Housing

This page contains tips on how to find a place to live and how the German rental system works.

Broadly speaking, there are three categories of rented accommodation in Germany:

“Normal” apartments (including shared apartments) and houses. These are designed for long-term occupancy (generally half a year and up), and leases are open-ended by default.
Short-term housing, including Zwischenmiete, sublets, Monteurzimmer, AirBnBs, and others. This is designed for people who only need somewhere to live for a week to a few months. Also, as long-term housing can be difficult to find in many cities, it may be worth living in short-term accommodation upon arrival, and then look for more permanent housing once you’re on site.
Commercial housing, including hotels and hostels.

Long-term housing

This section covers finding a long-term apartment/house, or a room in a shared flat (Wohngemeinschaft, “WG”).

Especially in large cities, finding a place to live can be a challenge, as there is a lot of demand and usually not enough apartments to go around. German tenants enjoy many protections, so landlords are often very picky when choosing their tenant as, once the tenant is “in”, it can be very difficult and time-consuming to get them “out” again. For that reason, finding a flat remotely is additionally difficult, as landlords want to meet prospective tenants in person. For flatshares (particularly those catering to international students) it may be possible to set up Skype interviews, for but regular flats, you will almost certainly have to find short-term accommodation and then spend a lot of time visiting flats in person.

In the big cities it’s not unusual to spend several weeks looking at dozens of apartments before successfully signing a contract for one, so plan accordingly.

in Germany, by default, all housing rental contracts are open-ended, and can only be cancelled by the landlord under very specific circumstances (the most common being that the landlords needs the apartment to live in themselves). Limited-term contracts are possible, but the landlord must clearly state the reason (e.g. a planned major renovation) for the limitation, and should that reason no longer be valid, the contract is automatically converted to an indefinite contract. Also note that, under most limited-term contracts, neither the landlord nor the tenant can cancel the contract before the period is up.

Obviously, some parts of Germany are considerably more expensive to live in than others (here is an interactive map). While the national average rent (without utilities) is around 8 € / m², some rural areas can go as low as 4 € / m², whereas rents in the most expensive cities (Munich, Frankfurt a.M., and Stuttgart) can be 17 € / m² and above.

The ImmobilienScout portal also has a map of average rents across Germany, as does the Deutschlandatlas.

Step-by-step overview:

For renting an entire apartment/house:

You find a place and arrange a viewing.
You look at the place, decide you want it, provide any information the landlord might want.
The landlord (and, for shared flats, the existing tenants) evaluates prospective tenants and decides to take one of them.
A contract is signed between both parties.
A Wohnungsübergabe takes place, that is a meeting inside the apartment where you get the keys, and sign a summary of all the meter readings, existing problems/damages, etc.
The first rent usually has to be paid by the first of the month when you start to rent (or the 15th if you start then, etc.). Likewise the deposit (or the first of the instalments) is paid at the same time of the first rent - note that you have a legal right to pay your deposit in three monthly instalments.

House/Apartment descriptions

The majority of houses/apartments in Germany are rented unfurnished; note that this often means that there are no lightbulbs, or maybe not even a kitchen! There are also furnished apartments available for rent, although they tend to be rented on a short-term basis (see “short-term rentals”, below)

House/apartment size is listed in square meters (m²); if the house/apartment has a balcony or terrace, then half of their area is included (so a 20 m² balcony would add 10 m² to the apartment area). The living area accounts for low ceilings (e.g. under a sloped roof); areas that are lower than a usual ceiling are only counted partially.

Houses/apartments are listed by the number of “rooms” (“Zimmer”) they contain; “rooms” are defined as bedrooms, living rooms, and offices. Kitchens, hallways, bathrooms, or storage areas do not count as “rooms”. Therefore, a 2-room house/apartment will usually consist of one living room and one bedroom; the kitchen may be in a separate room or on one side of the living room, and the bathroom will be a separate room. Occasionally, houses/apartments list “half-rooms” (e.g. a “2.5 room apartment”) - a half-room is a room with less than about 10 m² of area, which is enough for a small office or a toddler’s bedroom.

Viewings

The way the Wohnungsbesichtigung usually goes: A number of people appear, look at the place, ask pertinent questions, while the landlord or someone they employ shows the place and takes a look at the prospective tenants. He might ask some questions, all of which are targeted at seeing if you seem quiet and unproblematic and financially able to pay your rent.

You may be asked to fill a “Selbstauskunft”, that is a form in which you give them information about yourself - in short they want to know if you can pay the rent, and that regularly each month. If you have any bank statements/pay slips from a job, that will help. They might also ask for a Schufa statement (credit score).

Try to look like a reliable person (turning up not having showered that day or smelling of alcohol would obviously not help), but don’t overdo it - normal street clothes you’d wear to university are fine, don’t overdress - if a student appeared in a suit it may look suspicious.

If you’re visiting a shared flat (WG), then the other tenants will be the main focus of the visit. WGs are very much seen as living community, so the people living there will be keen to make sure that any new tenant fits in well with their lifestyle. They will be interviewing you about your habits, your schedule, how you would contribute to communal living (e.g. cooking, cleaning…), etc - every WG is different.

Multiple tenants

If you’re renting a house/apartment with your partner/spouse, or looking to live in a shared flat, then there are a few details to consider regarding the contract. If multiple people are listed as tenants in a single contract, then these people are jointly liable for all their obligations as tenants (e.g. paying rent, keeping the apartment in good order, etc). This can lead to conflict between the tenants, and it can make it difficult for one person to leave such an apartment early (as all other tenants and the landlord have to agree to them leaving).

On the other hand, when looking for a flat, landlords would much rather have two tenants signing the contract, as it means more financial security for them, increasing your chances of getting an apartment.

Therefore, if you’re thinking of moving in with someone and signing a joint rental contract, discuss matters openly with them beforehand: how will you split the rent and other costs? What happens if one of you leaves? For some couples it may be easier for one partner to sign the rental contract, who then sub-lets a part of the apartment to the other partner (either formally or informally).

In a WG, multi-tenant contracts are very common (it’s a lot less work for the landlord) but, if everything isn’t clearly agreed between the tenants, can lead to a lot of friction. Therefore, when considering a WG with a multi-tenant contract, discuss with the other tenants in detail how costs are split. Alternatively, look for a WG where each tenant signs a separate contract with the landlord (usually for one room in the WG, with a right to use common areas), or where one tenant signs a rental contract with the landlord, and then sublets rooms to the other tenants.

The problems with housing page goes into more details on this.

The rent

Rent is almost always paid by bank transfer, and usually has to be on the landlord’s bank account very early in the month, in advance (often the 3rd of the month). Setting up an automatic regular bank transfer is the easiest way of doing this.
Rent is either fixed, increasing in pre-defined steps (“Staffelmiete”), or increasing to keep pace with inflation (“Indexmiete”). If the rent is “fixed” (i.e. if nothing else is agreed), then the rent stays fixed for a year, and then the landlord can increase it every year to keep up with the “local market rates”. These increases (if they happen at all - many landlords don’t bother as they don’t want to have the acrimonious discussions with their tenants) tend to be moderate. The rental contract will specify how the rent evolves.
Rent without utilities (“Kaltmiete”) is the norm (see below).

Deposits

In Germany, almost all houses/apartments/WGs have a deposit (Kaution) required by law. Again, by law, this deposit cannot be more than 3 months’ “Kaltmiete” (rent without utilities). At the end of your rental period, the landlord will deduct any repair costs caused by the tenant from the deposit, and return the rest, usually within a few months (see below for details).
Deposit is usually paid by bank transfer; cash is occasionally used, but if you pay anything in cash, insist on a receipt. The landlord must keep your deposit separate (e.g. in a separate account) from your rent and his/her other assets - most commonly, the landlord will open a special savings account (Mietkautionskonto) just for your deposit and ask you to transfer the deposit into it. Alternatively (but more uncommonly) the landlord will ask you to open the savings account (which you can do easily at most banks), transfer the deposit into it, and then pawn the savings account to him by signing a “Verpfändungserklärung” (forms available at the bank) and giving the landlord the savings booklet (“Sparbuch”).
You have a legal right to pay the deposit in three monthly instalments, rather than one lump sum.
You should not pay anything on the spot. And it’s not an “advance deposit”; it’s a deposit the landlord might use when you move out, to pay for damages you caused. It’s not meant as a bribe for you to get the place. Never pay anything before you have at least a signed rental contract (and, preferably, the keys) in your hand.
If you don’t have the cash (or bank balance) to pay your deposit, you can ask your landlord if they will accept a deposit insurance (“Mietkautionsversicherung”). You pay a monthly premium to the insurance company, and the insurance company reimburses the landlord for any damage that you do to the apartment. However, many landlords aren’t fond of using them (as they create additional hassle for the landlord), so may not accept them (and they are under no obligation to do so, as there will likely be another potential tenant who can put down a cash deposit).

More details (and legal sources) here: How does the apartment deposit (Mietkaution) work in Germany?

Utility Costs

The utility costs (“Nebenkosten”) are usually a fixed monthly amount paid up front (based on an estimated use) to the landlord. At the end of each year (although this often happens six to nine months later, e.g. in September 2017 for the usage during 2016), the landlord will get the bills for water, electricity, etc., and will use the money you paid to pay the bills. If you used more than the estimated amount, the landlord will send you a bill (and likely increase the amount you will be paying next year); if you used less, your landlord will send you a refund for the difference.
Nebenkosten are usually about 15-30% on top of the Kaltmiete, but this can vary significantly, so check each listing carefully. They are almost always quoted separately to the rent - check carefully. Rent including utilities is called “Warmmiete”.
Utility costs usually include water, heating, cleaning and maintenance of communal areas (staircases and elevators in apartment buildings), maintenance of building exterior, garbage collection, etc. Electricity, telephone, internet, TV, Rundfunkbeitrag (“TV tax”) etc are usually not covered (the tenant has to sign their own contracts for this with a local provider) - but this can vary. Check the listing and contract carefully, and plan your finances accordingly.
The accepted wisdom in Germany is not to spend more than 1/3 of your net income on Warmmiete; use this as a rough guide to find flats that you can afford. If you live very frugally you may be able to afford a flat costing up to half of your net income, but you will have very thin financial margins for unexpected expenses.

###Damages and modifications

The rental contract will specify what modifications you may make as a tenant, and what renovation costs must be covered by the tenant.
As a general rule, you may paint the walls, carefully drill holes in the walls etc without permission from the landlord. More significant changes require the landlord’s approval.
If anything significant breaks or needs maintenance then you must inform the landlord and agree with them how to proceed. The landlord is responsible for most major maintenance (e.g. replacing a worn-out floor or a broken oven), but may agree to let you do the work and reimburse your costs.
If you damage the apartment beyond normal wear-and-tear (e.g. put a hot pan on the countertop and burn it), then it’s your responsibility to repair the damage - but talk to the landlord first and agree on a way forward with them.
When moving out, the tenant generally has to bring the apartment back to a comparable state it was in when s/he first moved in, but check the rental contract (and talk to the landlord) for details.

Moving in

You will usually sign the rental contract the day you move in, and receive the keys on the spot.
It is standard practice to go around the apartment on the day of moving with the landlord and have them sign an “Übergabeprotokoll” (handover certificate). In it the general state of the apartment is described (for example if there are pre-existing damages), as well as a listing of the meter readings for electricity, water, and (if you have it) gas. Both parties, you and the owner (or someone of his choosing) have to be present. Don’t skip this step (and perhaps take a second person with you, particularly if you don’t speak German all that well), and insist that the state of the apartment is correctly noted, or else the landlord may try to hold you responsible for pre-existing damages. In particular, pay attention that all furnishing and equipment provided by the landlord (e.g. kitchen, bathroom towel rail) are accurately listed, as are any signs of usage (e.g. blemished wall paint, scratched countertop).
The landlord will give you a signed “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” form (certifying that your landlord is giving you a place to live); you need this form in order to do the “Anmeldung” (which you have to do within 2 weeks of moving in). The landlord must (by law) provide you with this document.

Moving out

Check your contract for how much notice you have to give; usually it’s three months. Many contracts also limit you to leaving an apartment on the last day of the month. If you’re moving to a new apartment, it may be worth (assuming your finances can support this) to have a month of overlap between your old and new apartments so that have enough time to move, clean/paint the old apartment (if necessary), etc.
It may be a good idea to walk through the apartment with the landlord a week or two before the moving out date, to broadly agree whether you will do any renovation work (if your contract foresees this) before handing over the apartment.
On the day of leaving the apartment, you go through the apartment with the landlord and sign an “Übergabeprotokoll”. This is a very important step, make sure you’re present (as above, taking a second person with you is often a good idea) and agree with everything entered into the Übergabeprotokoll, as this will determine what costs the landlord can deduct from your deposit. Ideally you want to agree all the work/renovation that the landlord will do (that you pay for) during this meeting.
The landlord will usually return your deposit to you in two steps: the majority within three to six months (deducting any costs for renovation, unpaid rent, etc), and the rest before the end of the calendar year after you move out (to close any outstanding utility costs). The landlord has to show what they used the money deducted from the deposit for (and these must match with what was written in the Übergabeprotokoll).
You may wish to set up mail forwarding (“Nachsendeauftrag”), so that mail reaches you at your new address.

Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents must be paid by the person for whom they work. This is almost always the landlord (as the estate agent helps him/her to find tenants and work through the paperwork), but in the past this cost was often passed on to the tenant. This is (as per a 2015 law) no longer allowed - therefore, as a tenant you should only pay money to an estate agent if you specifically contracted them to find an apartment for you. Some shady agents will nonetheless try to get tenants to pay them, for instance by insisting that they sign a contract with the agent before showing them an apartment that they themselves found.

Hiring a real estate agent to help you

Given how difficult it can be to find an apartment in many German cities, you may be tempted to hire a real estate agent to help you in finding a flat. Most regular estate agents (that also deal with buying houses/apartments, look up *Immobilienmakler * in your favourite internet search engine) offer this service; the standard fee is 2.4 *Kaltmieten* (rent without utilities) of the apartment.

What will you get for your money? The estate agent will take your list of criteria and look at the usual apartment-listing websites (e.g. Immonet, Immoscout24, etc - they don’t have any secret estate-agent-only lists of available apartments) and note down any apartments that fit your criteria. They will then (having checked in with you) arrange a viewing appointment for you (or, more likely, tell you when the normal apartment visiting times (Sammelbesichtigung) are). They will then accompany you to the viewing, help you with any paperwork you need to submit, and probably try to “sell” you to the landlord as a particularly reliable, quiet, unproblematic tenant.

Since they will be acting as your intermediary this helps you if you don’t speak German - given the very competitive housing market in most German cities, landlords usually have tens of prospective tenants to choose from, and even the smallest “downside” in your profile (such as a lack of German - this makes communication in the future more difficult, increases the chances of miscommunication) will your name tossed off the pile immediately. Unless you get very lucky (an apartment with very few other prospective tenants), not speaking German makes finding an apartment considerably more difficult. Therefore, having a (German) estate agent speak for you is helpful in this regard - but you’d still be on a level playing field (so to speak) with all the other “no downsides” prospective tenants, and it will be a roll of the dice every time as to whether you get the apartment or not.

Assuming you finally get an apartment, the estate agent will then advise you in matters of the contract (e.g. are there any questionable clauses - landlords will sometimes try fishy things). Once you’ve signed the lease, you’ll get a bill in the mail.

Is it worth it? Under most circumstances no, but if money isn’t that big of an issue and you’re getting really frustrated by not finding a place to live…. then maybe. The estate agent won’t do anything you can’t do yourself, but perhaps they can smooth the way for you.

Short-term housing

There are also many short-term housing options available in Germany - these cater to people who are only staying in a city for a few weeks or months, or who haven’t found anything more permanent.

Many shared apartments (see above) have no problem with tenants staying only for a short time, although less than about a month is unusual. If you’re unsure, check the listing or ask the landlord.
Term-limited (usually furnished) apartments, known as “Wohnen auf Zeit”. These are more expensive than a comparable unfurnished apartment, but are often much easier to get (the demand is lower and landlords don’t have to be so picky), and are a good choice for people who have just moved to Germany and need a place to stay while they find a more permanent apartment.
Occasionally a room in a WG or an apartment will be free for a limited time (a common scenario is a student who is studying abroad for a year, but doesn’t want to give up their apartment), you can find these by looking up “Zwischenmiete” on your internet search engine of choice. These are usually rented out as sublets (“Untervermietung), whereby the current tenant maintains their lease with the landlord, but turns around and sublets their apartment (or a room in the apartment) to you. The contractual terms are often much simpler than for a “normal” apartment or WG, but the rules governing them are also less strict, so make you understand all the terms of the contract before signing.
Apart-hotels are hotels that rent out mini-suites (which include a kitchenette), and cater to business travellers who are staying in a city for more than a week and would like something which gives a little more independence than a normal hotel room.
For people on a budget, youth hostels (Jugendherbergen) are also a good alternative.
“Monteurzimmer” are rooms in apartments catering to travelling craftsmen and workers (although they are open to anyone). The facilities will be basic (usually with a shared kitchen and bathroom) but they are much more affordable than a hotel. The cost per day goes down the longer you stay, so feel free to haggle a little.
“Sharing economy” websites like AirBnB, Couchsurfing, and Wimdu connect people who want to rent out a couch/room/apartment with people who need a place to stay. While many will cater more to shorter-term stays of a week or less, you can find plenty of offers for longer stays. Note that, while various city governments have been cracking down on people renting out whole apartments on platforms like these (as they are often evading taxes, breaking zoning laws, and exacerbating the housing shortage in major cities), renting a couch or a room in an apartment is perfectly fine.
Depending on where you’re looking, you may be able to rent holiday apartments (Ferienwohnungen) as a short-term housing option.
Companies like Mr Lodge or Wunderflats have sprung up, offering (usually furnished) short-term apartments, particularly catering to immigrants who are just arriving in the country. While these can be a good short-term solution, they are fairly expensive, and there is a good argument to be made that they are taking even more apartments out of the rental market, making the housing situation in the cities even worse.

##Housing Websites

Long-Term Housing

Do not use Craigslist (which is not used in Germany), as the listings there are almost certainly scams, designed to lure hapless Americans who don’t know any better.

Link	Description
wg-gesucht	A website where shared flats are advertised
studenten-wg	For shared student flats
ImmobilienScout24	Large flat and house rentals / sales site
Immonet	Large flat and house rentals / sales site
ExBerliner	Flat rentals in Berlin
eBay Kleinanzeigen	Normally a classified ads site, it also includes a few apartments (including furnished, short-term apartments)

It’s also worth reading the ads in the local newspaper - a few landlords (particularly older, more “traditional” landlords) still prefer finding their tenants via such ads. You will have far less competition compared to answering an ad on an online platform.

Short-Term Housing

Most of the long-term housing websites above also have short-term listings. Additionally, here are some websites which specifically list short-term housing offers.

Link	Description
Couchsurfing	Someone may want to share their couch.
9flats	Renting out flats short-term.
Wimdu	Renting out flats short-term.
airbnb	Renting out flats short-term.
Central Home	Renting out flats short-term in Berlin.
Monteurzimmer	Short term housing, aimed at traveling craftsmen, but everyone can use them.
Wunderflats	Short-term furnished flats
Mr Lodge	Short-term furnished flats
Tempoflats	Short-term furnished flats

This website has a longer list of apartment listing websites.