Finding an apartment in Germany: rent, documents and scams

Who needs it

Anyone who moves to Germany and does not buy property. Renting is normal here, including for families and people on high salaries. In large cities the market is tight: good flats get many applicants within hours. Smaller towns are usually much easier.

You will meet three main options:

How rent is quoted

• Kaltmiete (net cold rent): the rent for the flat itself.
• Nebenkosten or Betriebskosten (service charges): building costs such as water, rubbish collection, cleaning and often heating. You usually pay a monthly advance, and the landlord sends a yearly statement. You then pay extra or get money back.
• Warmmiete (gross warm rent): Kaltmiete plus Nebenkosten, including heating.

Electricity is usually not included. You sign your own contract. See electricity.

What you need

Landlords and agents usually ask for a folder of documents, often called a Bewerbungsmappe (application pack):

• Passport or ID card, and a residence permit if you have one (usually required)
• Proof of income: the last three payslips, or an employment contract if you have just started (usually required)
• A SCHUFA credit report (usually required). See SCHUFA for what to do if you have no history yet.
• A Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung (confirmation from your previous landlord that you owe no rent) (often requested). If you are new to Germany, explain this and offer a reference from your last landlord abroad.
• A Mieterselbstauskunft (tenant information form) that the landlord gives you (often requested)
• Students: proof of enrolment and funding, for example a blocked account or a guarantor (depends)

How to do it

1. Set a budget. Calculate with the Warmmiete, not the Kaltmiete. Add electricity, internet and the Rundfunkbeitrag.
2. Search the big listing portals, local newspapers, university housing offices and your network. Employers sometimes help too.
3. Prepare your documents before you view flats, so you can apply on the same day.
4. View the flat in person, or ask someone you trust to go for you.
5. Read the contract before you sign. Check the rent, the Nebenkosten advance, the notice period and any rent increase clauses (Staffelmiete = stepped rent, Indexmiete = rent linked to inflation).
6. Agree a handover. Record the flat's condition in a Wohnungsübergabeprotokoll (handover report) with photos.
7. Get the landlord's confirmation for your registration. The landlord must give you a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. See Wohnungsgeberbestätigung.

Temporary housing: check that you can register

You must register your address within two weeks of moving in. See Anmeldung. Without a registration you will struggle to get a tax ID or a residence permit. Before you book temporary housing, ask in writing: "Will you give me a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung so I can register?" Many furnished-flat providers say yes. Hotels and hostels usually do not.

Broker fees and rent limits

Maklerprovision (broker fee): Since 1 June 2015 the Bestellerprinzip (the person who hires the agent pays) applies to rentals. If the landlord hired the agent, the agent may not charge you. Advance payments to agents are also not allowed. The fee is only allowed if you hired the agent yourself to search for you, and the agent then found a flat only for you.

Mietpreisbremse (rent brake): In areas that a state has designated as tight housing markets, the rent for a new contract may generally be at most 10% above the local reference rent (ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete). There are exceptions, for example for new builds and after major modernisation. The current rules can apply until 31 December 2029. Whether your flat is covered depends on the city. A local tenants' association (Mieterverein) can check.

Common problems

How do I spot a rental scam?

A typical scam is a cheap, attractive flat whose "landlord" is abroad. They offer to send the keys by courier if you transfer the deposit first. The police warn about exactly this. Never pay a deposit, the first rent or a "viewing fee" before you have seen the flat and signed a contract. Genuine landlords and agents do not charge for viewings. Read the police warning on advance-payment fraud.

Can I rent without a SCHUFA?

Often yes, but it is harder. Offer your employment contract, payslips, a letter from your employer, bank statements or a guarantor (Bürge). Get your free SCHUFA data copy as soon as you have a German bank account, so you have something to show.

Is it normal for flats to have no kitchen?

Yes. Many unfurnished flats come without a kitchen. You may be offered the previous tenant's kitchen for a fee (Ablöse). This is optional. Negotiate, and check the price is reasonable.

Can I sublet a room in my flat?

Only with your landlord's permission. You then give your subtenant the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, or ask the landlord to do it.

Costs

• First month's rent, usually due at the start of the contract.
• Deposit: at most three months' Kaltmiete. You may pay it in three instalments.
• Broker fee: normally none for tenants (Bestellerprinzip).
• Moving, furniture and possibly a kitchen.