Know the vocabulary of an ad
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Kaltmiete (Nettokaltmiete) | Base rent |
| Nebenkosten (Betriebskosten) | Advance payments for water, heating, cleaning, rubbish, building insurance |
| Warmmiete | Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten — what you actually pay monthly (electricity usually extra) |
| Kaution | Deposit, max. 3 × Kaltmiete |
| 2-Zimmer-Wohnung | 2 rooms plus kitchen and bath (= 1 bedroom + living room) |
| EBK (Einbauküche) | Fitted kitchen included |
| WBS erforderlich | Only for people with a social housing certificate |
| Provision / Maklergebühr | Agent fee — since 2015 the person who hired the agent pays (usually the landlord) |
| Staffelmiete / Indexmiete | Rent rises in fixed steps / in line with inflation |
| befristet | Fixed-term lease — only legal with a stated reason |
Where to search
ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Kleinanzeigen, WG-Gesucht (shared flats and temporary sublets), municipal and cooperative housing companies (Wohnungsbaugenossenschaften — membership fee, but fair rents), and university or employer housing offices.
The application folder (Bewerbungsmappe) — have it ready as one PDF
- Short cover note introducing yourself, your job and your move-in date
- Mieterselbstauskunft (tenant self-disclosure form)
- Last 3 payslips or employment contract (with start date)
- SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft or a free SCHUFA data copy (Chapter 44)
- Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung from your previous landlord (if you rented in Germany)
- ID / residence permit copy
Landlords commonly expect the warm rent to be no more than about 1/3 of net household income.
Rental scam red flags
- The landlord is "abroad" and wants the deposit before a viewing, often via Western Union, crypto or a "booking platform escrow".
- The price is far below market in a central location.
- They ask for a passport copy before any viewing — black out the ID number and add "Kopie für Wohnungsbewerbung" across the copy.
- Rule: never pay anything before you have viewed the flat and signed a contract.
Rent control
In designated tight markets, the Mietpreisbremse (extended until the end of 2029) caps new-lease rents at the local reference rent (Mietspiegel) +10%. Exceptions: new builds first let after October 2014, and flats after comprehensive modernisation. If you overpay, you can reclaim the excess with a written complaint (Rüge). Tenant associations (Mieterverein, about €5–10/month) help with this.