping member/tenant services and a far larger scale advantage.
• GAG Immobilien AG: Cologne-based housing company (formerly municipal-owned, now cooperative-model) managing ~46,000 apartments. Highly comparable Genossenschaft-style ownership, NRW region, and member-tenant service model.

Broad incumbents

• Grand City Properties S.A. Listed German/Israeli residential landlord with focus on urban apartments and value-add repositioning. Overlapping customer profile and asset type, though primarily B-stock repositioning rather than stable long-term tenancy.

Emerging players

• Bauverein zu Hamm eG: Smaller NRW-based Wohnungsgenossenschaft operating the same member-funded cooperative model. Closely analogous business model, member-share mechanics, and governance structure to Wohnbau eG Essen.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WohnbauEGEssen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wohnbau-eg-essen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wohnbau eG Essen