Renting a Flat in Germany: Searching, Contracts and Deposits

This guide is for internationals who have just moved to Germany and are looking for their first flat or room. After reading it, you will know where people search, what a Mietvertrag (rental contract) contains, how the Kaution (deposit) works, what the rules say about notice periods and which documents come up along the way.

• Where and how to look
• What a Mietvertrag contains
• The Kaution (deposit)
• Notice periods and ending a tenancy
• Documents and first steps after signing
• FAQ

Where and how to look

Handbook Germany’s overview of housing types describes the WG (Wohngemeinschaft, shared flat) as a common starting point. In a shared flat everyone usually has their own room and shares the bathroom and kitchen. A room is often easier to get than a whole flat, because the current residents choose who moves in, not a landlord. It is also usually cheaper.

The page names these search channels:

• Shared-flat portals such as WG-Gesucht
• Flat-hunting portals such as ImmoScout24 and Immowelt
• Local Facebook groups, which exist in every city and carry new private adverts every day

Temporary housing can cover the first months. Untermiete (subletting) means renting a room or flat from the main tenant. Zwischenmiete (intermediate rent) is a temporary sublet, often while the main tenant is away. Many of these places are furnished. The main tenant needs the landlord’s permission to sublet.

People with little or no income are entitled to rent social housing, which the state subsidises. To rent it you need a Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS, certificate of eligibility for housing), which the city or municipality where you live issues.

The page warns that dubious and fraudulent adverts also appear on well-known platforms. Its advice is not to share copies of an ID card or passport until an offer has been checked. It also advises against transferring money before viewing the flat in person and holding a signed contract.

What a Mietvertrag contains

The Handbook Germany page on rental contracts lists what the written contract should include:

• Names and addresses of the landlord and tenants, plus the tenants’ dates of birth
• The exact address and position of the flat, for example 2nd floor on the left
• The rent and the ancillary costs, itemised
• When rent is due, for example by the third working day of the month
• How the rent can change
• Whether the rental period is limited or unlimited
• The size in square metres and extra spaces such as a cellar or balcony
• Rules on use, such as pets or smoking

The Kaltmiete (net or cold rent) covers only the flat itself. The Warmmiete (gross or warm rent) adds the Nebenkosten (operating costs) and is the amount you actually pay. Operating costs include water, rubbish collection, street cleaning, building insurance, communal electricity and often heating. They are usually paid monthly in advance and settled in an annual utility bill. Electricity, sometimes gas, and telephone and internet are separate contracts that the tenant arranges.

The contract also states the type of rent. Under regular rent, the landlord can raise the rent only under legal conditions and must justify the increase. Under an Indexmiete (index-linked rent), the rent can rise once a year in line with the consumer price index. Under a Staffelmiete (graduated rent), all increases are fixed in the contract in advance, and no others are allowed.

When several adults sign as main tenants, they are jointly and severally liable, which means each of them is liable for the full rent. Many contracts include a Hausordnung (house rules), covering matters such as Ruhezeiten (quiet hours). Clauses that make the tenant responsible for cosmetic repairs, such as regular painting, must be fair and legally permissible.

Some cities have had a rent cap since 2015. Under it, the rent for a new tenancy may not be more than 10 per cent above the local comparative rent. Whether a cap applies depends on the city, and there are many exceptions. The page also reports a 2024 finding that the cap had hardly any effect.

The Kaution (deposit)

The deposit protects the landlord against damage to the flat or unpaid rent. The rental contract page sets out these rules:

• The deposit may not exceed 3 months’ rent.
• The contract states the amount and the account it is paid into.
• Tenants may pay in 3 monthly instalments. The first instalment, or the full deposit, is due by move-in at the latest.
• The deposit is returned if the flat is left undamaged. Landlords may keep part or all of it only for justified claims, such as repairs or unpaid rent.

The pages do not give a deadline for returning the deposit.

Notice periods and ending a tenancy

Handbook Germany lists the Kündigungsfrist (notice period) as something to check before signing, but the pages give only one specific figure. A fixed-term contract usually cannot be ended before the agreed date. However, many fixed-term contracts are not legally effective, and in that case the tenant can give notice within the statutory period of 3 months. The Verbraucherzentrale (consumer advice centre) or a tenants’ association can say whether a particular contract is valid.

A landlord can give notice if a tenant repeatedly breaks the house rules. Letting other people move in without the landlord’s consent risks a warning or termination. Unauthorised subletting can lead to an außerordentliche und fristlose Kündigung (exceptional termination without notice). Where several people share one contract, they can only cancel it together.

Documents and first steps after signing

The pages do not list a standard set of documents that landlords request, so each landlord decides what to ask for. They do cover two specific cases. In social housing, you show the WBS to the landlord at the viewing. People who receive support from the Jobcenter or the Social Welfare Office must give that office their sublet agreement and the main tenant’s contract. Many caseworkers also ask for the landlord’s confirmation that subletting is allowed.

The rental contract page lists these steps after signing:

1. Register the new address within 2 weeks. This is the Anmeldung (address registration). Depending on the city, the local office is called the Einwohnermeldeamt, Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro, and appointments can be hard to get.
2. Tell the Ausländerbehörde (foreigners’ authority) about the new address as soon as possible. Also inform other authorities, your bank, your employer and your insurers.
3. Sign electricity and, if needed, gas contracts if the landlord does not supply them.
4. Set up rent payments, for example a standing order.
5. After registration, a letter arrives automatically about the Rundfunkbeitrag (broadcasting licence fee), which is charged per household.

Tenants’ associations give members advice and legal support for around €50 a year. You can find a local one at mieterbund.de. Questions about how a move affects a residence permit are a matter for the Ausländerbehörde or a migration advice service.

FAQ

How much can a landlord ask as a deposit?

The deposit may not exceed 3 months’ rent. It can be paid in 3 monthly instalments, and the first instalment or the full amount is due by move-in at the latest.

Is electricity included in the warm rent?

No. The warm rent covers the net rent plus operating costs such as water, rubbish collection and often heating. The tenant contracts and pays for electricity separately, and sometimes gas too.

How quickly do I have to register my new address?

The Anmeldung must be done within 2 weeks at the local registration office. What the office is called and how you book an appointment depend on the city.

Can I leave a fixed-term contract early?

Usually not before the agreed end date. However, many fixed-term contracts are not legally effective, and in that case the statutory notice period of 3 months applies. A consumer advice centre or tenants’ association can check a specific contract.

Sources: handbookgermany.de · handbookgermany.de

Last verified: 13 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the foreigners’ authority (Ausländerbehörde) of your city, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (Rechtsanwalt).