How to rent an apartment in Germany: documents, search, and lease agreement

Renting housing in Germany often feels less like quickly choosing an apartment and more like competing in an application process. In large cities, landlords receive dozens of inquiries, so for newcomers it is important to prepare documents in advance, reply to listings quickly, and understand German terms such as Kaltmiete, Warmmiete, Nebenkosten, Kaution, SCHUFA, and Anmeldung.

This guide helps you get through the process from budgeting and searching to the lease, move-in, and address registration. It is designed for newcomers, students, employees, and families who need to rent housing without unnecessary risks.

How renting in Germany differs from what many people expect

What a newcomer often expects	How it usually works in Germany
You can agree verbally and move in quickly	A written lease and Hausordnung are almost always required
Minimal paperwork	Landlords often ask for a Bewerbermappe: income proof, SCHUFA, an application form, and ID
The apartment is usually furnished	Many apartments are rented out empty, sometimes even without a kitchen
Utilities are paid separately based on actual use	Nebenkosten are often paid in advance with an annual settlement
It is enough to make a good impression on the landlord	The landlord chooses a candidate with clear income and low perceived risk

The main practical takeaway: treat apartment hunting like a job search. You need a neat profile, a clear first message, a ready document package, and a quick response.

Step-by-step rental plan

Calculate your budget based on Warmmiete, not only Kaltmiete. Include Kaution, moving costs, furniture, a kitchen, electricity, internet, and Rundfunkbeitrag.
Choose the type of housing: WG, a room, temporary rent, a furnished apartment, or a long-term unfurnished apartment.
Prepare your Bewerbermappe before starting an active search.
Set up alerts on property portals and answer new listings the same day.
At the Besichtigung, arrive on time, ask short questions, and say right away that your documents are ready.
Before sending documents, check who you are sending them to and do not forward unnecessary personal data to questionable contacts.
Before signing, review the contract: term, Kündigungsfrist, Nebenkosten, Kaution, Staffelmiete or Indexmiete, animal rules, and Untermiete.
On move-in, prepare an Übergabeprotokoll, take photos of defects, and record meter readings.
After moving in, complete your Anmeldung and set up separate contracts if electricity, internet, or other services are not included in the rent.

Where to look for housing

Listing portals remain the main channel, but not the only one. Local groups, colleague recommendations, temporary housing through an employer, ads in smaller towns, and agencies also work.

Main websites and services

ImmoScout24 — a major real-estate portal with filters, a candidate profile, and listings across the country.
Immowelt and Immonet — useful for comparing districts, prices, and housing formats.
Kleinanzeigen — many private listings, but a higher risk of scams.
Meinestadt — city-based listings that are useful in medium-sized and smaller towns.
Wg-gesucht — rooms, WGs, Zwischenmiete, and temporary options.
Wunderflats and Homelike — furnished apartments for medium-term stays.
Airbnb — sometimes useful for covering the first weeks, but rarely a good long-term solution.

Save your filters, switch on alerts, and prepare a short response text in German or English in advance. It is better to write simply and correctly than at length and unclearly. If competition is high, prepare a short motivation letter: who you are, where you work, who will live in the apartment, and from what date you are ready to move in.

In local Facebook groups, university chats, neighborhood communities, and through colleagues, you can sometimes find options that never appear on major portals. If you are moving for work, ask your employer about temporary housing, a relocation contact, or a letter confirming your employment.

An agency or broker can speed up the search, but the rental commission is usually paid by whoever ordered the service. See more in broker commission for rentals.

Rental documents: the Bewerbermappe

A Bewerbermappe is the application package for a rental. It shows the landlord who will live in the apartment and how stable the income is.

It usually includes:

a passport or ID and, if available, an Aufenthaltstitel;
an employment contract or another document confirming your job;
recent payslips or another proof of income;
a SCHUFA extract, if you already have one;
a Mieterselbstauskunft, meaning a tenant questionnaire;
if needed, a certificate showing no rental debt, a Bürgschaft, or proof of financing;
sometimes a Privathaftpflichtversicherung policy.

If you have just arrived and do not yet have SCHUFA, do not try to replace it with invented certificates. Explain the situation honestly, attach your work contract, proof of income, residence permit or visa, and at the start consider a WG, Zwischenmiete, or furnished temporary housing.

A short first message to the landlord

Guten Tag, mein Name ist … Ich interessiere mich für die Wohnung in … Ein Einzug wäre ab … möglich. Ich arbeite als … und kann eine vollständige Bewerbermappe mit Gehaltsnachweisen, Mieterselbstauskunft und, falls vorhanden, SCHUFA sofort zusenden. Wäre eine Besichtigung möglich? Vielen Dank und freundliche Grüße …

Meaning in English: “Hello, my name is …, I am interested in the apartment in …, I could move in from …, I work as …, and I can send a complete document package right away. Would it be possible to arrange a viewing?”

How to behave at a viewing

At a Besichtigung, the landlord is evaluating not only your budget but also how predictable you seem as a tenant. Arrive on time, speak briefly, do not argue on the spot, and do not apply pressure. If the apartment suits you, send your documents and a short message quickly after the viewing.

What usually matters to the landlord

how many people will live in the apartment;
whether there is stable income;
whether there is SCHUFA or alternative proof of creditworthiness;
whether you smoke or have pets;
from what date you are ready to move in;
how clear your communication is.

What to ask during the viewing

What is included in the Warmmiete and what is paid separately?
Are heating and hot water included in the Nebenkosten?
When was the last Betriebskostenabrechnung and were there additional charges?
Is there a kitchen, who owns it, and do you need to buy it?
Are pets, Untermiete, or installing a washing machine allowed?
What is the Kündigungsfrist and is there a Mindestmietdauer?
What is included in the Übergabeprotokoll at move-in?

Useful German phrases

Ich interessiere mich für die Wohnung. — I am interested in the apartment.
Wäre eine Besichtigung möglich? — Could a viewing be arranged?
Wie hoch ist die Warmmiete? — What is the Warmmiete?
Was ist in den Nebenkosten enthalten? — What is included in the Nebenkosten?
Wie hoch ist die Kaution? — How large is the deposit?
Ab wann ist die Wohnung frei? — From what date is the apartment available?
Ist eine Anmeldung möglich? — Is address registration possible?
Sind Haustiere erlaubt? — Are pets allowed?
Gibt es eine Einbauküche? — Is there a fitted kitchen?
Ich kann die Bewerbermappe sofort zusenden. — I can send the document package immediately.

How to read German listings

First, distinguish the three basic amounts:

Kaltmiete — rent without utilities and operating costs;
Nebenkosten — the advance payment for utilities and operating costs;
Warmmiete — usually Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten, but you should check the exact composition in the listing and the lease.

Common abbreviations:

Abbreviation	Meaning
Wfl / Wohnfläche	living space
Zi / Zimmer	rooms
KM / NKM	Kaltmiete / Nettokaltmiete
WM	Warmmiete
NK / BK	Nebenkosten / Betriebskosten
HK	heating
KT / Kaution	deposit
EBK	Einbauküche, fitted kitchen
EG	Erdgeschoss, ground level
OG	upper floor
DG	attic/top floor
TG / Stellplatz	underground parking / parking space
NR	Nichtraucher, non-smoker
WG	Wohngemeinschaft, shared accommodation

Size and rooms

Living space is calculated under the Wohnflächenverordnung: normal rooms are counted in full, while areas under sloped ceilings and balconies are counted under special rules. That is why the stated Wohnfläche does not always match how the apartment feels in person.

The number of Zimmer usually includes living rooms and bedrooms, but not the kitchen, hallway, bathroom, or storage room. A 2.5 Zimmer layout means one area may be small, a walk-through room, or not fully independent.

An apartment on the DG floor may be cheaper or brighter, but sloped ceilings affect furniture placement, storage, and usable space.

Building type

Building type is often indicated with abbreviations:

WE / Whg. — apartment;
EFH — single-family house;
DHH — semi-detached house;
RH / RMH / REH — terraced house, middle unit, or end unit;
MFH — multi-family building;
ELW — a separate additional apartment within a house.

How much renting costs and how to calculate your budget

Exact prices depend on the city, district, building condition, apartment size, year of construction, demand, and whether a kitchen or furniture is included. Do not compare using one national average number. Check your city’s Mietspiegel, recent listings on several portals, and the total Warmmiete.

Nebenkosten and the annual statement

Nebenkosten are an advance payment. After the accounting period, the landlord prepares a Betriebskostenabrechnung and compares the building’s actual costs with your advance payments. The result may be either an extra charge or a refund.

Electricity, internet, mobile service, and Rundfunkbeitrag are often paid separately. Before signing the contract, check exactly what is included in the Warmmiete.

Kaution

Under Section 551 BGB, the deposit for residential rent must not exceed three Nettokaltmieten. If the deposit is paid in money, the tenant can usually pay it in three equal monthly installments starting from the beginning of the tenancy.

Do not hand over Kaution in cash without confirmation and do not transfer money before signing the contract and checking the landlord. It is safer to use a traceable bank transfer, a separate savings account, or an agreed form of Bürgschaft/Kautionsversicherung if the landlord accepts it.

Furniture and kitchen

Many German apartments are rented out without furniture. Sometimes there is not even a kitchen, and the Einbauküche has to be bought from the previous tenant or installed at your own expense. Before signing, clarify:

who owns the kitchen;
whether it stays in the apartment;
whether an Ablöse, meaning a buyout payment, is required;
what happens to the kitchen when you move out;
whether there is documentation of its condition and price.

The kitchen and furniture can become one of the biggest initial moving expenses; for a separate breakdown, see buying a kitchen.

Example monthly budget

It is better to build a sample calculation as a template rather than treat it as a promise of specific prices:

Expense	What to check
Warmmiete	amount in the lease and the composition of Nebenkosten
Electricity	separate contract or included in the rent
Internet	provider availability at the address
Rundfunkbeitrag	one charge per apartment unless an exemption applies
Haftpflichtversicherung	not legally mandatory, but often useful
Transport	Deutschlandticket, regional tariff, or a car
Food and household needs	depends on the city, family, and habits; household spending also includes pharmacies

For moving within the country, see moving plan in Germany.

Lease agreement: what to check before signing

In the lease agreement, do not look only at the price. Important points include:

the contract type: open-ended or befristet;
Mindestmietdauer, if there is one;
Kündigungsfrist and the termination procedure;
Staffelmiete or Indexmiete;
the composition of Nebenkosten and the settlement period;
the amount of Kaution and the payment method;
rules on Schönheitsreparaturen and Kleinreparaturen;
conditions for pets, smoking, and Untermiete;
the presence of a kitchen, cellar, parking space, and additional rooms.

At move-in, prepare an Übergabeprotokoll covering defects, keys, meter readings, and the condition of the walls, floor, windows, kitchen, and plumbing. Photos and written messages often matter more than verbal promises.

For moving out, see terminating a lease. Housing is usually returned with normal wear and tear taken into account, but it is better to review disputed wording in the contract in advance.

Anmeldung after moving in

After moving, you usually need to complete address registration within two weeks of moving in. For Anmeldung you need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a confirmation from the landlord or another person providing the housing.

Do not agree to “registration without actually living there.” That creates risks for the tenant, the address holder, and later visa or administrative procedures.

How to assess the market and the Mietspiegel

The official Mietspiegel helps you understand the rough rent level in a specific city or district. But it does not replace checking current listings: the condition of the building, furniture, kitchen, transport links, energy efficiency, and competition among applicants can change the real price significantly.

For a practical assessment, compare:

the city’s official Mietspiegel;
several listing portals;
Warmmiete for similar size and district;
additional costs: heating, electricity, internet, and parking;
transport to work or study.

Do not draw conclusions from one average table for Germany. In Munich, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Cologne, competition is usually higher, but districts within each city differ greatly. In regions with a calmer rental market, there may be fewer vacancies; the overall background can be compared with the article on unemployment levels.

How to avoid scams

Do not transfer Kaution, a reservation payment, or the first month of rent before signing the contract and checking the other party.
A price that is too low for the district is a reason to stop and verify the listing.
Be careful with stories like “the owner is abroad, the keys will be sent through a service, pay money in advance.”
Do not send a full document package to an unknown person without checking them.
Verify the address, the landlord’s name, the right to rent out the property, and the conditions for handing over keys.
Do not agree to a lease without Anmeldung if you need address registration.

What to do if finding an apartment is difficult

For newcomers, the problem is often not only the budget but also the lack of local history. Practical strategies include:

expanding the search area to suburbs with decent transport;
temporarily accepting a WG, Zwischenmiete, or furnished option;
preparing a neat Bewerbermappe and a short Motivationsschreiben;
asking the employer for proof of employment or temporary housing;
checking listings daily and responding quickly;
not spending weeks chasing the perfect option if you urgently need Anmeldung.

FAQ

Can you rent an apartment without SCHUFA?

Yes, but it is harder. An employment contract, proof of income, a guarantor, temporary housing, and an honest explanation that SCHUFA has not yet been created after the move can help.

How much Kaution can a landlord demand?

For residential rent, the maximum is three Nettokaltmieten. A larger deposit or a combination of several guarantees above that limit should be reviewed especially carefully.

Does Warmmiete include electricity?

Not always. In most cases, electricity for the apartment is arranged separately, but there are exceptions, especially in temporary or furnished housing.

Can you live without Anmeldung?

After moving in, registration is usually mandatory. If the housing does not allow you to obtain a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, that is a serious practical risk for a newcomer.

Do you have to pay the broker?

In rentals, the rule is: the person who ordered the service pays. If you hired an agent yourself to search for an apartment, the commission may fall on you; if the landlord hired the agent, it is not your default commission.