Renting or buying a home in Germany
What you need to rent, the steps to buy, and where to find official price data.
✓ Checked against the sources: October 2026⚠️ This isn't legal or financial advice. Use an independent lawyer for any purchase.
Renting
- Deposit (Kaution): up to three months of rent without service charges, and you can pay it in three monthly instalments.
- In some cities with a housing shortage the "rent brake" (Mietpreisbremse) applies: in a new contract the rent can be at most 10% above the usual local rent. Each state government decides where it applies.
- After you move in, the landlord gives you a move-in confirmation, and you register the address within two weeks. You need it for the bank, tax and school.
- Don't send money before you've seen the flat and have a contract.
Source: BGB § 551 · BGB § 556d · Bundesmeldegesetz § 17 · Bundesmeldegesetz § 19
🔒 2 more sections in this guide
- 🏠 Buying
- 📊 Real prices
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