Many Germans live in leased apartment or condos. Housing, especially at the cheaper end of the scale, remains in great demand. The housing market in Germany has changed over the last few years. Housing has actually ended up being limited, specifically in bigger cities. This also has a result on rates and rents. Nevertheless the quantity of rent or the purchase price for an apartment or condo 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, citizens frequently pay over 30% of their earnings for rent.

An introduction of the amount of lease in Germany - broken down by Federal state - can be discovered on the homepage "Rent level study in Germany ". The rent level study represents the typical lease without additional expenses (heating, electrical energy, water, and so on). The quantity of rent can be very various and depends on where you live.

A cheap apartment or condo on the borders offers not only rate advantages however likewise the opportunity to live far from the huge city in a green environment. The suburban areas are particularly ideal as a location to live for young households with small children. The city centre can usually be reached rapidly for commuters thanks to the excellent transportation connections in Germany.

There are no restrictions for immigrants when trying to find or purchasing real estate. You can lease a house or buy a residential or commercial property in Germany from your native land. In doing so, however, you must observe the legal arrangements relevant in Germany that apply to the purchase of residential or commercial property (for instance a notarial contract).

For the first couple of weeks till you have actually discovered a house to lease or purchase in Germany, you have numerous choices to discover accommodation.

2. Find housing

The most typical way to discover an ideal house - be it for lease or for sale - is through property ads on the Internet or in pertinent papers, which publish apartment ads not just in their print variations however likewise on their own websites. In addition, you will discover numerous Internet portals that you can use to search for residential or commercial properties across the country and separately, or position an ad there yourself trying to find an apartment. Sometimes, rather of the contact information of the property manager or the housing administration, there are also code numbers or code letters in the housing offers - so-called codes. You need to respond in writing to an advertisement with a box number and send the letter to the paper. This will then be forwarded to the proprietor from there. You likewise have the choice of working with a real estate agent for your house search. This can be a benefit specifically in cities.

Please note: Please note that if the brokering succeeds, the real estate representative can charge a brokerage charge or brokerage commission. But this applies just if you work with the broker. If, on the other hand, the property manager commissions the broker to discover potential occupants for his house, he has to pay the commission. The agent's commission for you as an occupant may not go beyond two net cold leas plus VAT. When selling property, the amount of commission in Germany can be freely concurred, there are no legal requirements. In practice, owners and real estate agents base their setting of the commission on the "traditional" regulations in the respective Federal State.

If you have troubles discovering an apartment or condo, you can contact the Housing Office in the city or municipality in which you are trying to find an apartment or condo. Apartments are typically brokered directly there. If this is not the case, the Housing Office personnel can aid with useful addresses and info. In many cities and towns there is Social housing.

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

Tip: Since it is not so simple to get a home in lots of areas in Germany, it is crucial to be well prepared when looking for a house.

3. Tenancy agreement

A fundamental difference is made between fixed-term and open-ended occupancy contracts, however unrestricted contracts are the rule in Germany. Most tenancy contracts for homes are Model agreements, which vary in scope and do not always use to the private rental situation. You can discover an example in German and English on the Tenant Protection Association site.

As a rule, rental agreements are concluded in composing. However, there is no responsibility to do so. Even if the same legal guidelines apply to spoken occupancy agreements, a written occupancy contract can be essential proof in case of a disagreement.

Tip: Make certain you have actually a written tenancy contract that consists of all the pertinent information. Use the checklist for the occupancy contract.

Please note: Before concluding the tenancy agreement, you should take a close look at each room with your landlord, go over any renovation work and also examine the functionality of the heating, electrical devices, sockets, etc. If problems are visible before relocating, these need to be kept in mind in a protocol (Moving-in protocol). Should you discover any deficiencies quickly after moving in, please send these to the property manager in composing as quickly as possible.
The exact same procedure must be performed when moving out of the home and the condition of the house recorded in a protocol (Moving-out protocol).

4. Rental deposit

A rental deposit is normally agreed in the tenancy contract. The quantity of the deposit can be negotiated. The deposit may be a maximum of 3 net rent (excluding running costs and costs for heating and warm water supply) (regular monthly lease without additional costs).

The rental deposit is moved from the tenant to the property owner. The renter might pay the deposit in 3 month-to-month instalments. The first instalment is due at the beginning of the tenancy. The proprietor should separate the cash deposit from his or her other assets in a special account (deposit account). Other types of deposit are possible, but must be concurred in between the occupant and the property owner. For example, a bank assurance, the production of a joint cost savings book, a cost savings book with a blocking notice are imaginable.

After the end of the lease the proprietor needs to repay the deposit with the interest accumulated in the meantime if he or she has no more claims against the occupant.

5. Rent

The lease for a leased house consists of the net lease (omitting running costs and costs for heating and warm water supply) and the costs for the supply of heating, warm water, perhaps gas as well as the operating expense for the property complex (gross lease). The electrical energy costs are normally billed separately on the basis of a contract that you have to conclude yourself with the electrical power supplier.

If your proprietor wishes to increase the lease in time, she or he can just do so under certain conditions.

6. Defects in the house

If defects or faults take place in the apartment or condo throughout the rental duration, the occupant is obligated to notify the property owner of the malfunctioning condition of the home so that he or she can remedy the flaw.

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

Until the defect has been remedied, the lease may be reduced to a reasonable extent. However, get advice before you reduce the lease, as there is a danger of termination by the property manager in case of an unjustified reduction.

In cases in which the property manager does not fix the defect, you can either call the regional housing inspection workplace or the structure policies office. You can also take advantage of the fee-based advice from the regional rental association or an attorney.

7. Termination of housing

Basically, the law compares the common and the amazing (instant) termination of the lease. It is extremely challenging for property managers to end a tenancy. Tenancy law generally protects the occupant and therefore attends to high formal obstacles. Tenancy law obliges the property manager to give reasons for termination, where just certain factors for termination are allowed.
According to the law, different periods of notification use to tenants and landlords if the tenancy is to be ended.

Notice period for tenants:

Tenants can typically 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 need to be in writing. In order to terminate in due time, the property owner needs to be alerted no behind 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 tenancy agreement for occupants includes shorter notice durations than the routine 3 month notice period. If a 1-month or even 2 week notification period has actually been concurred in the agreement for the tenant, the renter can end the agreement with this short notification. Conversely, this does not use: The landlord needs to observe the statutory notification durations and should not shorten them in his/her favour.

Please note: If the occupancy agreement states "waiver of termination" or "exemption of termination", this implies that termination is left out for a certain period of time. The right of termination might be left out for a maximum of 4 years from the time the contract is concluded. If the termination exemption runs longer according to the agreement, the provision is inefficient, so that the tenant can terminate at any time with a period of 3 months.

Notice periods for the proprietor:

- up to a rental period of 5 years, property managers who have a reason for termination must provide notice of 3 months.

- If the occupant has been residing in the home for more than 5 years, the notice period is 6 months.

- If the tenant has actually been living in the home for more than 8 years, a notification period of 9 months uses.


If there are severe factors for an amazing (immediate) termination, the property owner should provide this in writing.

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8. Housing advantage

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

- as rent assistance if you lease a home or a space or

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


You will only receive the grant if you are in fact in the Federal area and are entitled to freedom of motion according to the law on the general liberty of movement of Union citizens (FreizüG/ EU). You can only receive housing benefit if you submit an application to the local housing advantage workplace, the town, city, district or district administration. You will be offered extensive advice there.