Rent a flat in Berlin – It all starts here
Finding a good flat in Berlin is probably #1 on your list. It’s key to securing a job, opening a bank account, registering for residence.
You’ve probably heard it before: finding an apartment in Berlin has become really hard. An steady influx of newcomers & a limited supply of new units have increased competition and rent prices.
This guide aims at upping your game to increase your chances, score a good place to live & avoid pitfalls. Feel free to ask questions in the comments too.
Renting a flat in Berlin : Mission impossible ?
Finding a flat in Berlin has become increasingly difficult the past years due to the general gentrification in many parts of the city. Rents are have also gone up due to the renewal of the city since the beginning of the 1990’s. So if you have heard it is very easy to find a flat in Berlin, you might be disappointed.
Yes, finding a place to live in Berlin is hard.
It typically takes several weeks or several months to find a permanent place to live. This is why people usually find a temporary place first. Going with a sublet in flat-share is usually the way to do it. If you want more information about finding a roommate or a flat share, please go to the dedicated page this way.
If you somehow have the means to buy your own flat instead, I’ve also made a guide to buy an apartment in Berlin this way, based on my experience.
Search for the perfect nest
The ubiquitous platforms
Once you have found the areas you would like to settle in, there a different ways to find the precious gem. There are of course, a few dedicated websites. Those are practically unavoidable.
- Immobilienscout24.de
- Immonet.de
- Immowelt.de
- Wohnung-jetzt.de
- Berlin.de.craigslist.de
- Ebay-kleinanzeigen.de
- Wohnunsboerse.de
- Meinestadt.de
Immobilienscout24, Immonet and Immowelt are sites with a lot of serious offers. I’d recommend creating an account on all 3 of them to receive daily updates about offers with your search criteria (search agent). Some offers are not on one and vice-versa. It’s easy and it’s quite important as it allows to be fast and be the first to reply to new inserts. Speed is key in Berlin.
Speed is key in Berlin
Be aware that most of those websites are offering unfurnished flats in Berlin, so i also made a little guide on the best ways to find furniture in Berlin here too. Those ads are also using a lot of abbreviations to describe the flat. You can find at the end of this post a little glossary of abbreviations often found on those websites. It might come useful.
Estate management & housing agencies
It’s a little daunting for non-German speakers but it can pay off to go directly to those large players in the local market to find a flat in Berlin for rent.
These companies manage dozens or hundred of private or public housing projects across the city and therefore often have their own listings. Some of if is to be found on other platforms, some others not.
- In Berlin Wohnen
- Fortuna
- GESOBAU
- Gewobag
- HOWOGE
- Wohnungsbaugenossenschaften
- Deutsche Wohnen
- DPF
- Stadt und Land
Students: check with your university
If you are enrolling in a university located in Berlin, you can also access to their housing services as well. This is managed by studierendenWERK BERLIN, which has an agreement with almost all universities (see here if yours is part of this). Portal located here.
Think social too
Another tip is to make sure to belong to as many Facebook groups as possible where many offers are published everyday. It may give you access to offers you may never see on other platforms. It’s quite difficult to be refreshing your news feed in the hope of uncovering a gem, but the search function with the right keywords will generate relevant results in those groups too. If you master any other language than English, you can apply the same principle in French, Spanish, Italian, Turkish, polish, etc groups. Some groups to consider:
English-speaking groups:
- Expatriates in Berlin
- Expats in Berlin
- Rent a flat in Berlin
- Apartments/roommates Berlin
- Berlin housing, rooms, apartments, sublets
- Berlin apartments
- Berlin apartments share – rent
- Berlin LONG TERM rooms/flats
- Berlin: Long Term flats
- Berlin apartments and rooms for rent
- Flats in Berlin
German groups
- Wohnung in Berlin
- BERLIN WG Zimmer, Wohnung, Flats, Apartments, Rooms, Flatshare
- Berlin Wg Zimmer Wohnung
- Berliner Wohnungsbörse
- Wohnungen Berlin und Umgebung
This telegram server can also be useful: Berlin Flats Bot
An alternative for the first few months: fully furnished rentals
Several full-services agencies are also offering fully furnished rentals with an extra fee. They come with pros & cons but they might be a good solution for those who can afford it:
- The rent is higher than average but it does come with internet/utilities & sometimes cleaning services.
- Less competition since those platforms are quite a bit more expensive.
- No need to send a thousand emails or attend 100 appointments. Just book online, get the key, and get settled.
- Everything is handled in English.
- Process is a lot less stressful for newcomers: sort everything online before you arrive.
- It does not require a credit score (SCHUFA). No evil circle: “no-flat -> no Anmeldung -> no bank account -> no-schufa -> no-flat“
Those platforms are
Once you have secured a job, opened a bank account and generally got settled, you can switch to a longer term (cheaper) solution.
How much should I pay for a flat in Berlin anyway?
As a reference for rent price, here is a map made by ImmobilienScout in 2020 to show the average price depending on the location in the city along the Ubahn-Sbahn lines. It shows the average price of a 30-year-old 70m2 flat, without utilities (kalt-miete). In 2023/24, you can roughly apply a 1,3 ratio on top for closer to reality prices.
Another way to check is to look at the “Mietspiegel” (Rent mirror), which is a database run by the city, keeping track of prices across districts. Enter your street in the tool to check the rent prices.
You can check with cool tool as well. Enter your monthly net income and the size of your desired square footage. It will tell you how much of your income your will need to spend on rent, depending on location.
Quick notes about costs of renting a flat in Berlin
As a rule, total costs are structured that way :
Rent (Kalt Miete) + Running costs (Nebenkosten) + Utilities (Heizung & Strom).In some cases, heating costs are included in the running costs when there is central heating in the whole building. Just be sure to include all costs when evaluating an opportunity. Remember that you will also have to open an electricity & gas contract on your own as well. It is usually not done by the landlord. More info on rent costs, cold or warm in this post.
Keep in mind, these prices don’t include the “opportunity costs” of getting a flat in Berlin. This means that since there is a harsh competition, actual prices may be higher than the theoretical ones.
What to do when the rent prices are too high?
Germany has pretty strong tenancy laws that favor tenants as a rule. If you feel like you have been screwed over by signing a contract, you can always battle your way to rent reduction too, especially if the price is not justified, regards to the Mietspiegel we just discussed. How to reduce your rent has been discussed in a dedicated post this way.
The typical process to apply for a flat in Berlin
I’ll be straight with you; finding the golden gem is only the start of the battle. You now need to prove to your future landlord that you are the perfect applicant for the square footage at hand. This is how the application process looks like usually.
1- Viewing the place
Coming early to see the flat you want to rent in Berlin. This almost always happens in groups. 4-5 at a time when it’s nice, 10 when it’s crazy. You usually only have a few minutes to make up your mind. This involves a fair amount of elbowing to get early in line. This is because landlords will often stop the viewing if they have received too many applicants already at this point.
2- Submitting the right documents
A true German experience necessarily involves a lot of bureaucracy. This is no exception :). The ad will probably mention what to bring so be aware of any specifics. As a rule, you should always bring the following to apply for a flat in Berlin.
- A SCHUFA record. There is a dedicated post about this here. In a nutshell, it’s your credit record in Germany. It is used who all the time by landlords to check if you pay your bills on time. The trouble for newcomers in Germany: the SCHUFA record will be empty. You will need to find another way to prove your trustworthiness, as mentioned here.
- A copy of your passport or ID card.
- A legitimate proof of income. This is fairly straightforward for employees working with German companies: bring a copy of your last 3 payslips. As a freelancer, you will need to show your last Steuerbescheid, where it shows how much you made last year. Alternatively as a freelancer, you can also bring a recent bank account statement (German bank preferably) that shows how much savings you have on there.
- Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung: A certificate to obtain from your previous landlord. This is a common document to submit to your prospective landlord. It states that you left your former tenancy contract without any debts. It makes you look like a trusted tenant. Template here.
- Mietbürgschaft: This is also common practice in Germany for people with no income for their own or unstable income. This is local equivalent of a guarantor, which commits to pay your debts, in case you can’t do that yourself. Template here.
- Bonus: proof that you have liability insurance. This makes you look like a responsible human being.
3- Getting selected and paying deposit
If you have been picked (congratulations), you will now need to pay up 4 months worth of rent before you can move in. The first month is payable in advance, and the 3 others are deposit. This money is exchanged when signing the contract usually. Only after paying up this amount (sometimes in cash!), you are getting the keys to the place.
4- Entering the place and inspecting its current state
In the course of the process mentioned above, you will also be looking at the current state of the flat and document any damages. This is like a photograph of how the place looks like now, so it can be compared with how it will look when you leave again. This is called a “Übergabeprotokoll“. Make sure to look everywhere thoroughly.
Read what to pay attention in this guide about flat handovers in Germany.
Tips to find an apartment in Berlin
Get a SCHUFA record, or a work-around
When you have found the flat in Berlin, the pearl you would like to chase, that’s where the fun begins! If you have just arrived in Berlin, it’s going to be slightly more difficult. Most of landlords are asking this infamous SCHUFA record. However, some of them are happy to give you keys in return of a 2 or 3 months-rent-worth deposit. It is no doubt that you maximize your chance when speaking to them in German as it shows you have been/will be here for a long time. (Commitment powa!)
A useful paper that might help your case is a “Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung” (Roughly; free of rent-related debts certificate). It is a paper provided by your former landlord that states your left your tenancy without any debts. If you come from abroad, make one in English with this long German word as a title. It it not guaranteed every landlord will accept it, but it’s better than nothing. Here is one in German for reference.
Get your insurance policy in order
As a landlord, one big concern is obviously how well you take care of their property when you live in it. This fact is hard to assess before-hand naturally but you can definitely take the edge here. Show that you are prepared by showing a liability insurance policy in your stack of documents. This states that in case things go wrong in the place, you will be able to cover any damages. I have made a dedicated post about liability insurance in Germany & house insurance this way where concepts, tips and recommended providers like Feather, Luko, Getsafe are introduced.
Avoid the obvious hip areas
To be honest, it can be quite hard if you want a flat in the hippest corners of Kreuzberg or Friedrichshain. That’s because EVERYONE wants to move there. In the most wanted areas, it can be become quite intense and some potential tenants don’t hesitate to come to directly with all necessary papers (which you should probably do too) to directly take the flat if they are interested. It might be a good idea to do the same. It’s also reasonable to expect mass group visits in those areas.
Go outside the Ring and find a place near an S-bahn station, you could zip to town quite fast. You may use this app or this one to get an idea of how much commute this or that address would represent.
Become a Nachmieter
An alternative strategy might be to find people soon leaving their flat and looking for a “Nachmieter” to take it over, the new tenant starting a new contract with the landlord. This means that the shortlisting is done by the tenant and not an agency or a landlord. This might increase your chances to get a foot in the door and work your charm. Arguably, a strong financial situation is less important than a good character and a proven track record of reliability.
Find something short-term to look for something long term
Do not hesitate to first move in a temporary rental for the time you rent a flat in Berlin, it’s very easy to rent out a room for 2 weeks to some person going on holidays for example, or better a whole semester abroad. You’d usually have more luck with flat shares (guide on WGs this way) You’ll be then more efficient. You can of course go with AirBnB or consider Wimdu, which is a German competitor to AirBnB.
Use your phone and speak German if possible
Most landlords simply don’t bother to deal with the English language, just because they have enough applicants in general. Speaking German is a big big plus, you may try bring a German friend with you to help with first impressions. If there is a phone number in the ad, you may also want to try to call, in addition to writing. Who knows? That might help you place a joke in, something the person might remember when meeting them in person. Every bit helps.
Find a flat in Berlin – other things to know
Estate agents & fees
As of October 2015, the owner of the flat has to pay any agency fees when renting out a flat in Berlin and not the other way around. Good news for tenants.
Some estate agents have paid services to help you find rentals. This is not worth it unless you have a lot of money & limited time.
Avoiding scams
Since finding a place to live is getting desperate for a lot of people, some sharks will try to take advantage of you. Here are commons scams to avoid when searching for an appartement in Berlin:
- A viewing is possible but the agent/owner is out of town. They want you to pay a deposit first to get the keys. Obviously a bad idea. Pay for deposit only once you’ve seen the flat & gotten the keys.
- Flat is listed as furnished but it’s not. Furnished apartments have different rules when it comes to rent price. It allows for higher prices. This is an attempt at making you pay more rent.
- A suspiciously well-priced property, with beautiful pictures & good location. Run my friend: they want to get a copy of your passport & bank details. Use common sense.
- Invalid limited contracts: only a limited set of reasons allow landlords to offer limited contracts (BGB § 575 Zeitmietvertrag). That includes upcoming renovations, demolition or landlord wanting to move in. Outside those reasons, you can stay unlimited.
Some of you did ask about some tips for renting flats for a week-end or a short holiday in the German capital. SiB is not a lifestyle blog to recommend you this district or that district. However, i feel like i’m always repeating the same things to my friends and relatives when they visit me or my family. This is why i have made a different post about renting holidays apartments in Berlin. I hope you find it useful too.
You will find that inserts have sometimes strange abbreviations to describe the place. Here is a list of the most common ones.
House types
- Whg (Wohnung) = flat
- App. (Apartment) = studio
- DG (Dachgeschoss) = flat located under the roofs
- WG (Wohngemeinschaft) = well, we explained that there 🙂
- Maisonette =a flat with 2 floors
- MFH (Mehrfamilienhaus) = multi-flat building
- möbl. Zi. (möbliertes Zimmer) = furnished room
- zur Miete = for rent; z. verm. (zu vermieten) = for rent
- zum Kauf = for sale
Flat size – Layout
- Zi (Zimmer) = Room(s), without bathroom & kicthen
- qm or m2 (Quadratmeter)= square meters
- ca. (circa) = approximately
- Wfl. / Wohnfl. (Wohnfläche) = living space
- Nfl. (Nutzfläche) = usable space
- SZ (Schlafzimmer) = bedroom
- Bad (Badzimmer) = bathroom
Rent & Utilities
- Miete = Rent
- jährl. (jährlich) = yearly
- JM (Jahresmiete) = annual rent
- MP (Mietpreis) = Rent price
- mtl. (monatlich) = monthly
- K or Kaut or KT (Kaution) = deposit, 3 MM Kaution =3 months worth of deposit
- KM (Kaltmiete) = the base rent before nebenkosten
- WM (Warmmiete) = cold rent plus all additional costs
- NK (Nebenkosten) = usually water, sewage, trash collection, Hausmeister service, etc.
- Prov. (Provision) = commission paid to the agent
- Nachmieter : someone that is looking for a new tenant after him/herself
- zzgl (zuzüglich) = excluding (internet or electricity for example)
- incl./inkl. (inklusive) = including
Flat features:
- EBK (Einbauküche) = kicthen with all necessary items
- TG (Tiefgarage) = underground garage
- Bad mit F (Bad mit Fenster) = bathroom with window
- Parkett = Hardwood floors
- Laminat = Fake hardwood floors made with synthetic composites
- Spülm. (Spülmaschine) = Dishwasher
- WaMa (Waschmaschine) = Washing machine
- möbl. (möbliert) = furnished
- Aufzug = elevator
- Blk. (Balkon) = balcony
- Terr. (Terrasse) =Terrace
- ISO (Isolierverglasung) = insulating glass
- Kabel (Kabelanschluss) = cable TV – Internet
- off. Kamin (offener Kamin) = fireplace
- F-Raum (Fahrradraum) = bike storage room
- AR (Abstellraum) = storage room
- Wanne = bath tub
- Du (Dusche) = shower
- ren.-bed. (renovierungsbedürftig) = needs renovation
- renovierte = renovated
- kpl. san (komplet saniert) = totally renovated
- AB / Altb. (Altbau) = older building (usually before 2nd world war, which is obviously rare in Berlin)
- NB ( Neubau) = new construction
- Bj. (Baujahr) = year of construction
- EB (Erstbezug) = first tenancy after renovation or new build
- Hell / Helles = light
- sonniges = sunny
- mod. (modern) = modern
- grosszugig geschnitten = the layout is generous. there is a lot of space
Heating:
- HZ / Hzg. (Heizung) heating
- FW (Fermwärme) district heating piped-in from a local heating plant
- FB-Hzg. (Fußbodenheizung) = ETH (Etagenheizung) = in-floor / radiant heating
- GZ-Hzg. (Gaszentralheizung) = central gas heating
- E-Hzg. (Elektroheizung) = electric heating
- ÖZ-Hzg. (Ölzentralheizung) = central oil heating
- ZH (Zentralheizung) = central heating
Location:
- EG (Erdgeschoss) = ground floor
- 2 OG (2nd Obergeschoss) = Second floor
- 1. Etage = First floor (i.e., one above ground level)
- 2. Stock = Second floor
- UG (Untergeschoss) = basement floor
- VH (Vorderhaus) = front building
- HH (Hinterhaus) = back building
- PLZ (Postleitzahl) = Postal code
- Seitenstrasse = side street
- rhg (ruhig) = quiet
- Uni-Nähe (Universitätsnähe) = near university
- Umgeb. (Umgebung) = area, neighborhood
- Verk.-Anb. (Verkehrsanbindung) = access to public transportation
- Zentrum = city center
Others :
- NR (Nichtraucher) = non-smokers only
- WBS erford. (Wohnberechtigungsschein) = subsidized housing only rented to holders of a special permit (WBS)
- Tiere (Tierhaltung) = pets allowed
- ab sof. (ab sofort) = sofort frei = available immediately
- ab. 1 Mai = ab 1.5 = Apartment is available from 1st May
- bezugsf. (bezugsfrei) = No current tenants in the flat
Good luck in your search. I hope this overview was useful. Don’t hesitate to ask question in the comments so i can improve this guide on how to find a flat in Berlin. 🙂
What will be the easiest way to navigate and find a house for someone new and is coming as a student as he/she probably won’t have anything in his SCHUFA.
Hey Raj. As mentioned in the post, it’s probably best to start with a WG, a temporary one to get settled. Then she/he can move onto a more permanent solution once Anmeldung/SCHUFA/bank account is sorted out.
Lovely article! Very elaborate and extremely informative. Thanks a ton 🙂
Thanks!
Hi Bastien! Can I ask what the name is of the person who lives in the building, that takes care of it? E.g. people keep leaving the main door to the building open and I want to find the right person to raise this with. Thanks!
Hey Rob. Do you mean the Hausmeister/Hausmeisterin?
Hi Bastien, that must be the one! Thank you
I have a rental agreement for 2 years ending this November but I’m wondering if by default limited contracts extend to a per month basis afterwards. The contract states that “the rental runs for an indefinite period. Termination after 24 months is permitted by mutual agreement”. By “permitted” would this mean it will effectively happen or just that the possibility exists? I actually want to keep it for longer. When would it make sense to bring this to the landlord?
Hey David. It means the possibility exists, provided both parties agree.
Thank you! (also Mario 🙂 ). I guess the quote from the contract is pretty obvious. As a fairly recent immigrant I’m still a bit paranoid about getting things wrong or doing the wrong thing
??? the rental runs for an indefinite period.
That says everything. You have no limited contract but a minimum rental period. I am not even sure if this term is legal that he has to agree. But after 24 months you have the normal notice period which is i think 3 months to the end of the months. But more important he cant quit. PS: This is no legal advice
To Bastien: There is plenty of tenant associations in Berlin. I would advise that you refer to them or even make a blog post about it (when not existing already). You have then the right for legal counsil and even they help you in case of trial. It is about 10 euros per months or so (Berliner Mieterverein e.g.).
Hey Mario. That’s a good idea. I will cover that.
I might be moving to Berlin for new job, but this is still in a question. Rental marker is hard everywhere: I am experienced expat with knowledge about renting in Toronto, Canada as well as Zurich, Switzerland. None of those cities are considered “easy” when it comes to renting. Prior finding my properly I heard so many urban legends that seemed impossible for non-German speaking person to find place to live. Guess what? I am having lovely apartment in nice location so it is doable. I am NOT using Facebook, Internet search engine is sufficient. Few tips I would like to share:
– Always rent via real estate agency, it might be more expensive but safer for expats
– As it was stated in the post have e-mail alerts from websites dedicated to renting
– Rent for less than 1/3 of salary, even if this means getting further away
– Better studio further away than room in shared flat, if you cannot afford studio then you cannot afford to live in a city or job sucks
– Proximity of public transit and groceries are deal breakers. No view is worth being car dependent. Car cost a lot in a city
– Location, location, location! Price to square metres ratio tend to be ridiculous in a trendy or historical districts. Few bus stops away dream flat might be waiting
– Do not rent anything close to railways, churches unless noise is no problem
– If current tenant is showing apartment ask this person how long is she/he have been leaving in the place. If this is less than 1 year then probably something is wrong with the apartment
– If deal seem to good to be true then it probably is
– Don’t get scared with Internet stories about how finding apartment is hard. With job offer and immigration status fixed it is a matter of time to find apartment..
– Be realistic with expectations: nowhere in the world you will wind modern apartment with gorgeous view with limited budget. Be flexible and think about deal breakers. View is nice to have but unless high budget this is not deal breaker. Proximity of public transit, food stores and kindergartens/schools (for families with kids) are.
In general, very helpful post!
Hello Margo. I appreciate your input. Thanks a lot.
Hello Margo. Thank you, this is a helpful comment. What do you mean when you say “rent via real estate agency”? That you applied to offerings posted by agencies, or that you signed up for an agency and they did the search for you?
Dear,
We need accommodation for our Team group of 30 people who will work at our construction site at TESLA Berlin, Germany.
Actually, for us is appropriate area in/around Grunfild (suburb of Berlin) or distance of 30-40min by car. Low or medium budget.
We are looking for apartments with bathroom and kitchen for self-catering as well as each person to has separate/single bed. It’s not mandatory all of them to be in the same building.
Our plan (agreement with customer) is to come there on 15.02.2021. and to stay till 15.05.2021. Totally, we should stay there 3 months.
Please, provide us your quote per one month per each apartments as well as pictures of them.
Thank you in advance.
Stojan Stefanovic
Purchasing Department
“SMA SERVICE”d.o.o, ul. Reljina 4/3, 11 000 Beograd, Srbija
PIB:107013582, MB:20724293
Ogranak / sedište: ul. Kosovska 4, 34 000 Kragujevac
Tel mob. +381(0)65/94-96-393
e-mail: purchasing@smaservice.rs
Hey Sotjan. SiB is not a real estate company. Maybe check for Wunderflats.
Hello, I am under job contract (no blue card). My spouse is joining me here in Berlin, I stay in 20 m2 wg, is it possible to give my rent contract to her as a proof of stay ? Or I need to make a contract with her name on it?
Thanks for the amazing platform.
Hey Anup. Do you mean for the Anmeldung now? if so, an informal letter can be replace a rent contract, as stated here, but she will still need a confirmation from the landlord.
I was recently looking for a flat and would like to give a tip to those using the three Immo-something (and similar) websites. There’s an aspect to all of these sites that can be misleading: they encourage you to set up a personal “profile” where you fill in a lot personal information and upload some important documents; this makes it easy to assume that the providers who publish the adverts will care to (and know how to) check the personal profiles of prospective tenants who reply to the adverts. Do NOT assume this. By all means complete your personal profile, but ALWAYS assume that, when you reply to an advert, all that the provider is going to read is the message that you send them.
So, naturally start your message by saying right away that you’re interested in the apartment and would like to arrange a viewing. But then continue the message with a summary of all the info that is in your profile: tell them your age, your employment status, job title, net income, whether you have a WBS, whether you live alone, smoke or have pets, your email and mobile number, and a give them a link to a shared folder (for example on Google Drive) containing your Schufa, proof of income and proof of rental payments. You could also add a couple of more informal lines about yourself and the type of flat and area you’re looking for.
Like this, in one minute the provider will know everything they need to know about yourself without the need for any further clicking. If the provider happens to prefer checking people’s profiles, then they will simply read the first two sentences of your message and ignore the rest. No harm done.
Hey Telmo. That’s great input. Thanks a lot for sharing!
Many thanks to you, Bastien. Almost three years after moving to Berlin, I lost count of how many times I visited your site, looking for info on things that I had to do for the first time. And will continue to do so! 🙂
Hey Telmo. Thanks a lot. Appreciated.
Hi,
I am currently in Tax class 3 since I earned significantly more than my partner. However he is now unemployed, it is ok, he is taking this time to do other things but he is not earning any income or getting any unemployment benefits. My question is, can I keep my tax class with my husband unemployed?
Yes.
Hello and thank you for a great website. I have a question regarding renting from a private person or renting a eigentumswohnung.
We found a flat that we applied for and as I understand it it is owned by a private person. We currently have a hauptmieter-contract with a landlord that owns the whole buliding. What is the difference renting from a private person do we become Untermieter or whats the difference really?
Thank you in advance!
Hey Jens. No. You have a contract with the owner of your flat, thus, you are the main tenant, not a sub-tenant.
Dear ,
Kindly assist looking for studio in Berlin , my budget 470 euro ,, with elevator ,
Am student for master degree
Regards
FJ
Hi,
How can I get cheap accommodation in Berlin Germany?
Is it normal for a private landlord to request copies of my documents, that include my personal data, before even giving me an invitation to view the property? Should I avoid handing over these documents (copy of passport, schufa, payslips) to private landlords before viewing the property and meeting them? It seems like a lot of sensitive personal data to give to a complete stranger, who could just be a scammer stealing my data.
Hey James. Some landlords may request this before a viewing to assess the “seriousness” of your application, or it could be a scam as well. I don’t think that looks good personally.
Hi All. The website is fantastically helpful, it’s greatly appreciated:) I am just preparing to move to Berlin (from the UK); read and heard already about the craziness of the rental market, but still cannot figure out – why these humiliating queues during viewings exist at all? For example, in England the market is very ‘price-effective’; typically landlords price their apartments slightly higher than a real price is, and simply wait for a tenant who could afford it. So, everybody looks for a flat in his/her own ‘price bracket’; say, if I know that I can spend £1200 for one-bed – there is a choice of flats for this price. If I want something better – I am just increasing my budget and have the new choice of available flats, but I am not trying to find something that cost £1700 for the price of £1200. But I have an impression that in Berlin is happening exactly this – people hope to rent a fantastic apartment with a small budget. What is the reason that landlords (or agents?) run these ‘tenders’ among potential renters instead of just increasing prices? Or maybe there is a legal barrier and landlords cannot put prices as high as they want?
Hey Alex. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I completely agree with ALEX. I did take many tips and got helps from this website. Shamed that i didn’t comment yet but this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ really makes me LOL11 (actually !! but one can get this with a German keyboard ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)
Hi!
From my experience, for those living outside Berlin, my advice is:
Apply for as many apartments as possible around one week in advance and then spend 2-3 days in the city to visit the apartments. More than 50% of the agencies will not even reply. I used this email in German to increase my chances to book an appointment and worked out well:
“Sehr geehrter Herr XXXXXXXXX,
ich (XX Jahre alt, Nichtraucher, keine Haustiere) interessiere mich sehr für die von Ihnen angebotene Wohnung in XXX (XXX: Mitte, Charlottenburg….). Gerne möchte ich mit Ihnen einen Termin ausmachen, um die Wohnung zu besichtigen. Ich wechsele zu “Dezember“ beruflich nach Berlin und bin für Wohnungsbesichtigungen zunächst vom XXXXX bis XXXX.2018 in der Stadt. Sie können mich unter folgender Nummer anrufen: XXXXXXXXXXXX oder per Email erreichen: XXXXXXXXXXX@gmail.com
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Name Surname“
Don’t forget to have ready your Schufa, Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung, salary statements or future contract and copy of your ID card. I was always asked for those!
Thanks for the tips. I’d like to express my huge disappointment from the process of flat hunting in Berlin. I couldn’t even imagine that such havoc can exist in Germany! I’ve lived in London for 15 years and renting has NEVER been a problem! Here it is really humiliating to be part of an open viewing with 10-20 other people, as desperate as yourself, trying to impress some agents who don’t even speak English! Yes, it’s Germany but the last time I checked, English is still the global language! The craziness of people subletting their room or flat for a week, month and so on is something I have never seen in the UK! Nothing to say about the huge deposit for an empty flat, which diesn’t even have the necessary white goods in the kitchen! Crazy, overpriced, really disappointing! This humiliation of people who have come to contribute to the economy of the country, pay taxes and spend most of their money in the country is intollerable and inhumane! This whole situation should probably be reported to the Hague court! Shame, Germany!
I have to say that moving to Berlin is much much more harder in reality. Looks like Wunderflats require Schufa even for short stay such as 2 months. For such short term it simply makes no sense, since majority of lump sum will be paid at the beginning of a lease. Majority of flatshare websites just waste your time by putting lower prices in headline and different in a description. Beware of gender, age and all sort of other requirements. On other hand city is great – people are more relaxed and enjoying life than in any other European capital city.
This article is a bit dated, especially the map with the prices. Now prices are about 50% more. I am just mentioning this because it gives misleading information.
Hi! Great article, thanks for all the useful information. I was wondering: has anyone tried https://www.kautionskasse.de/privatkunden/moneyfix/ or any similar service? I’d rather not give €1,500+ to any random landlord and have the money blocked for the duration of my stay. Are landlords ok with MoneyFix or any other similar services? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Hi Everyone,
I just landed a job in Berlin! Woo hoo! It starts in a month and I will be moving from the UK.
It’s based near Heidelberger Place, and as a creative sort in my mid thirties, I’d love to live somewhere within commuting distance and near artists and creative types. But nothing too crazy.
My budget is around 700 Euros for a one bed, any tips on how to go about hunting or interesting neighborhoods be MASSIVELY appreciated!
Best,
David
Hey David,
Similar story here. I found a shared flat easily via HousingAnywhere. it’s at Bismarckstraße and so so cool. Maybe you’ll have the same luck. I literally found and booked the room within a day. The company I will stay for is livebln.com. Pretty happy thus far. Now I only need to understand the insurance system which I think will leave me being broke xD
Hi! Your blog is super helpful.
We found a flat in Uniplaces and made a booking request. But do they provide printed contact, since we need one for the Anmeldung? Or we don’t? 🙂
Regards
Hi Marina. They should provide all necessary things to get you registered yes.
So if you live in a full furnished flat for a couple of months, will they give you a SCHUFA to use when looking for your next flat?
Hi Artemis. Have a look at this post for more info.
Thank you! Everything here is really helpful 🙂
Great blog!!. I have a quick question: I will be moving to Berlin in July for about six months, do you recommend that I start looking and rent a place for July now or should I wait until the date is closer to close a deal for a place? Thank you and keep up the great work!
Hi Guido. The earliest is the best i would say but timing can be sometimes be difficult. It’s sometimes too early too… 🙂
Hey! Great info, thanks a lot!
Maybe could be one more resource: salzundbrot.com
Cheers!
Fantastic blog mate! I have lived in my apartment in London for 12 years, and I own it. So how would I get around the matter of Mietschuldenfreiheitsbestätigung as I am my own landlord?
Also, can I get a credit check done in the UK and present that as a Schufa?
Thanks,
Egil
Hi Egil. As long as the papers are in German and genuine, i think it would be possible. Howver, no guarantee that a landlord accepts anything else than a schufa record.
Was wondering what your thoughts are about finding an apartment through Craiglist? Is it reliable?
Hi Itay. As reliable as Craiglist itself. You have to be cautious but i guess it is possible.
So if you have just moved in the city and only recently started working, how can you get yourself an appartment? Considering you can’t provide the three month paying proof and all that?
Hi,
Thanks for the blog. It is wonderful. I was curious about canceling a tenancy contract before its end date. What happens in that case? Is there any legal fees you have to pay to landlord for canceling the contract? Or is it just up to whatever is written in your contract? Is there a standard procedure?
Hi Efe. When there are no end dates to the contract, it says the notice period you need to respect to end it. It’s usually around 3 or 4 months. If it’s a limited contract, you are probably obligated by law to pay the amount in full, unless there is a clause in the contract stating otherwise. in a word: read the contract. 😉
Hi!
I plan to get a job in Berlin in the following months, so I already started looking for a flat. When you rent a flat through an agent, is there any fee that you have to pay to the agent?
Thanks,
Narcis
Hi Narcis. As mentionned in the post already; you don’t pay fees to the agent in this case.
Hi – I am moving to Berlin later this month to start a new job – this site has been my bible. I’ve booked an AirBnB for the first month just to give myself time to find something more permanent but now I am a bit anxious as my host has gone cold upon my request that she help with the Wohnungsgeberbestatigung, and I’ve got a pretty tight timeline on arrival and employer booked EU Blue Card/Anmeldung appointments before going straight into work. Any idea if perhaps an AirBnB receipt might suffice to show residence? Or would I be better off getting a friend to fill out a Wohnungsbestaetigung to say that I’m staying with her (even though I am not)?
Thanks!
Shawn
Hi Shawn, I can’t tell you what to do with the Wohnungsbestaetigung but i can tell you that an airbnb receipt is not enough.
Hi! Maybe I missed it out, but you mentioned to bring all the “necessary papers” without saying exactly which they are.
Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung + Schufa + the last 3 paychecks is what I know so far. What else is necessary? Probably ID and Anmeldung too. Is there anything else? Thanks a lot
Hi Cesar. Yeah that’s about it.
Hi Bastien,
Thanks for all the help, just found this website and it seems super useful. A quick question regarding necessary paperwork.. What if I didn’t have a “proper” jobs for some time (as I always did seasonal or contract jobs) and I’m planning on using my savings (which is still money, of course, but can’t provide any salary proof…)? Would a bank statement work instead? (And if so, how much money would suffice?) Thanks a lot.
Hi Sandra, that’s hard to say as it depends from landlord to landlord, bank statements can work for some but not for others, you have to try. You can also offer to pay more months in advance if that’s possible.
Really good Article. I also recommend to check this website: http://www.flatberlin.co/. It does a great job by gathering available accommodations from social networks.
Cool service Jeremy, thanks for putting that together.
[Comment edited by SiB Editor – too long: it was an email from a scammer asking money through western union]
http://berlin.craigslist.de/apa/6227886216.html
i have recived this response for the appartment on the link and i am not sure if its a scam or not, what do you think?
Hi Meta. It’s a scam. Don’t go any further with this. Recommended read for you: https://settle-in-berlin.com/4-dirty-tricks-berlin-landlords/
Hi there,
Thanks for the information.
I am wondering if you know could explain how Moneyfix ® rental deposit works? It seems how the rental websites support Moneyfix rental deposit at this moment. I am a bit confused how it works.
Hi Eric. Instead of paying a deposit from your pocket, you can pay MoneyFix a few euros a month and show this as a certificate to your landlord. See it as an insurance for when you will actually need that deposit money.
Hi
I am going to study in berlin with 3 Other students from September till july. Where would be the best place to get accommodation that is affordable but still is good to live in. We are having trouble finding a place.
Hi Paul. All tips are in the post. For the rest, you need to do like anyone else and be patient in your search.
Hi,
I have been living with my parents for the last 2 years and so in regards to needing a letter from a landlord saying that I am not arriving with any debts outstanding and that I pay my rent in time it will come from them. Are landlords okay with this and is there a template for this type of letter?
Thank you!
Hi Kim. Please read the post again, there is a direct link to such letter.
I’ve just re-read it, is this the template with the long name? Thanks.
Yes.
I was wondering if you have an article on whats happens after you get an appointment to see the apartments, because it seems that you are given the address but whenn you get there, you don’t know what apartment or how to get inside the building.
Hi Catherine, Just ask whoever is in charge of the viewings to give you more details.
Hi any chance you can give me contact details of agents that can advise me on rentals in Berlin as I am not in Europe at the moment but need to find a one bedroom apartment or loft by JUNE 1 2017.
Hi Petra, maybe you can reach out to invest-ab, they also advise on rentals.
HI Petra,
Just out of curiousity, did you find and apartment to rent and how long did it take you? I am looking for one myself, wonder what should I expect.
Thanks
Hi, I was wondering if you could give me information about Ablöse and subletting. I found a listing asking for €5,000 for all this stuff the previous added to the Wohnung (including a huge custom aquarium which isn’t really a draw for me.) I’ve read that the Nachmieter is under no obligation to buy the stuff, but if I do, can I pick and choose and how do I know I’m not being ripped off? Also they listed a deposit amount. How does this work? As far as I know in America, if you sublet, you’re essentially breaking your contract and forfeit the deposit. Is this different in Germany?
Hi Devon. I guess you are write in saying that you are not obligated to buy it but the previous tenant might not pick you as a Nachmieter because of that. As for the deposit, i’m not sure about the meaning of your question. It is perfectly normal to have a deposit tied to a sublet contract.
Hello!
The owner of the flat I am planning to rent out would like a sponsorship letter from my parents to secure rent every month in case I cannot. Do you know much about these or would you know where to find a template letter? Many thanks.
Hi Tina. They probably want a Bürgerschaftserklärung from your parents. You can find a template there: http://buergschaftserklaerung.com/.
Hi, I’m wondering if you can help me understand more about how immobilienscout24 works?
Firstly, thank you so much for this site, it has been invaluable to help to my girlfriend and me. We arrived to Berlin a month ago and are living in temporary accommodation, but we are searching for a long-term rental mainly via immobilienscout24. However, I cannot understand how the process of making contact with the landlord should go.
[Very long comment edited by Bastien (SiB Editor) for clarity’s sake. In a nutshell; “I get no response when i send requests on Immoscout24 or when i book viewings via the website. Is there a reason why the response rate is so low?”]
Would phoning or emailing the landlords privately, if the numbers are advertised, improve the response rate or is that seen as inappropriate?
Any comments or experience would be appreciated here.
Thanks
Me and my boyfriend (we’re from Portugual) want to move to Berlin, but we own 2 cats.
Are landlords OK with pets in Berlin? How difficult would it be to rent an unfurnished 2 bedroom, having 2 cats? (I read in another website that if it’s furnished don’t even try)
Hi Cheila. Some landlords are ok with it and some are not. This is usually mentioned in the description of the flat. It’s probably not helping but it’s not impossible.
Cats are considered to be a “small pets” here, so you don’t have to notify landlord about them. Dogs are not.
Hey. Just came across your message. Pets can be an issue. We moved here almost 3 years ago and had to really look to find a place that would allow pets, we have a dog. We’re moving out of our Berlin Mitte apartment end of March. Our landlord doesn’t mind pets. If you are interested we can connect you to him. Details of the apartment are here: https://housing.justlanded.com/nl/Duitsland_Berlijn/Te-Huur_Appartementen/Altbau-Berlin-Mitte
This website has been a life saver. Thank you for all of your hard work and updates.
Really great article – very helpful info!
What are the chances of a landlord not providing the necessary rental contract and refusing to fill out the Anmeldesformular / Wohnungsgeberbestätigung IF you rent a place for 3-4 months through Wunderflats or Air B N B? Since the booking /payment are done online, I can ask ahead of time but realize they might not commit to doing this.
I have similar situation to many newcomers. I plan on arriving at the end of the year and my #1 priority will be to do anmeldung in order to start working, open a bank account and start my schufa file. I am OK to pay extra so that I can get all that done ASAP and it seems Wunderflats or Air B N B are the best options. Please let me know if you feel it’s unlikely that people who use these sites to rent out flats will provide an actual rental contract and fill out the necessary info / forms I need to register. If you have any tips on how to rent a place quickly and get all the necessary info for registration, please do share.
Thanks in advance.
Hi there Bob. Wunderflats is very aware of this problem and they make sure that all the landlords they work with are willing to let you register. It’s all very legit.
Would Uniplace (or the other websites listed in the post) allow you to register and fill up the Anmeldesformular as well?
Hi Melissa. Yes, that’s not an issue.
Hallo! Me and my friend have just moved to Berlin from Sweden and Norway and we are trying to find a apartment. We are learning german at a language school and later on we are both planing to go to university in Berlin. We have been trying for a couple of weeks to find a apartment that we can rent for a minimum of four months. The things is that we don’t know anything about what one needs to know or have to rent a apartment in Berlin (your blog has been a great help by the way). We have written to a lot of places through immobilienscout24.de, but we don’t get a lot of replies. We went to look at one apartment, but we felt very clueless about what to ask about or what to do. The landlord handed out some papers, but not to us, which probably has to do with us not speaking german. We are aware of both having to registrate our residence in Germany and if we do that then we can get SCHUFA. Do you know if it is okay that only one of us has a SCHUFA or do both of us need it? Is there anything else we need to know?
Mit freundlichen Grüßen und vielen dank,
Two confused scandinavians
Hi Maria. It can be challenging when first moving here and the language barrier does not help. Concerning your SCHUFA record: It’s not such a problem to present only one as long as one of you is the main tenant, with the name on the tenancy contract. If you want both to be on the contract, you will need both. Have you tried services like Wunderflats to rent a flat for the first months to give you time to figure out the long-term bit?
Hello!
Please try coming-home.org too. They are super friendly, speaks English and very hassle free. Even the SCHUFA part they will take care. Me and my wife found our apartment via them very recently.
Good luck!
Kris
Hello
i came across your comment in here
im searching for an apartment to rent in berlin in august
I don’t understand Deutsch so i couldn’t go across the site you pointed to
could u please help?
thanks in advance
Is is safe to send info about me to offers in those sites before visiting the apartment and meeting the landlord? I’m moving to Berlin mid October and I already have a place for a month. Should I start looking now or is it better to do as soon as I get there so I can visit the places? I’ve been looking for flats already but I’m a bit reluctant to send my id…
I think you are here soon enough so you want to make sure you will start seeing flats as soon as you get here instead of starting your search then. I don’t know what you mean by your “iD”. Reaching them via email is largely safe if you don’t fall in those traps for example.
Are the rents shown on your map monthly or weekly?
Monthly.
Hey, I move to Berlin next Sunday to study a one year course in Friedrichshain. Do you have any advice for me in regards to finding apartments. Cheers
Hi there Max. What advice in particular are you looking for that is not on this page already? (It would help me improve this article)
Hi there,
I’m currently searching for an apartment for my daughter who will start studying in Berlin, I got confused about some stuff like the Schufa what is it exactly and is it a must that we get it?? how much shall we pay for the apartment in advance a month or 2?? what are the hidden costs of the rent?
Thanks so much for your help
Hello Josephine. Here are links to other posts of this blog that should help : About SCHUFA, About rent. You need not pay for the apartment in advance, unless that is the deposit. Paying in advance is something that can be recommended if you don’t a SCHUFA record yet. Happy reading! 🙂
Hi there – thanks so much for this website. It is really helpful, but also makes me realise how clueless I am and how much i need to do. I have just moved to Berlin to study and will be going between here and UK, but will mostly be resident here. I am lucky enough to have some savings and so have booked 2 places through air b and b, one up to 1st October and then another place from October to February. I read all the stuff about air b and b becoming illegal and was a bit worried but both the hosts assured me that as this is longer term rental it is ok. I need to register and am a bit worried about turning up and saying i am in air b and b apartment. Do you know anything about rules for longer term rentals with air b and b? I have read various articles and all i can see is that renting whole apartments is now illegal and have seen nothing about this not applying for longer term.
I can see on the air b and b website that apartments in Berlin now seem to be available for minimum 60 days.
Renting a flat out on Airbnb is NEVER illegal for guests. That’s what the law says. It is only illegal for hosts if they haven’t applied for a license with the city. So even if your hosts were lying to you, you are on the safe side of the law. In any case, i doubt the Bürgeramt will have access to that kind of information. You can register safely.
A very very open question and without a definitive answer… but I am wondering how much I should roughly look to set a side each month for rent, running cost and utilities. I’m looking to move into my own place so only need one bedroom and the only furnished part i would need is a fitted kitchen and a bathroom. I have a net income of just over 2000 euros. Any guidance? any help is really appreciated.
Hi Stephen. It depends on too many things man; location, size, altbau/neubau, central heating or not, etc. It’s really quite difficult to say. Your best bet is to look on sites like ImmobilienScout or Immonet and enter your criteria there to get an idea.
I knew it was too open a question haha, just so many things going on in my head but i appreciate the reply and the advice. Thanks, Stephen
Hi Stephen,
i see your query dates back Aug 2016.
i have exactly the same criteria! Was wondering if you managed to find the pearl..
did the recommended sites ImmobilienScout or Immonet help?
thank you!
jenia
Hi Stephen,
I am also in exactly same criteria. Did you find anything? Please help to find out..
Thanks
Ram
Dear Settle in Berlin,
Thank you so much for this website, it has really helped a lot!
I have a question: My girlfriend and I are currently looking for a small apartment for two. We have already had a “Besichtigung” and contacted at least 20 Immobielen. I speak German, so language is not a barrier but cultural difference kind of is. It is still very difficult for us to get many responses because we do not have settled jobs yet and owners seem to prefer people of older age. Furthermore, we don’t have Schufa because we are coming from the Netherlands, etc. Do you have any tips for us?
This is a familiar situation for newcomers. The best tip i can give you is quite common as well; try to look for Zwischenmiete or WGs which would let you register at an adress for a few months, just the time you need to do the anmeldung, open a bank account and a schufa record. Once you are more settled and have whole of that, you can look for something more permanent. It’s even trickier as a couple. So good luck guys ! 🙂
Hi Bastien – why do you say it is trickier for a couple? Thanks.
Hi Imogen; a few reasons. For some people, it’s because they are afraid there will be fights, for some other, it’s just more contractually difficult. And then there is simply the question of space; you might be sharing your room together, but it means that another person is also using the common space (If a flat is good for 3 people living together, another person might just no work.)
Hello I found this apartment: http://berlin.craigslist.de/apa/5706179840.html
And the owner asks me this: “make transfer of the security deposit and the rent fee from your country with your friends or relative s name as the sender and your name as the receiver which will make the transfer available to receive by you in Germany which a confirmation will be made on the transfer done to check if he or she is capable of paying the rent before arranging for a viewing or to retain the flat till your arrival and also stop other people from viewing the flat and to be sure that after seeing my flat on your arrival i ll get paid after because i wont afford to come in vain or come twice on basis of the rent.”
[the rest edited here by SiB since it was long for a comment]
Can you give me your opinion?
Clearly scam. Stay away from it.
I’ve been looking for an apartment. Would prefer an apartment in a new building, with modern layout and fittings and hopefully is efficient on energy consumption. Not quite a fan of altbaus or walk ups. Is there a website which searches only on those criterias? Any tips would be helpful!
I don’t think there is a website only focused on those criteria, but you can tick off boxes to filter existing results on Immoscout or other similar websites.
Once you have entered your preferred location and size, click on the “Suche anpassen” option and type in your preferred “Baujahr” (construction year) to avoid Altbaus and pick your preferred “Energieeffizienzklasse” for energy efficient flats. Hope this helps.
HI,I AM ALREADY IN BERLIN . I AM GETTING CRACY BECAUSE I CAN NOT RENT A ROOM BECAUSE EVERYBODY ASK ME FOR A BANK ACCOUNT . BUT I NEED AN ADDRESS TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT.
I BEEN CHECKING AND APPLYING IN MANY WEB SITES TO RENT A ROOM.
ONE GUY ANSWER MY EMAIL, AND WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT I DI NOT HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT HE SAID I COULD TRANSFER ONE MONTH RENT +THE DEPOSIT TO HIS FATHER WHO LIVES IN LONDON, BY ONE MONEY TRANSFER COMPANY,
HE DI NOT LET ME GO TO SEE THE ROOM AND ALSO HE DI NOT GIVE ME HIS PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AND TALK. HE JUST SEND ME PICS AND THE ADDRESS AND IT REALLY LOKS GREAT AND CHEAP. (Budapester Strasse 20, 10787 WAS THE ADDRESS AND IT WILL COST ME 300 INCLUDING EXPENSAS)
I THINK IT WAS A SCAM OR AM I WRONG?
Probably spam. Do not reply. Also, please never write all CAPS when commenting. It’s visual abuse. 😉 No need to “Yell” at people.
Hi, I am moving to Berlin for studies. I am looking for the apartment in Berlin online. I met a landlord via one of the facebook pages. She has send the apartment images, it looks nice and is located in Kreuzberg, 10963 Berlin Kreuzberg Hedemannstrasse 7. Now the landlord wants me to transfer deposit and first month rent to her account. She has send me contract and scan copy of her passport as proof of identity. But she is not currently in Berlin.
Could you please suggest in this regard. I would be highly grateful.
Go away. This is clearly scam.
Hello,
I am in contact with the same “Landlord”, I think it is a scam as I have been in contact with her since the 3rd of July, and you just one day before. I have also received the contract and photos that you have likely received. This was very helpful to see.
Hello! Thanks for your useful blog. I saw this on craiglist, do you think its a scam? http://berlin.craigslist.de/apa/5483200340.html
I contacted the tenant who says I can visit the flat but talks of going to the UK which is why he is looking for someone and he’s phone is uk number. What do you think? Thanks! S
Perfect pictures that look too perfect + someone who is not on location + really cheap rent = looks dodgy.
Thanks for your response! Shame it looked ideal!!!!
Hi there! Me again! is 13597 Berlin Spandau far away from the city centre or is it ok? Is it a nice area? Thank you so much! S
City centre is quite relative in Berlin: Mitte is the geographical center of the city but by not necessarily the most attractive/interesting. I guess it depends where you work/study. If you work/study within the Ring, you shouldn’t be commuting more than 30min really.
Thanks for very useful article. Ithink it would be nice, if you mention, which sites have English version. For guys like me, who doesn’t know German.
Hello there!
I would like to ask your opinion about getting the Anmeldung…
Me and my boyfriend have been in Berlin fro 6 months, moving from one WG to another,
and we finally just found a more permanent place.
However, we are subletting this one too from the tenants, and even though the Agency who owns
the flat knows about us and said it was no problem to stay here, they refused to sign the papers
for our Anmeldung. (I’m sure you know, you have to have a signiture from the landlord / Agency directly,
and then take that form to the Burgeramt where they register you under the address.
So, my question… is there any way, any hope to get a German bank account / tax number without having an Anmeldung?
Please let me know if you know any information about this, thank you very much!
🙂
No, you need to have done the anmeldung to be able to do any other administrative task. Insist with them, they simply cannot refuse to sign those papers, even as a subtenant. If they don’t want to, there might be something dodgy. If the flat’s rent is subsidized by the city for example & no subtenant is allowed, they might be trying to get away with it.
Hi, one thing that isn’t mentioned: what about one has no debt, can show proof of savings, can pay upfront a really big deposit and has records of having paid the rent on time for years, but one doesn’t have a job (yet)? Can you suggest any papers or guarantees from another person that could allay the fears of potential landlords?
I think i mentioned replying to one of the comments somewhere. In a nutshell, you can try to gather evidence of your good records and it might work, but probably a lot of landlords don’t want to bother with anything else but Schufa records. So if you can, get a paper from your previous landlord saying that you left the tenancy without debt, in german it’s called Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung, that might work. http://www.immonet.de/umzug/wissenswertes-rechtliches-mietrecht-mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung.html
Thanks for the information, very helpful! I tried to look for some temporary accommodation through your listed agencies, but they were all quite expensive.
I ended up renting a cool flat in Neukölln through a website called nestpick which a friend from Paris recommended.
I rented it out through them for 2 months to look for a new one from one of the other websites, but eventually ended up just staying there until now :D. Price is alright so I don’t mind, but definitely recommendable when you look for a temporary flat (or in my case a longer one) so I would include that one in the list (however you also have to look quite a lot to find a affordable place there).
Worth noting is also that I experienced 2 scams via Wg-gesucht, where someone wanted me to transfer the rent before even moving in, so watch out for scammers people!
Nestpick is a great service that make it easy to find flats to foreigners and i did contemplate mentionning them in this post but given their really high prices compared to market average i decided to go against it. I guess if you have that kind of money, why not ?
True that, most of their flats are priced quite high similar to those short term agencies like coming home where I looked, but I found mine there for 410€ per month which I think is not bad for a 1,5 Bedroom in Kreuzkölln. I have to say the furniture is not that great but the bed is quite large so I can live with it :). They should include more unfurnished flats! I saw a couple of those 2 weeks ago when scrolling through their website, but they were gone for a year straight away… Anyway thanks for the help on your blog, it is very helpful!
Cool. Thanks for that feedback.
Hey,
Concerning the Schufa-record, it seems to me that they should as well accept a proof of you having no debts obtainend in your own country right?
At least I hope so -_-!
Any information on that?
I’m not sure it would work with every landlord, but worth inserting in your application i guess.
Hello,
My name is Marta Padrão, a 23-year-old girl from Portugal. I study Architecture in FAUP (Oporto) and I’m moving to Berlin in an exchange programme – ERASMUS – to TU Berlin with a friend that is also architecture student. We arrive on 31st August and we are looking for 2 rooms with furniture in a shared flat starting beginning of September until the end of March. We prefer central area but we don’t really care as long as there’s public transportation near by. We are honest, social people and we would like to share a flat with nice people. I’m learning German and Diogo is fluent but we also speak Portuguese, English and Spanish. In case you got something available, I’d be extremely thankful you contact me at my e-mail address: martapadrao@hotmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Marta
Hello! Please tell me can you help me find apartment in Berlin with 2 bedrooms, fro 2 adults and 1 child
from 11-25 october?
thank you and will wait the answer
Hi Evgenia, thanks for your message. Unfortunately i cannot help you as i receive too many requests like those to fullfill them all. You are on your own. Hope you understand. 🙂
It scary to think that it’s going to be difficult to find an apartment to live or to rent in berlin. I used to live in berlin before my family and I moved to the UK, and that was good seven years ago, but as time went by my wife grew a lot more home sick, and now we are left with no other choice but to return home. The idea is kinda overwhelming especially for the kids who have knows none other that UK living. Now reading about all the possible difficulties one could encounter in the process of searching for a flat to rent makes it even more thrilling and nerve recking. Can anyone reassure me that all will be well when we eventually come back?.
It scart to think that it’s going to be difficult to find a place flat or an apartment to Gent in berlin. I user to live in berlin before my family and I lover to the UK and that was food seven testa ago, bit as time went by, my wife in particuar grew a lot more home sick, and now we are left with no choice but to return home which i must say is quite overwhelming for everyone and especially for the kids. Reading all about the difficulties encounted in searching for a flat to rent makes it even more thrilling. Can any reassure me that all will be good when we eventually come back?
do they ever consider a fact that some people just arrived to Germany and obviously, have no any credit check records ? is it quiet difficult to go through this? i mean, get a flat to rent ? thank you.
In my experience, checking Schufa records is not something that every landlord does yet. I don’t think it will decrease your chances so much. Just try somewhere else if your first attempts don’t work out.
Nice overview, helped me a lot to get started!