--- title: Understanding Your Mietvertrag (Rental Contract) in Germany country: germany service: "housing-contract" category: housing difficulty: moderate estimated_time: "2-4 weeks (apartment search to signed contract)" cost_range: "EUR 500-3000 upfront (deposit)" last_verified: 2026-03-12 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/germany/housing-contract/ status: current confidence: low tags: - housing - rental - "first-week" - mandatory - contract sources: - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__535.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__551.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__573c.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__556d.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__19.html - https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wovermrg/__2.html --- # Understanding Your Mietvertrag (Rental Contract) in Germany **Country:** 🇩🇪 Germany **Last verified:** 2026-03-12 **Estimated time:** 2-4 weeks (apartment search to signed contract) **Cost:** EUR 500-3000 upfront (deposit) ## Required documents - **SCHUFA credit report** *(SCHUFA-Auskunft)* - Where to get: Online at meineschufa.de (free once per year) or Postbank branch (EUR 29.95 for instant copy) - Required: Original, dated within last 3 months - Cost: EUR 0 (annual free copy) or EUR 29.95 (instant) - _Note:_ New arrivals won't have a SCHUFA score. Request one anyway — a blank report is better than none. Some landlords accept alternative proof of creditworthiness - **Proof of income** - Where to get: Last 3 payslips from employer, or employment contract showing salary - Required: Copies - Cost: Free - _Note:_ Most landlords want proof that your income is at least 3x the warm rent (Warmmiete). If you're new and don't have payslips yet, your employment contract works - **Previous landlord reference (Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung)** *(Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung)* - Where to get: Request from your previous landlord - Required: Original or copy - Cost: Free - _Note:_ Confirms you have no rental debt. If you're moving from abroad, a reference letter from your previous landlord in English is acceptable. Not all landlords require this ## Costs - **Security deposit (Kaution):** EUR 500-3000 (Bank transfer to landlord's deposit account) — Maximum 3 months' Kaltmiete (cold rent, excluding utilities). Can be paid in 3 monthly installments. Landlord must keep it in a separate account - **SCHUFA report (instant):** EUR 29.95 (Online or at Postbank) — Free version available but takes 1-4 weeks. Instant version recommended for competitive market - **First month's rent:** EUR 500-1500 (Bank transfer) — Due on the first day of the rental period. Amount varies by city and apartment size - **Agent fee (if applicable):** EUR 0 (N/A) — Since 2015 (Bestellerprinzip), the person who hires the agent pays. For standard rentals, this means the landlord pays — not you ## Steps ### 1. Prepare Your Application Documents *(Bewerbungsmappe)* - Have your application package ready before viewings — landlords choose quickly - Collect SCHUFA report, proof of income, and previous landlord reference > **Tip:** Create a Bewerbungsmappe with all documents organized. Include a brief cover letter introducing yourself, your job, and why you want the apartment. ### 2. Find and View Apartments - Search on ImmobilienScout24, WG-Gesucht, or eBay Kleinanzeigen - Set up alerts and respond quickly with a polite message > **If this fails:** Rental scams exist online. Never pay before seeing the apartment and signing a contract. Red flags: landlord is 'abroad', asking for deposit before viewing, suspiciously low price. _Useful phrases:_ - "Guten Tag, ich interessiere mich für die Wohnung. Wann kann ich sie besichtigen?" (goo-ten tahg, ikh in-teh-reh-see-reh mikh fuer dee voh-noong. van kan ikh zee beh-zikh-tee-gen?) — Hello, I'm interested in the apartment. When can I view it? — use when Sending your first message to a landlord about a listing ### 3. Understand Key Contract Terms Before Signing *(Mietvertrag)* - Kaltmiete — base rent (without utilities) - Nebenkosten — utility costs added to base rent - Kaution — security deposit (max 3 months' Kaltmiete) - Kündigungsfrist — notice period (usually 3 months) > **If this fails:** Some older contracts contain illegal clauses. Check with a Mieterverein (tenant association) before signing — EUR 50-100/year membership. ### 4. Sign the Contract and Pay the Deposit *(Kaution)* - Sign the Mietvertrag — both parties get a copy - Pay the Kaution: max 3 months' Kaltmiete, payable in 3 installments - Landlord must keep it in a separate interest-bearing account > **Tip:** Transfer the deposit by bank transfer and keep the receipt. In the reference write 'Kaution [name] [address]'. ### 5. Complete the Handover Protocol *(Übergabeprotokoll)* - Walk through the apartment with the landlord on move-in day - Note all existing damage (scratches, stains, holes) - Record meter readings (electricity, gas, water) - Test appliances, windows, locks, and plumbing - Take photos with timestamps - Both parties sign — keep your copy _Useful phrases:_ - "Können wir das bitte im Übergabeprotokoll notieren?" (ker-nen veer das bit-teh im ü-ber-gah-beh-pro-toh-kol noh-tee-ren?) — Can we please note this in the handover protocol? — use when Pointing out existing damage during the apartment handover ## FAQ ### What's the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmmiete? Kaltmiete (cold rent) is the base rent for the apartment only. Warmmiete (warm rent) includes Nebenkosten (utilities like heating, water, building maintenance, and trash). Your contract should clearly state both amounts. When landlords say 'rent', they usually mean Kaltmiete — always ask for the Warmmiete to know your true monthly cost. Electricity and internet are typically NOT included in Warmmiete and must be arranged separately. ### Can the landlord raise the rent? Yes, but with strict limits. Per BGB §558 (Kappungsgrenze), rent may not increase by more than 20% over any 3-year period; in areas designated by Landes-Rechtsverordnung this cap is reduced to 15%. The increased rent cannot exceed the local reference rent (ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete / Mietspiegel). In cities with a Mietpreisbremse designation under BGB §556d, the initial rent at lease start is also capped at 10% above the reference. Your landlord must justify any increase in writing. Per BGB §558b, you have until the end of the second calendar month after receiving the request to consent. ### How long is the notice period to move out? The standard notice period is 3 months — you must notify your landlord in writing by the 3rd working day of the month for the notice to count from that month. For example, to leave by June 30, your written notice must arrive by the 3rd working day of April. The notice must be a physical letter (email alone is usually not sufficient). Some contracts have longer notice periods — check your Mietvertrag. ### What is the Übergabeprotokoll? The Übergabeprotokoll is a handover protocol — a document that records the condition of the apartment when you move in (and later when you move out). Walk through every room with the landlord and note any existing damage: scratches, stains, broken fixtures, meter readings. Take photos. Both parties sign it. This protects you from being charged for damage that existed before you moved in. Never skip this step. ## Sources - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__535.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — BGB §535 establishes the legal basis of the Mietvertrag: landlord must grant the tenant use of the property in a condition suitable for contractual use (vertragsgemäßer Gebrauch) and maintain it; tenant must pay the agreed Miete. - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__551.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — BGB §551 Abs. 1 caps the Kaution (Sicherheitsleistung) at höchstens das Dreifache der auf einen Monat entfallenden Miete, ohne die als Pauschale oder als Vorauszahlung ausgewiesenen Betriebskosten — i.e. three months Kaltmiete. §551 Abs. 2: tenant has the right to pay in three equal monthly installments, first due at lease start. §551 Abs. 3: landlord must hold the deposit separated from own assets (getrennt von seinem Vermögen). - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__573c.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — BGB §573c Abs. 1: ordinary Kündigung must be given by the third Werktag of a calendar month to take effect at the end of the month after next (about three months for the tenant). §573c Abs. 1 Satz 2: the landlord notice period extends by three months after five years of tenancy and by another three months after eight years (so six or nine months total). §573c Abs. 4: any agreement to the tenant disadvantage is unwirksam (void). - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__556d.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — BGB §556d (Mietpreisbremse): in designated angespannte Wohnungsmärkte the initial rent (Miete bei Mietbeginn) may not exceed the ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete by more than 10 percent. The Mietpreisbremse is not nationwide — Landesregierungen designate qualifying areas by Rechtsverordnung based on supply and demand criteria. All such ordinances must expire by 31 December 2029. - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Bundesmeldegesetz](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bmg/__19.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — BMG §19 obliges the Wohnungsgeber (landlord or authorised representative) to confirm the tenant move-in to the registration authority, in writing or electronically, within the §17 Abs. 1 Anmeldung deadline. §19 Abs. 3: the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung must contain landlord name and address (and owner if different), Einzugsdatum, the address of the dwelling, and names of all meldepflichtig persons under §17 Abs. 1. - [Federal Ministry of Justice (BMJ) — Wohnungsvermittlungsgesetz](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wovermrg/__2.html) — accessed 2026-05-06 — _T1_ — WoVermRG §2 Abs. 1a codifies the Bestellerprinzip: a Wohnungsvermittler may not demand a fee from the Wohnungssuchender (apartment seeker) for brokering a rental, except where the agent mandate comes exclusively from the property owner or authorised party. §2 Abs. 4 prohibits advance payments; §2 Abs. 5 voids any agreement to the contrary. Effect: whoever hired the agent pays. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/germany/housing-contract/