Have you been working for some time at our western neighbors and you are wondering whether to stay there permanently? Then it’s time to think about renting an apartment! Read our article and find out how to rent an apartment in Germany.
How to rent an apartment in Germany? Basic information
Before you start looking for an apartment for rent, you need to know that over 50% of Germans do not buy apartments for ownership, but also rent them. So finding your own angle may take a while – the demand is very high!
Where to look for apartments in Germany?
In order to rent an apartment in Germany, you can contact a real estate agency or search on your own. The first option is definitely less favorable – usually it involves an additional fee for the agency. Fortunately, there are plenty of websites in Germany where you can search for an apartment and contact the owner without intermediaries. The most popular sites are:
In Germany, the Wohngemeinschaft, abbreviated as WG is very popular, that is, renting apartments together with other people. Usually one room is available. The other rooms in the apartment are shared. Most of this type of apartments for rent can be found here: www.wg-gesucht.de
Types of apartments in Germany
While viewing advertisements, you may come across different names that describe the type of an apartment.
The most common are:
- Maisonette-Wohnung – two-story apartment, mezzanine
- Souterrainwohnung – basement, apartment in a converted basement
- Penthouse-Wohnung – apartment on the top floor of the building
- Loft Wohnung – large and spacious apartments with open space
- Appartement – studio or small apartment
- Einliegerwohnung – the so-called „extension”
- Altbauwohnung – an apartment in an old building
The price of renting an apartment in Germany
There is no doubt that the price of renting a room or an apartment will depend on the standard and location. The table below presents some examples of prices for renting a room / an apartment in Germany.
Attention! In advertisements of this type, the following signs are most commonly used:
1. Kalt – rental price without additional charges (only cold water is included)
2. Warm – rental price with additional fees included (does not include Internet or telephone charges)
| Location / Type of an apartment | Price for rent (kalt) |
| New apartment | EUR 10.07 per m² |
| Existing apartment | EUR 7.33 per m² |
Apartment in Berlin | from EUR 10.59 per m²EUR 14.41 per m² (new apartment) |
| Apartment in Düsseldorf | EUR 10.38 per m² |
Apartment in Cologne | EUR 11.04 (+5.4%) per m²EUR 12.53 per m² (new apartment) |
| Apartment in Hamburg | EUR 12.04 (+2.9%) per m² |
| Apartment in Munich | EUR 16 per m²EUR 20 per m² (new apartment) |
| Room in the city center – 21 m² | EUR 555 / month |
| Furnished room in the city center – 35 m² | EUR 816 / month |
| Two-room apartment of 80 m² in a smaller town like Neukölln | EUR 1005 / month |
Additional rental charges
It should be remembered that when renting an apartment, you must pay a deposit of the equivalent of one to even three monthly rents.
What else do you have to pay for?
| Service | Average cost |
| Utilities (electricity, water, heating, garbage collection) | EUR 200-300 / month |
| Internet 60 Mb/s | EUR 40-60 / month |
| RTV subscription (so-called GEZ) | EUR 18.36 / month |
Netflix | EUR 7.99 / month – BasicEUR 12.99 / month – StandardEUR 17.99 / month – Premium |
Renting an apartment in Germany – what documents will you need?
In order to rent an apartment in Germany, we must first of all prove to the future landlord that we are solvent.
The following documents will be required to sign the rental agreement:
- identification card
- confirmation of residence in Germany
- account statement for the last 3 months
- Schufa-Auskunft – that is, information about our creditworthiness in Germany (the owner of the apartment does not always require it, but it can happen)
Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung – certificate of non-arrears with the rent in our previous premises (the document can be downloaded here).
What should the rental agreement contain?
A correctly drawn up rental agreement for an apartment in Germany should contain:
- Duration of the agreement – Dauer des Mietverhältnisses
- The amount of the monthly rent – Kaltmiete
- The amount of additional charges (heating, water, garbage collection)
- Notice period – Kündigungsfrist
- Deposit amount – Kaution (landlords usually require a deposit of one or three times the rent)
- Conditions for possible rent increases
- In the case of a furnished apartment, a list of all items in it
- House rules – Hausordnung
- Arrangements for repairing faults in the apartment
In addition to the agreement, when renting an apartment in Germany, an apartment handover protocol should also be drawn up. It should contain all information about the current condition of the apartment and its equipment. This document is necessary if we do not want to have problems with recovering the deposit later!
Watch out for scammers!
Even though Germany is a rather exemplary and well-organized nation, you can always find a scammer! The most common ways of extorting money while renting an apartment are:
- Advance payment for the opportunity to see the apartment – a quick way to get rich! The scammer requires you to pay for the view of the apartment or expects you to pay the deposit immediately without visiting the premises first – don’t fall for it!
- False ads – too little information about the apartment, extremely low price, no contact to the owner … In such a situation, a red light should light on in your mind as a warning!
- Fake emails – if you get an email from an unknown sender, in addition, with a suspicious attachment, do not open it and do not write back! It is probably a virus or an attempt to extort your data.
Related entries:
How to rent an apartment in the UK?
Job offers with accommodation – is it worth it?
