Germany: Housing basics

The deposit (Kaution)

• By law (§ 551 BGB) a cash deposit may not exceed three times the monthly rent, excluding flat-rate or prepaid service charges (Betriebskosten).
• You may pay it in three equal monthly instalments: the first when the tenancy begins, the others with the next regular rent payments.
• The landlord must keep a cash deposit separate from their own assets and invest it at a bank; the returns belong to you. Any agreement that disadvantages the tenant is void.

Moving in and the contract

• At move-in the landlord or manager gives a handover protocol listing the meter readings you need to register utilities.
• Signing binds you to the building’s house rules.
• An open-ended lease must be ended in writing three months ahead; the letter must reach the landlord by the third working day of the month.

Your rights

• Tenants are well protected: a landlord needs a good reason to end a lease and generally must repair damage. Mould is the landlord’s responsibility unless poor heating or ventilation caused it.
• Tenant protection associations (Mietschutzverein) advise members, typically for about €50 a year. The Anti-discrimination Office helps if a landlord or neighbour discriminates against you.

To help you plan: unofficial, approximate figures

To help you plan, we added practical figures collected from reliable independent sources, each shown with its date. Treat them as a guide: they are approximate and can change, so confirm the final figure with the official source or the organisation concerned before you act.

• Fake flat ads (European Consumer Centre Germany, updated 27 March 2026): warning signs are rent far below the market, an owner who is abroad and cannot show the flat, poor German or English emails on a German portal, photos or text copied from other sites, a foreign IBAN, requests for ID scans, and links to fake portal log-ins. Typical scams ask for a deposit or key fee by money transfer or a fake “escrow service” before you see the flat. Rule given: never pay a deposit before seeing the flat and signing the contract, and avoid international money-transfer services.
• Credit report and income proof (Waitly, 11 June 2026): housing cooperatives frequently ask for a Schufa credit report and proof of income, with less strictness than private landlords. The article gives no cost for the report.

Worth checking next: search tips for tight housing markets, the registration of your address (Anmeldung) and the full list of documents landlords ask for. Check with your city’s registration office.

Drafted from the official pages listed under Sources, last read on 26 October 2026. Rules change and differ by region or city: confirm on the official page before you act. General information, not legal advice.