Finding a flat in Germany

How renting in Germany works for newcomers: cold and warm rent, the papers landlords want, the limits on deposits, and how to spot scams.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rent rules differ between states and cities, and your own contract is what counts in the end.

Reading an advert: cold rent and warm rent

German adverts quote rent in two ways, and the difference matters.

• Kaltmiete (cold rent) is the rent for the flat itself.^[1]
• Nebenkosten are the service charges on top: things like water, heating and rubbish collection. You pay a fixed amount each month in advance, and once a year you get a statement of what was actually used. That can mean a refund, or a bill.^[1]
• Warmmiete (warm rent) is the two added together. Compare flats by warm rent, and ask what the Nebenkosten include; electricity, for example, may not be.^[2]

One more thing surprises people: an unfurnished flat is not always equipped with a kitchen.^[1] Check the advert, or ask before you view.

What landlords ask for

In big cities a popular flat can attract a lot of applicants, so have these ready as PDFs before you start viewing:

• ID: passport or ID card, and your residence permit or visa if you have one.^[1]
• Proof of income: recent payslips. If you have not been paid in Germany yet, a copy of your employment contract is the usual substitute.^[1]
• SCHUFA report: SCHUFA is Germany's main credit agency.^[3] You can request a free copy of your data under Article 15 of the GDPR, called the Datenkopie. You request it on SCHUFA's website and it arrives by post; SCHUFA says within about a week.^[4] It is meant for your own information and shows more than a landlord needs, so show only what is relevant.^[4] If you are new to Germany, it may show very little. That is normal; lean on your contract and payslips instead.
• Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung: a letter from your previous landlord confirming you owe no rent.^[1] You will not have a German one if you have just arrived. Say so plainly; some landlords accept a reference from a landlord abroad, some do not.

The deposit: Kaution

The Kaution is a security deposit you get back when you move out, minus any legitimate claims. The law caps it: at most three months' rent, not counting the Nebenkosten (section 551 of the civil code, the BGB).^[5][1]

You also have the right to pay it in three equal monthly instalments. The first is due when the tenancy starts, the others with the next two months' rent.^[5] A landlord who demands more than three months, or all of it before you have signed anything, is either ignoring the law or not a landlord at all.

Estate agent fees: Bestellerprinzip

Since 1 June 2015, the Bestellerprinzip has applied to rented flats: whoever hires the estate agent pays the agent.^[6] If you answer an agent's advert, the landlord hired that agent, and you cannot be charged a fee.^[7]

You only pay if you gave an agent your own search assignment, in writing, and they found a flat purely for you. Even then the fee is capped at two months' cold rent plus VAT. Tricks that shift the landlord's fee onto the tenant are not legally valid.^[6][7]

The rent brake: Mietpreisbremse

In areas that a state government has declared a tight housing market, the Mietpreisbremse limits the rent at the start of a new tenancy to no more than 10% above the local comparative rent (the ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete). It has been extended until 31 December 2029.^[8]

It does not apply everywhere, and there are exceptions: flats first used and let after 1 October 2014, flats let for the first time after a thorough modernisation, and cases where the previous tenant already paid more.^[8][9] Whether a given flat is covered is often not obvious. If you suspect your rent is too high, get advice (see below) rather than guessing.

In April 2026 the federal cabinet approved a further reform aimed at furnished flats and short-term tenancies.^[10] Check whether it has become law before relying on it.

Flat shares, furnished and temporary options

Many newcomers do not start with their own flat.

• WG (Wohngemeinschaft): a room in a shared flat. Usually cheaper than living alone, often with flexible terms.^[1] Expect the existing flatmates to want to meet you first.
• Furnished and temporary flats: useful for the first weeks or months. Check before booking that you will get the paperwork you need to register (below).
• Untermiete (sublet): renting from someone who is themselves a tenant. The main tenant needs the landlord's permission to sublet. Without it, the main tenant risks losing their own contract, and you would lose the room with it.^[11] Ask to see the permission.

Whatever you rent, you will need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from the landlord to register your address.^[12] After you arrive explains that step.

Scams, and how to spot them

Fake flat adverts are common, and newcomers searching from abroad are a favourite target. Warning signs:

• The "landlord" is abroad, cannot show you the flat, and offers to send the keys by post once you pay.^[13]
• You are asked for a deposit or rent before viewing or before signing.^[13][14]
• Payment to a bank account outside Germany. German IBANs start with DE.^[13]
• A rent far below anything else in the area.^[13]
• An early request for a copy of your passport by email. That is used for identity theft.^[13][14]
• Photos that look like a brochure, or that also appear in other adverts.^[13][14]

Never pay before you have seen the flat in person and signed a contract. If you have already paid, contact your bank at once, report it to the police, and report the advert to the site it was on.^[13][14]

Where to get help

• Tenant associations (Mietervereine) give legal advice on rent and contracts. They are membership organisations, so full advice usually requires paying a membership fee.^[15][16]
• Consumer centres (Verbraucherzentralen), run separately in each state,^[17] offer first advice on tenancy questions in several states, sometimes for a fee.^[18]
• Your city or district: some offer free tenancy advice. Berlin's Neukölln district does, for example, some of it in English.^[19] Search your city name plus "Mieterberatung".

Where to check

• Looking for housing — the German government's English-language portal
• Rent brake extended to 2029 — federal government, in German
• Bundestag decision on the rent brake — in German
• Bestellerprinzip for rented flats — IHK Wiesbaden, in German
• Fake flat adverts — Verbraucherzentrale, in German
• Free SCHUFA data copy — the free Article 15 GDPR copy, in German
• Free tenancy advice in Berlin-Neukölln — an example of a district service

This guide is about Germany. Austria and Switzerland work differently — sometimes very differently. See working in Austria and working in Switzerland.

Figures on this page were checked on 23 September 2026 against the sources below and are revised most years.