Finding accommodation in Germany is a nightmare. Let me tell you about an event. In 2019, almost 1,800 individuals attend a single flat viewing in Berlin[source]
Germany’s housing market is the most costly and stressful in the country. Almost 30% of your pay must be spent on housing in Tier 1 & Tier 2 cities. Finding a dream apartment requires a lot of patience and work.
Some big cities have intense competition for rented apartments, and the rent is too expensive. Some cities are moderately priced and easy to obtain one. The image below provides an overview of cities with strong demand for rented flats
“German Cities with High Demand for Rental Apartments are illustrated on a Density Map.”
Table of Contents
Airbnb Scam Alert: Beware of the rental scam that takes place in Germany, the scammer pretend to be a Landlord living out of Germany and might ask you to send money to confirm the contract. Then he will send the key to you via post.
Some Interesting facts about renting a house in Germany.
Number of Rooms:
- 2- Zimmer Wohnung: This does not imply that you will be given a two-bedroom apartment. In Germany, a two-room apartment has 1 living area, 1 bedroom, kitchen, and a bathroom.
“Sample House Floor Plan with Room names in German | Designed Using: floorplanner”
Kaltmiete & Warmmiete (Cold Rent & Warm Rent):
- In Germany, the rents are classified as Cold Rent & Warm rent
Flat with No Fitted Kitchen:
- The majority of apartments in Germany will not have a fitted kitchen. The tenant is responsible for purchasing and installing the kitchen.
- In addition, the majority of the flats will be unfurnished, with no lighting or other equipment.
No Internet Connection from Landlord:
- The house owner will not provide an Internet connection. If you require one, you must obtain your own connection.
- It is even more hassle. You’ll have to wait over a month to receive your internet connection.
No Electricity & Gas from Landlord:
- In the same way that you must obtain an Internet contract, you must also obtain an Electricity and Gas contract. However, this is not that tough to obtain. After you sign your contract, you can contact any service provider to determine suitable tariffs.
Insurance: Liability Insurance & Household insurance:
- Haftpflichtversicherung – Private Liability insurance is very popular in Germany if you rent a furnished or semi-furnished flat. This insurance protects you against both unintentional damages incurred during your stay in the rental apartment.
Hausratversicherung – Household insurance will protect you from damage caused by unexpected events such as fire, water leakage, natural disasters, and so on.
“Difference between Haftpflichtversicherung & Hausratversicherung“
Where to find a rented House / Apartment?
Immobilienscout24 is a popular and well-established internet marketplace for residential real estate in Germany. You may build a user profile and apply for unoccupied properties directly.
- Free Account & Profile
- Unlimited Application
- SCHUFA & Documents Attachment
- Expensive Premium Account [29.99€ / Month]
eBay Kleinanzeigen is Germany’s largest online classified ad platform. Every day, over a million new advertisements are placed. Many German property owners continue to list their properties on eBay. You may contact the house owners directly through eBay by phone or message.[source]
- Free
- Direct Contact With Owner
- Not a Dedicated Real-Estate Portal
WG-Gesucht – This website can help you to find a shared apartment. The term “Wohngemeinschaft” (WG) refers to a shared apartment. In Germany, shared apartments are quite common. Each tenant gets their own room, but the bathroom, kitchen, and living areas are shared spaces.
- Free Account & Profile
- Many Post for WG
- Mostly not from Landlords
How to Apply for the Interested Apartment?
If you’ve got little patience and follow the right procedure, it’s not that difficult to seek out an appropriate flat in Germany. I even have listed out the steps to seek out an appropriate flat.
- Decide where you want to live before you start looking for a property. Choose an ideal location based on good accessibility, supermarkets, proximity to work, kindergarten, and a peaceful and attractive residential area.
According to Munich District Court judgement (AG München, 29.04.2015 – 415 C 3152/15)
As a rule of thumb, no overcrowding arises if, for each adult or every two children under the age of 13, a space of about 12 m2 is allowed, or on average, 10 m2 per person with family housing is provided.[source]
- Once the site has been determined, use the above-mentioned online portal to find a suitable appointment.
- Send your application to the apartments that have been shortlisted.
- Applying in German increases your chances of being shortlisted.
- Check for new offers every day and apply as soon as possible.
- If you apply for a vacant house, make sure you have a complete profile with all of your contact information, such as an email address, phone number, and a photo.
- If you require a quick answer, please submit your application in German.
- Provide information about your work, income, probation period, family members, and so on.
- A sample email structure is provided below for your convenience. You may get the document by clicking on the link below.
1. Copy of your ID proof (Aufenthaltstitel – Resident card & Passport)
- A copy of your ID proof is necessary to obtain your contract, and it will also indicate that you are a trustworthy individual.
- Please keep a copy of your (Aufenthaltstitel – Resident card & Passport) with you during your visit.
2. Job Contract
- House owners always prefer someone who has stable employment with a good salary. So, if you have a permanent employment contract, this will assist you to enhance your chances of renting an apartment.
- If you are on probation, this will be a problem; try to obtain a reference letter from your company.
3. Statement of your Bank Account (You can hide you personal and confidential information)
- Some landlords will seek bank statements to verify the salary credited, monthly spending, and so forth. So, it is preferable to have this paper available.
- This will also serve as proof that you pay your rent on time..
4. Three months Pay slip
Please provide your last three months’ pay slips.
5. A letter of recommendation from your previous landlord
You might also get a reference letter from your former landlord. Almost every landlord would be delighted to give this if you have paid your rent on time and have maintained and handed over the property in good shape.
6. SCHUFA Report
Every landlord wants to know if their new tenants will be able to pay the rent. Due to that requesting credit reports from the applicant is becoming the norm in house searching.
Schufa Holding AG, Germany’s largest credit agency, is most likely tracking and recording your creditworthiness. This report is called SCHUFA.
- Option 1: You will receive this report for free once a year. This will take many weeks to arrive.
- Option 2: You may buy it right away from SCHUFA for 29.95€.
- Option 3: You may also purchase it for 29.95€ through Immobilienscount24.de.
Contract Signing with the Landlord.
If you get a positive response from the owner. Congratulations, you are nearly finished. the subsequent step is the signing of the House contract.
A House contract is essential for both you as a renter and the landlord. This contract will include all of the tenancy’s terms and conditions. As a result, it is critical to pay close attention to the points stated in the contract.
- Rent is paid monthly (Kaltmiete & Warmmiete)
- Caution Deposit
- Additional Fees for Parking, Cleaning, etc.
- Contract Period
- Contract Cancellation
- Rules and Regulations for Flats
- List of Rent-Included Items & Furniture (Such as Kitchen, Washing Machine, Fridge, Dishwasher)
- Cost of Damage and Repair
Sign the contract only if you understand and agree to all of the terms and conditions; once signed, it is irrevocable.
Unfortunately, all formal contracts must be written in German. If you are unable to read German, use Google Translate to translate the document.
Things to do before moving in to your New Apartment.
It’s now time to start planning your move to your new apartment. Before you move into your new apartment, you need to do some planning and preparation.
1. Choosing an Electricity Service Provider
- If electricity is not included in the rent, you must get an electricity contract as a renter.
- Once you’ve signed the contract, you can ask your landlord for the meter number [German: Zählerstand]. You will require this number to obtain the contract.
- Then, select the most suitable service provider and place your order.
2. Internet connection: The most crucial thing to do before moving into a new apartment is to arrange for an internet connection.
Internet Transfer: If you already have an internet connection, contact your service provider to arrange for a transfer to the new location.
If your existing internet provider does not have the option to transfer to your new address, you have the option to terminate the contract Extraordinary.
New Internet Connection: If you do not already have an internet connection, please look for suitable internet possibilities in your new location; you can use www.check24.de to find interesting deals.
Once you’ve booked your internet, Schedule an appointment with your internet provider for installation within a few days of your move-in date.
3. Caution + First Month Rent: In Germany, the deposit and first month’s rent must be paid at the time of the key handover (Übergabe).
Never transfer or hand over money without first receiving the keys. Following the payment of the Caution, the landlord must provide you with an acknowledgement or receipt for the payment.
Check that you have adequate money to pay the rent. Withdrawal limitations may apply at some banks, so plan accordingly.
Things to do during key handover
A handover protocol (Wohnungsübergabeprotokoll) for an apartment is a documented record of the state of a rental property when it is handed over to the tenant when moving in or to the landlord when moving out. When moving in or out, it is used to document any damage committed by the renter or existing problems in the apartment. The advantage of an apartment handover procedure is the ability to avoid any conflicts in the state of the rental property at the time of handover.
In the apartment handover process, the following points might be recorded:
- Agreements on any cosmetic repairs, garbage removal, and cleaning.
- Meter readings for electricity, gas, water, and heating.
- Handover of House, Cellar, Postbox Keys (Normally 2 sets of Keys)
- Rent Caution deposit.
- Damages and conditions in the apartment
This must be signed by both the landlord and the tenant in order for the apartment handover process to be recognized. [source]
During the move-in, visually check for any significant and small damage, notify it to the landlord, and record it in the Handover protocol.
Taking photographs and videos of the entire flat is a good idea. Specifically, any damages or faults identified during handover.
This will later serve as evidence that you did not cause this damage when you move out of the flat.
As previously stated, you just need to pay the first month’s rent and a caution deposit at the time of handover. The landlord must either provide you with a receipt for the caution or record it in the handover protocol.
Learn about the garbage disposal rules and schedule for your apartment or house. In some large apartments, you must segregate and deposit your garbage in the designated communal waste bins, and the house administrator will be in charge of disposing of it.
In some small apartments or single-family homes, you must segregate your waste, place it in the appropriate waste containers, and leave it outside on the specified day for the garbage truck to pick it up.
Also, get the location of the Internet Connection Box from the landlord; when the internet technician visits to install the connection, you will most likely be required to show this box.
Normally, the home owner is responsible for placing your name on the doorbells and in the post box; if not, you must contact your house administration (Hausverwaltung).
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