The cultural shocks, the paperwork, and the rules that will save your deposit.
You can find apartments and houses online via the major real-estate search engines — Suchmaschinen für Wohnungen und Häuser. They list both rentals and properties for sale, with filters for city, price, size and special features (EBK, balcony, pets allowed, etc.).
💡 Tip: When searching, always cross-check listings on multiple platforms — and act fast. Good apartments in big cities go in hours, not days.
💡 Most Germans rent their apartments — homeownership rates are far lower than in the UK or the US.
Your rental application folder
Germany's rental market is highly competitive. Landlords expect a complete application folder upfront. Have these ready as PDFs before you visit a viewing — you'll be one of 20+ applicants.
Cover letter (Anschreiben)
A short letter introducing yourself: your name, age, job, family situation, why you want this apartment. One page max.
Schufa
Your German credit record / financial-reliability proof. Must be no older than 2–3 months. You can order it at meineschufa.de.
Einkommensnachweis
Proof of income — usually your last 3 payslips, or an employment contract if you just started. Landlords look for monthly net income ≥ 3× the cold rent.
Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung
Certificate from your previous landlord confirming you paid your rent on time and have no outstanding rent debt (no Mietrückstand).
Copy of your ID
Front and back side of your Personalausweis or passport.
💸 Money-saving tip: A WG (Wohngemeinschaft) — shared flat — is dramatically cheaper than renting your own apartment. Everyone gets their own room and shares kitchen + bathroom. Super popular with students and young professionals.
German apartments are rented empty — and that means literally empty. Often there's no kitchen installed: the previous tenant takes the kitchen, lamps, sometimes even sinks and curtain rails with them when they leave.
Your options: buy and install your own kitchen, or negotiate with the previous tenant to take theirs over (this is called Ablöse — you pay a one-time buy-out).
Look for "EBK" in listings
EBK = Einbauküche. The kitchen is already installed and stays with the apartment.
The single most confusing number on every German listing.
"Cold rent" — the base rent
The price for the physical apartment only. No utilities, no heating, no maintenance.
"Warm rent" — the actual amount you pay
Warmmiete = Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten (additional charges): warm water, heating, trash collection, and building maintenance.
⚠️ Pro tip: Electricity (Strom) and internet are usually NOT included in the Warmmiete. You'll have to set up both separately with providers like Vattenfall, E.ON, Telekom or 1&1.
Built before WWII. Recognisable by high ceilings (often 3m+), large windows, thick walls, sometimes stucco. Charming but pricey to heat.
Built after WWII or recently. Modern facilities, better insulation, often with elevator and balcony.
Hugely popular shared flat for young people. You get your own room but share the bathroom, kitchen and living room. Best place to make friends and practise German fast.
A standalone single-family house, usually in suburbs or smaller towns. Often comes with a small garden.
A townhouse — terraced row houses sharing side walls with neighbours. Common in cities; gives you a house feel at a lower price than an Einfamilienhaus.
Break these and you'll meet an angry neighbour — fast.
10 PM – 6 AM, every day. Plus all day on Sunday in many buildings. A very strict rule: silence is expected.
That means no loud music, no washing machines, no vacuuming, no drilling. Neighbours can — and will — file complaints with the landlord or even the police if you ignore it.
You are expected to open your windows fully (not tilted!) for 5–10 minutes, 2–3 times a day to ventilate the apartment and prevent mould (Schimmel).
Do not ignore this. If mould grows, your landlord can hold you responsible and deduct the repair costs from your deposit (Kaution).
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