Many Germans live in rented homes. Housing, particularly at the cheaper end of the scale, is in fantastic need. The housing market in Germany has actually changed recently. Housing has become limited, particularly in bigger cities. This also has an effect on rates and leas. Nevertheless the amount of lease or the purchase rate for an apartment or condo depends basically on where (city/state) you live or where the house lies (location/district).

The presently most costly German cities are Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Freiburg im Breisgau, Ingolstadt, Hamburg, Mainz, Darmstadt and Berlin. In these cities, locals frequently pay over 30% of their income for rent.

A summary of the quantity of rent in Germany - broken down by Federal state - can be found on the homepage "Rent level study in Germany ". The rent level survey represents the typical rent without extra costs (heating, electrical power, water, etc). The amount of lease can be extremely various and depends on where you live.

A cheap apartment on the borders offers not only rate advantages however also the opportunity to live far from the huge city in a green environment. The suburban areas are especially suitable as a location to live for young households with little kids. The city centre can normally be reached quickly for commuters thanks to the great transport connections in Germany.

There are no constraints for immigrants when trying to find or buying property. You can lease an apartment or condo or buy a residential or commercial property in Germany from your native land. In doing so, however, you need to observe the legal arrangements relevant in Germany that use to the purchase of residential or commercial property (for instance a notarial contract).

For the first few weeks till you have actually found a house to rent or purchase in Germany, you have different options to discover lodging.

2. Find housing

The most typical method to find a suitable house - be it for lease or for sale - is via property advertisements on the Internet or in pertinent newspapers, which release home advertisements not just in their print variations but also by themselves sites. In addition, you will find various Internet websites that you can use to browse for residential or commercial properties across the country and separately, or put an advertisement there yourself trying to find an apartment. Sometimes, instead of the contact details of the property manager or the housing administration, there are likewise code numbers or code letters in the housing offers - so-called codes. You must reply in writing to an advertisement with a box number and send out the letter to the newspaper. This will then be forwarded to the proprietor from there. You likewise have the option of employing a realty agent for your apartment search. This can be a benefit particularly in cities.

Please note: Please note that if the brokering succeeds, the genuine estate agent can charge a brokerage fee or brokerage commission. But this uses just if you work with the broker. If, on the other hand, the landlord commissions the broker to discover potential renters for his home, he has to pay the commission. The agent's commission for you as a renter may not surpass 2 net cold leas plus VAT. When offering realty, the quantity of commission in Germany can be easily agreed, there are no legal requirements. In practice, owners and real estate agents base their setting of the commission on the "popular" policies in the respective Federal State.

If you have troubles finding an apartment or condo, you can contact the Housing Office in the city or town in which you are looking for an apartment or condo. Apartments are often brokered directly there. If this is not the case, the Housing Office staff can aid with helpful addresses and details. In a lot of cities and towns there is Social housing.

Please note: As a guideline, social housing can just be rented to individuals with low earnings. To do so, you need a certificate of eligibility for social housing, which you can obtain from the regional Housing Office.

Tip: Since it is not so simple to get a house in many areas in Germany, it is very important to be well prepared when obtaining an apartment or condo.

3. Tenancy agreement

A standard difference is made between fixed-term and open-ended occupancy agreements, nevertheless endless agreements are the guideline in Germany. Most tenancy agreements for apartment or condos are Model contracts, which vary in scope and do not always apply to the individual rental circumstance. You can find an example in German and English on the Tenant Protection Association site.

As a guideline, rental agreements are concluded in composing. However, there is no obligation to do so. Even if the very same legal guidelines use to verbal occupancy contracts, a composed occupancy contract can be crucial proof in the event of a disagreement.

Tip: Make certain you have a written tenancy arrangement that includes all the relevant information. Use the list for the occupancy arrangement.

Please note: Before concluding the tenancy agreement, you should take a close look at each room with your proprietor, go over any remodelling work and also inspect the functionality of the heating, electrical devices, sockets, and so on. If defects are visible before moving in, these must be kept in mind in a procedure (Moving-in protocol). Should you discover any shortages quickly after relocating, please send these to the proprietor in composing as quickly as possible.
The same treatment must be performed when moving out of the home and the condition of the home taped in a protocol (Moving-out protocol).

4. Rental deposit

A rental deposit is usually concurred in the occupancy contract. The quantity of the deposit can be negotiated. The deposit may be an optimum of 3 net rent (excluding running costs and expenses for heating and hot water supply) (month-to-month lease without additional expenses).

The rental deposit is moved from the renter to the property owner. The tenant may pay the deposit in 3 regular monthly instalments. The very first instalment is due at the beginning of the occupancy. The property owner must separate the cash deposit from his or her other assets in an unique account (bank account). Other types of deposit are possible, however must be concurred between the tenant and the landlord. For example, a bank guarantee, the production of a joint cost savings book, a cost savings book with an obstructing notification are conceivable.

After the end of the lease the landlord has to pay back the deposit with the interest accumulated in the meantime if he or she runs out claims versus the occupant.

5. Rent

The lease for a rented home includes the net lease (leaving out running expenses and costs for heating and warm water supply) and the expenses for the supply of heating, warm water, possibly gas in addition to the operating expense for the property complex (gross lease). The electrical power expenses are usually billed individually on the basis of an agreement that you need to conclude yourself with the electrical power supplier.

If your property manager wishes to increase the rent with time, he or she can just do so under specific conditions.

6. Defects in the apartment or condo

If problems or faults take place in the apartment or condo during the rental duration, the renter is obliged to inform the property manager of the malfunctioning condition of the apartment or condo so that she or he can remedy the problem.

Tip: If you report a flaw to the property owner, it is necessary to set a deadline to fix the defect.

Until the problem has actually been remedied, the rent might be minimized to a reasonable degree. However, get guidance before you minimize the lease, as there is a risk of termination by the property owner in the occasion of an unjustified reduction.

In cases in which the landlord does not remedy the problem, you can either call the regional housing assessment office or the structure policies workplace. You can also take advantage of the fee-based advice from the regional rental association or a lawyer.

7. Termination of housing

Basically, the law compares the normal and the remarkable (instant) termination of the lease. It is very challenging for property managers to terminate a tenancy. Tenancy law usually protects the tenant and for that reason provides for high formal hurdles. Tenancy law obliges the property owner to give reasons for termination, where just certain factors for termination are permitted.
According to the law, different periods of notice use to occupants and landlords if the tenancy is to be terminated.

Notice period for tenants:

Tenants can typically terminate an open-ended rental contract always with a notification duration of 3 months. The length of stay does not matter.

The notice of termination should be in composing. In order to end in due time, the landlord should be notified no later than on the 3rd working day of a month so that the present month still counts. Saturdays are thought about working days.

There are cases in which the occupancy contract for tenants includes shorter notice periods than the routine 3 month notification period. If a 1-month and even 2 week notice period has actually been concurred in the contract for the renter, the tenant can end the contract with this short notification. Conversely, this does not apply: The proprietor should observe the statutory notification periods and need to not shorten them in his or her favour.

Please note: If the occupancy arrangement states "waiver of termination" or "exclusion of termination", this implies that termination is excluded for a specific amount of time. The right of termination may be left out for an optimum of 4 years from the time the agreement is concluded. If the termination exemption runs longer according to the contract, the stipulation is inadequate, so that the occupant can end at any time with a period of 3 months.

Notice periods for the landlord:

- as much as a rental period of 5 years, landlords who have a factor for termination need to notify of 3 months.

- If the renter has been residing in the house for more than 5 years, the notification period is 6 months.

- If the renter has actually been living in the house for more than 8 years, a notification duration of 9 months applies.


If there are severe factors for an amazing (instant) termination, the property manager must present this in composing.

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8. Housing advantage

Housing benefit is a State advantage to provide financial assistance to individuals on low incomes. You can get monetary assistance from the State to cover your housing expenses. There are 2 forms of housing benefit:

- as lease support if you lease an apartment or a room or

- as mortgage and home upkeep support if you live in an apartment or condo or house that you own.


You will just receive the grant if you are actually in the Federal territory and are entitled to flexibility of movement according to the law on the general flexibility of motion of Union people (FreizüG/ EU). You can only receive housing benefit if you send an application to the regional housing benefit workplace, the municipality, city, district or district administration. You will be given detailed recommendations there.