Wohnbau Gießen

What Wohnbau Gießen does

Wohnbau Gießen GmbH is the municipal housing company (kommunales Wohnungsunternehmen) wholly owned by the city of Gießen, Hesse, Germany, operating since 1968 through the merger of two predecessor entities dating to 1936 and 1951. The company manages approximately 7,250 apartments across Gießen — including 1,720 publicly subsidized social housing units (Sozialwohnungen) — serving roughly 1 in 6 residents of the city. Its portfolio generates residential rental income at an average net cold rent of €6.27/sqm (2024), materially below the Gießen market average of more than €8/sqm and comparable housing companies at €6.70/sqm. The company reported an annual net surplus exceeding €5M in FY2023 and more than €3M in FY2024, with operations funded through rental income, operating cost recoveries, commercial rents (e.g., L'Osteria at Ludwigsplatz 11), and project-specific public subsidies.

The operational core is a vertically integrated housing platform: a wholly-owned property services subsidiary, Wohnbau Immobilienservice GmbH (WIS), delivers in-house maintenance with dedicated teams spanning customer service (~30 staff), construction/project planning (~24), painting/carpentry (21), HVAC/plumbing (10), electrical (9), cleaning (10), gardening (9), and warehouse/order coordination (~8), plus a 6-person property inspection team. New construction uses serial/modular methods with Goldbeck as general contractor, achieving one floor per week and enabling delivery of 100 subsidized apartments on Philosophenhöhe in approximately 14 months. Buildings meet KfW Efficiency House 40 standard, qualifying for federal and Land Hessen/WIBank subsidies. Under Managing Director Dorothee Haberland (in office since 2020, contract extended six years in 2025), the company is executing an active program of new construction (~290 units across multiple projects), modernization (~174 completed + 183 in pipeline), and the Flussstraßenviertel neighborhood development covering approximately 800 apartments through 2029.

Distribution operates through a direct-to-tenant model: physical customer center at Ludwigstraße 6 (24,000+ visitors in its first two years), neighborhood office hours (Quartierssprechstunden), ImmobilienScout24 listings (exclusive since October 2025), social housing registration via the city's Amt für soziale Angelegenheiten, WhatsApp-based damage reporting and a one-way news channel, biannual tenant magazine, and tenant festivals. Tenant participation is institutionalized through elected tenant councils with two seats on the supervisory board. The company is non-profit by municipal mandate and does not raise equity capital; external funding is sourced exclusively through government subsidy programs (KfW, Land Hessen, WIBank) for specific construction and modernization projects.

Name

Wohnbau Gießen

Legal name

Wohnbau Gießen GmbH

Website

https://wohnbau-giessen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wohnbau Gießen GmbH is the municipally owned housing company of the city of Gießen, Germany, managing approximately 7,250 apartments (including 1,720 subsidized units) for roughly one in six city residents. It operates an in-house maintenance subsidiary (WIS) and pursues active new construction and modernization using serial building methods with Goldbeck.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Housing Management

NAICS

Residential Property Managers (531311), New Multifamily Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236116)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Multifamily Apartment Property Management (BPAJAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable & Subsidized Housing Property Management (LIHTC, Section 8) (BPAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Municipal housing services
• Affordable residential rental
• Social housing management
• Property modernization services
• Neighborhood development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Gießen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Residential Rental Income: Primary revenue stream from renting approximately 7,250 apartments across Gießen. Average net cold rent of €6.27 per sqm (2024), significantly below the Gießen average of €8+ and comparable housing companies' average of €6.70 per sqm. Rental increases are modest and tied to modernization investments. The company offers a mix of publicly subsidized (Sozialwohnungen, ~1,720 units) and market-rate apartments.
2. Operating Cost Recoveries (Nebenkosten): Service charges and operating costs (heating, water, waste disposal, property management, caretaker services, smoke detector maintenance) recovered from tenants through annual operating cost statements. New cost positions added in 2025 include caretaker team fees and annual smoke detector servicing.
3. Commercial Property Rental: Revenue from commercial tenants in ground-floor retail/commercial spaces, including the Dach-Café at Ludwigsplatz 11 (now leased to L'Osteria franchise) and commercial units in new mixed-use buildings such as the Weserstraße development (senior day care + Kita).
4. Bonitätsprüfung via Creditreform: Data sharing with Creditreform for tenant creditworthiness assessments during rental application processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Wohnbau Gießen GmbH is the municipal housing company of the City of Gießen, Germany, managing and renting approximately 7,250 apartments — including around 1,720 subsidized social housing units (Sozialwohnungen) and market-rate units — at an average net cold rent of €6.27/sqm (2024). The company handles full property management through its subsidiary Wohnbau Immobilienservice GmbH (WIS) for maintenance, repairs, and modernization, while executing new construction using serial/modular methods in partnership with Goldbeck and delivering community engagement programs such as tenant festivals, tenant councils, and a tenant magazine.

Product overview

Wohnbau Gießen GmbH is a municipal housing company managing approximately 7,250 apartments in Gießen, Germany. The core offering centers on apartment rental services spanning subsidized social housing (requiring housing eligibility certificates) and market-rate units. Property maintenance and repairs are handled through subsidiary Wohnbau Immobilienservice (WIS), which employs specialized teams for painting, electrical work, HVAC/plumbing, gardening, and cleaning. The company provides customer-facing services through a physical Customer Center and neighborhood office hours. Key services include modernization/energy retrofit programs, new construction using serial building methods, and unique tenant participation via elected tenant councils. Community engagement is supported through tenant festivals, the 'gugge ma' magazine, art projects, and urban gardening initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Apartment Rental Services Core rental of approximately 7,250 market-rate and subsidized apartments in Gießen at an average net cold rent of €6.27/sqm (2024), serving roughly 1 in 6 Gießen residents. Apartment allocation moved entirely to ImmobilienScout24 in 2025 with direct online applications.
• Subsidized Social Housing (Sozialwohnungen) Approximately 1,720 price-controlled, publicly subsidized apartments requiring a Wohnberechtigungsschein (housing entitlement certificate) issued by the city's Social Welfare Office (Amt für soziale Angelegenheiten). Rents are capped by public subsidy regulations.
• Commercial Property Rental Rental of ground-floor commercial spaces in Wohnbau buildings, including the Dach-Café at Ludwigsplatz 11 (operated by L'Osteria franchise) and commercial units in new mixed-use developments such as the Weserstraße project housing AWO senior day care and Kita.
• Wohnbau Immobilienservice (WIS) Property Maintenance Services Comprehensive in-house property maintenance, repairs, modernization, and caretaking delivered by wholly-owned subsidiary Wohnbau Immobilienservice GmbH (WIS), with teams covering painting, electrical, plumbing/HVAC, gardening, cleaning, and order management for approximately 50 external craft businesses.
• Modernization and Energy Retrofit Services Comprehensive building modernization including energy-efficient renovations, balcony installations, facade insulation, window replacement, and heat pump installations with building-integrated photovoltaics. 174 apartments have been modernized since 2020, with 183 more in progress; energy modernizations reduce tenant heating costs while rent increases are capped at €2.00/sqm/month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rent savings of approximately €3 million annually for tenants compared to average comparable housing company rents (€6.70/sqm)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Weeber+Partner (Institut für Stadtplanung und Sozialforschung)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Weeber+Partner was commissioned in early 2025 to develop both a Social Concept (Sozialkonzept) and a Mobility Concept (Mobilitätskonzept) for the Flussstraßenviertel neighborhood development (~800 apartments). The firm conducts social room monitoring analysis and develops recommendations for social mixing and mobility planning.
• AWO Gießen (Arbeiterwohlfahrt)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024AWO Gießen operates a senior day care center (Seniorentagespflege) and a Kita (U3 and Ü3) in the Weserstraße new construction project. AWO also offers senior day care services at the Heinrich-Albertz-Haus in Kleinlinden. The partnership integrates care services into Wohnbau's housing developments, creating intergenerational community spaces.
• Goldbeck GmbH (GOLDBECK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 September 2024Goldbeck serves as the general contractor (Totalunternehmer) for Wohnbau's serial construction projects. The partnership enabled completion of 100 apartments on Philosophenhöhe in just 14 months. Goldbeck prefabricates building components in its own factories and assembles them on-site like a modular system, enabling high construction speed and consistent quality.
• Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen (Kunstpädagogik)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023University art education department collaborated with Wohnbau on the 'Platz mal hier kommt Form' sculpture art project at Eulenkopf. Art pedagogy students created public artworks in the neighborhood under lecturer Gabriele Hüllstrunk, transforming green spaces into cultural experiences.
• Caritasverband GießenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-organizer of the Eulenkopf art project 'Platz mal hier kommt Form'. Contributed to community development and neighborhood improvement in the Eulenkopf district.
• Quartiersmanagement EulenkopfminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Local neighborhood management office collaborating on the Eulenkopf art and community development project, helping bridge residents and institutional stakeholders.
• Creditreform Hellersberg GmbH, NeussminorOthersWohnbau shares tenant applicant data with Creditreform for creditworthiness checks during the rental application process. This is a standard risk management practice for housing companies to assess tenant reliability.
• Verband der Südwestdeutschen Wohnungswirtschaft (VdW Südwest)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association representing housing companies in southwest Germany. Wohnbau is a member and participates in annual business comparisons (Betriebsvergleiche). The VdW Südwest runs the 'Deine Miete. Für Dein Zuhause.' public awareness campaign on the necessity of rent increases, which Wohnbau supports.
• Schmitt & Kollegen Planungsgesellschaft mbH, GießenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAppointed as construction management (Bauleitung) for the Weserstraße new construction project. Responsible for overseeing construction progress and quality on behalf of Wohnbau.
• Jugendwerkstatt GießenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth workshop collaborated with Wohnbau on a graffiti art project at Hardtallee, where Gießener artist Alee Mojahedi worked with teenagers to beautify a garage wall. The project promoted community integration and youth engagement.
• Jugendwerkstatt GießenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth workshop collaborated on urban gardening pilot project at Hardtallee 8-10-12, where 24 raised beds were installed for tenant community gardening in District 1.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Regional players

• Bauverein Südhessen: Cooperative housing provider in southern Hesse with a similar tenant and operational model, but smaller and not a direct city-mandated provider. Useful for service and member engagement comparison.

Broad incumbents

• SAGA Hamburg: Hamburg's municipal housing company with ~140,000 apartments. Comparable in being a public-sector landlord with a social housing mandate, in-house services, and tenant engagement programs.
• Vonovia SE: Germany's largest residential landlord with ~540,000 units. Operates the same multifamily rental model but as a listed private company, providing benchmark pricing, capital markets context, and substitution pressure at the upper end of the market.
• Gewobag Berlin: One of Berlin's largest municipal housing companies with ~70,000 units. Comparable in municipal ownership and affordable housing mandate, but operates at much larger scale and in a different local market.

Others

• Goldbeck GmbH: Strategic general contractor and partner for Wohnbau's serial construction projects. Not a peer in housing management but a key supplier whose serial construction method is core to Wohnbau's pipeline execution.

Direct peers

• ABG Frankfurt Holding: ABG is the municipal housing company of the City of Frankfurt with ~50,000 apartments. Closest analog as a large municipal housing provider in Hesse with similar tenant demographics and city-political mandate.
• Nassauische Heimstätte (NHW): NHW is a state-affiliated housing company in Hesse providing affordable rental housing, comparable in tenant mix, regional subsidy access, and multifamily residential operating model.
• GWW Wiesbaden: GWW is a municipal housing company of the City of Wiesbaden operating ~13,500 apartments, directly comparable in business model, customer base (subsidized + market-rate residential), and municipal ownership structure.
• Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Kassel (GWG Kassel): GWG Kassel is a municipal housing company in Kassel offering similar subsidized and market-rate rental housing, comparable in scale and tenant services, with adjacent Hessian geography.
• GBG Mannheim: GBG Mannheim is a municipal housing company in Baden-Württemberg managing ~20,000 apartments, comparable in mission, customer base, and in-house property services integration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xwhatsapp.com/channel/0029Vahp6RYCBtxAkHZ4zv3g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wohnbau-giessen-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Gießen