Many Germans reside in leased apartment or condos. Housing, especially at the more affordable end of the scale, is in excellent need. The housing market in Germany has changed in recent years. Housing has become scarce, particularly in bigger cities. This likewise has an impact on rates and leas. Nevertheless the amount of lease or the purchase price for an apartment depends essentially on where (city/state) you live or where the apartment or condo is situated (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, residents often pay over 30% of their income for rent.

An introduction of the quantity of rent in Germany - broken down by Federal state - can be found on the homepage "Rent level survey in Germany ". The rent level survey represents the average lease without additional costs (heating, electrical energy, water, and so on). The quantity of lease can be extremely different and depends upon where you live.

A cheap home on the outskirts provides not only price advantages however also the chance to live far from the big city in a green environment. The suburbs are especially ideal as a place to live for young households with kids. The city centre can generally be reached quickly for commuters thanks to the great transportation connections in Germany.

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

For the first few weeks up until you have discovered an apartment or condo to rent or purchase in Germany, you have different alternatives to discover lodging.

2. Find housing

The most typical method to discover an appropriate apartment - be it for lease or for sale - is via property advertisements on the Internet or in relevant newspapers, which publish home advertisements not just in their print versions but also by themselves sites. In addition, you will find different Internet portals that you can utilize to look for residential or commercial properties across the country and separately, or place an ad there yourself trying to find a house. Sometimes, rather of the contact information 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 the letter to the newspaper. This will then be forwarded to the property owner from there. You also have the choice of employing a genuine estate representative for your apartment search. This can be a benefit especially in cities.

Please note: Please note that if the brokering is successful, the property agent can charge a brokerage fee or brokerage commission. But this uses only if you work with the broker. If, on the other hand, the property owner commissions the broker to find prospective tenants for his apartment or condo, he has to pay the commission. The agent's commission for you as an occupant may not surpass two net cold leas plus VAT. When offering realty, the quantity of commission in Germany can be easily concurred, there are no legal requirements. In practice, owners and real estate agents base their setting of the commission on the "customary" guidelines in the particular Federal State.

If you have problems finding a house, you can contact the Housing Office in the city or town in which you are looking for an apartment or condo. Apartments are typically brokered directly there. If this is not the case, the Housing Office staff can aid with beneficial addresses and info. In most cities and towns there is Social housing.

Please note: As a guideline, social housing can only be rented to individuals with low earnings. To do so, you require a certificate of eligibility for social housing, which you can acquire from the local Housing Office.

Tip: Since it is not so easy to get an apartment or condo in many regions in Germany, it is essential to be well prepared when making an application for a house.

3. Tenancy arrangement

A basic distinction is made between fixed-term and open-ended occupancy arrangements, however limitless contracts are the guideline in Germany. Most tenancy agreements for apartments are Model agreements, which differ in scope and do not constantly use to the private rental situation. You can discover an example in German and English on the Tenant Protection Association website.

As a guideline, rental contracts are concluded in composing. However, there is no commitment to do so. Even if the very same legal guidelines use to spoken tenancy contracts, a composed tenancy contract can be important evidence in case of a conflict.

Tip: Make certain you have a composed tenancy arrangement that consists of all the appropriate information. Use the list for the occupancy contract.

Please note: Before concluding the tenancy contract, you must take a close look at each space with your property owner, discuss any restoration work and likewise check the functionality of the heating, electrical appliances, sockets, etc. If problems show up before moving in, these must be noted in a procedure (Moving-in protocol). Should you observe any shortages shortly after moving in, please submit these to the property manager in composing as soon as possible.
The same treatment must be brought out when moving out of the home and the condition of the apartment recorded in a procedure (Moving-out procedure).

4. Rental deposit

A rental deposit is usually agreed in the occupancy contract. The amount of the deposit can be negotiated. The deposit might be a maximum of 3 net rent (leaving out running costs and expenses for heating and warm water supply) (month-to-month lease without extra expenses).

The rental deposit is transferred from the renter to the property owner. The tenant might pay the deposit in 3 regular monthly instalments. The first instalment is due at the start of the tenancy. The proprietor must separate the money deposit from his or her other possessions in a special account (bank account). Other kinds of deposit are possible, but should be concurred between the occupant and the property owner. For example, a bank warranty, the production of a joint cost savings book, a savings book with a blocking notification are possible.

After the end of the lease the proprietor has to repay the deposit with the interest accrued in the meantime if he or she has no more claims versus the renter.

5. Rent

The lease for a rented home includes the net rent (omitting running expenses and costs for heating and warm water supply) and the expenses for the supply of heating, hot water, perhaps gas along with the operating expense for the property complex (gross lease). The electrical power costs are typically billed independently on the basis of an agreement that you need to conclude yourself with the electrical energy provider.

If your proprietor wants to increase the lease in 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 throughout the rental period, the occupant is bound to inform the property manager of the defective condition of the home so that she or he can treat the flaw.

Tip: If you report a flaw to the property manager, it is essential to set a deadline to correct the problem.

Until the problem has been fixed, the rent might be reduced to a sensible degree. However, get guidance before you minimize the rent, as there is a danger of termination by the property owner in the event of an unjustified decrease.

In cases in which the property owner does not fix the defect, you can either get in touch with the regional housing assessment workplace or the structure regulations workplace. You can also make the most of the fee-based advice from the local rental association or a lawyer.

7. Termination of housing

Basically, the law compares the common and the extraordinary (immediate) termination of the lease. It is really hard for property managers to terminate a tenancy. Tenancy law usually safeguards the renter and therefore attends to high formal difficulties. Tenancy law obliges the landlord to give reasons for termination, where only particular factors for termination are allowed.
According to the law, different periods of notification use to tenants and property managers if the tenancy is to be ended.

Notice duration for occupants:

Tenants can generally terminate an open-ended rental arrangement constantly with a notification period of 3 months. The length of stay does not matter.

The notification of termination should remain in writing. In order to end in due time, the landlord must be alerted no behind on the 3rd working day of a month so that the existing month still counts. Saturdays are thought about working days.

There are cases in which the occupancy arrangement for renters includes shorter notice periods than the routine 3 month notification duration. If a 1-month and even 2 week notice period has actually been agreed in the contract for the tenant, the occupant can terminate the agreement with this brief notification. Conversely, this does not use: The proprietor should observe the statutory notice durations and should not reduce them in his or her favour.

Please note: If the tenancy arrangement says "waiver of termination" or "exclusion of termination", this indicates that termination is left out for a certain period of time. The right of termination might be excluded for a maximum of 4 years from the time the contract is concluded. If the termination exemption runs longer according to the contract, the clause is ineffective, so that the occupant can terminate at any time with a period of 3 months.

Notice durations for the landlord:

- as much as a rental period of 5 years, proprietors who have a factor for termination should provide notice of 3 months.

- If the renter has actually been living in the apartment or condo for more than 5 years, the notice period is 6 months.

- If the occupant has actually been living in the apartment for more than 8 years, a notice duration of 9 months uses.


If there are serious factors for an amazing (immediate) termination, the proprietor needs to provide this in composing.

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8. Housing advantage

Housing benefit is a State advantage to supply monetary support to people on low earnings. You can get financial backing from the State to cover your housing expenses. There are 2 kinds of housing benefit:

- as lease assistance if you rent an apartment or condo or a room or

- as mortgage and home maintenance support if you reside in a home or home that you own.


You will just receive the grant if you are actually in the Federal territory and are entitled to freedom of movement according to the law on the general flexibility of movement of Union residents (FreizüG/ EU). You can only get housing advantage if you submit an application to the regional housing advantage workplace, the town, city, district or district administration. You will be offered comprehensive suggestions there.