Rent in Germany: hot & cold
You finally convinced a landlord to let you a flat in Berlin. You! Among the 100 people that applied for the same flat, he has chosen you. Take time to say thanks to the Big Guy up there and ask yourself the question :
“How much I going to pay my landlord every month exactly ?”
Rent in Germany is usually presented as “kalt” (cold) or “warm”
Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten = Warmmiete
Kaltmiete is cold rent in Germany. It represents the base rent with no additional costs included. This is really what the landlord will get in their pocket, in exchange for renting the place. When looking at different areas or apartments, Germans will often use this figure to compare prices.
Warmmiete is warm rent in Germany. It represents the basic rent with other additional costs on top (Nebenkosten). It varies depending on the property but it often includes city/communal services such as garbage disposal & water supply. It also include any expense related to maintenance of the common parts in the building (stairs, entrance, backyard, etc).
If there is central heating, fuel supply would also be listed. Depending on what you have signed up for, it can also include internet or/and TV, although it is not usual.
Landlords don’t make money on Nebenkosten. It’s just to pay for expenses.
Nebenkosten – the devil is in the details
Some other extra-costs “Nebenkosten” can be paid in the rent; by you or the landlord. Every tenant in your building pays its share to cover them. Non exhaustive list:
- Grundsteuer – covers up costs for local taxes
- Beleuchtung – covers up costs of lights in the corridors and stairs
- Hausreinigung / Hausmeisterdienst – covers up costs for having a janitor
- Gartenpflege – covers up costs for garden and private outdoor spaces maintenance
- Abwasserung – covers up costs for waste water – sewers
- Fahrstuhl – covers up costs for lift maintenance
- Schornsteinreinigung – covers up costs for chimney sweepers
- Straßenreinigung / Müllabfuhr – covers up costs for path walk and trash maintenance/management
You should be paying those extra-costs only if they are justified in your case. If you don’t have a chimney in your flat, it is probably not fair for you to pay those.
Every year, you will receive a so called Nebenkostenabrechnung. It’s a document listing exactly how much you have paid towards those expenses. Each landlord has to send you this for full transparency. It’s a good idea to check with document. Many landlords tend to pass on costs to tenants, when it’s illegal. People just don’t care and don’t check, so landlords keep doing it. It has happened to me.
How to pay less rent in Germany
Rent often represents 20% to 40% of total net income in Germany. In Berlin for example, people give out 38% on average of their income towards paying rent. It’s a big dent in your costs of living.
However, Germany has a tenant-friendly legal framework, which means you often have the possibility to lower your rent or deny to pay some of the costs billed to you.
- You can read here ways to decrease your rent.
- You can read here my experience enforcing my rights (paying less Nebenkosten) with a tenants association.
- You can also read here tricks some Berlin landlords might try to pull on you.
Other indirect costs to consider
I would not paint a complete picture if I didn’t include some common sense insurances you should consider as a tenant. They protect you from damage or theft. When something goes wrong with your washing machine or during a party, you don’t have to pay damages out of your own pocket. Home contents insurance & liability in insurance in Germany are highly recommended.
In a nutshell, rent in germany is often what you agreed to pay in your tenancy contract, so be sure to read that one through before signing anything ! 🙂
I hope this short explanation on what is included in rent in Germany was useful. Feel free to ask questions in the comments.
Bastien
Nebencosten only refer to the added expenses, such as cleaning he building, upkeep, garbage collection, heat and hot water. Never have I seen electricity or anything else included. Which is why I honestly don’t understand the differentiation between warm and cold. You are always paying the full amount including the nebencosten. You never are paying only the cold rent. The whole thing makes little sense to me. Anywhere you simply pay the rent, period.
Hi Bastien,
We are in some discussions at the minute with our landlord about what is included in Warmmiete and what isn’t.
This was never specified in our contract as it just said ‘Warmmiete’ with a price. We are also paying for our own electricity (and internet) ourselves so clearly it isn’t an ‘all-inclusive’ price.
Following the Mietndeckel our landlord is now trying to add all Nebenkosten on top of our rental price, including building maintenance fees, etc.
Where do you think we stand when nothing was specified in the contract and it only stated ‘Warmmiete’?
Thank you,
James
Hey James. Some Nebenkosten can be included in the rent yes. Some others have to be paid the landlord. If you are unsure about which ones are legal, i’d suggest to take your contract and the letters to a Mieterverein in your city. I cannot give you legal advice.
Hello, we are the top floor flat that comes with air-conditioning units in each room. We moved into the apartment 9 months ago with the idea that when it gets too hot, we have the option to use these units. The management company for the building never provided us the remote controls so we had been asking for months but finally received them in June. Now the units don’t seem that working … And my question is if we have the right to rent reduction. It’s been a super frustrating experience with this building and management company in general but I’m not really upset because we pay a lot of rent but can’t seem to sleep well because it gets too hot in our bedroom. We are unable to open the windows at night because it’s too loud. Can you please suggest if I can claim money back from the time we moved in…? Thank you.
Hey Amina. That would be an oppurtunity for rent reduction yes, as highlighted in a post like this. As a rule though, you need to first make your lanlord aware of this problem, in writing, to be able to prove that they won’t fix the problem.
Hi, I just moved to Germany and I am looking for a flat, I am new to renting and would like to know what to look out for and what to take into consideration when you start renting and what cost are my responsibility, and what are the landlords. Such as council tax, waster removal, water and sewage…ect. I am very nervous after reading all these comments and don’t want to get myself into any issues
Hi,
I know this page is about rentals in Berlin, but I seem to have an issue with a rental I had in Leipzig. I would appreciate any help 🙂
I rented a room in a WG there for one month via AirBNB (Oct 2018) and then three months afterwards under a rental agreement (Nov 2018 to Jan-2019.) After I left Germany in February, I received my deposit in full afterwards for paying all monthly fees for the 3-months rental period (Kaltmiete, Betriebs-und Heizkosten), as well as the electricity that was paid separately (No Gas included) and assuring there no damages in the room or WG. I also paid for the TV/radio tax separately for that same period which was billed under my name. All was paid on time via online bank transfer.
Now I get an email from the landlord’s attorney, saying that I should pay for operating utilities costs for my duration of stay stated as of 1.10.2018 to 31.12.2018, summing up to EUR 104. Message says that payment is due within 4 weeks, cost breakdown will be provided upon contacting the landlord, as well as objection is possible.
From the email body:
Ihre geleisteten Betriebskostenvorauszahlungen: 60,00 € (which should be 3x the monthly Betriebskosten of EUR 20 as in the agreement, which are already paid for)
and: Somit ergibt sich eine Nachzahlung von 104,01 €.
I viewed the Wikipedia page below to understand the Betriebskosten:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betriebskosten_(Immobilien)
But I actually want to understand is it even possible to pay for more utility costs even after one year from leaving and ending the rental agreement and receiving the full deposit, i.e. do I pay for the utilities TWICE: once in the form of monthly rental fees, and another in the form of an annually issued bill?
Also, how can I possibly be charged for utilities in October 2018, as I stayed in the WG via AirBNB and the rental agreement started in November?
And will I be contacted again same time next year to pay for more utilities for my tenancy in Januray 2019?
Back to the above Wikipedia page, I was not able to find out whether the tenant should pay for any additional utilities costs if those are being paid monthly with the rent. What I construe from this is, if I were only paying the Kaltmiete, then I should expect such a bill after some time. What do you think?
I’ve not written to the landlord yet, not until I understand my grounds in this matter, as I’m reviewing the agreement and most likely there is no mention of Betriebsnachkosten. I’m totally going to ask for the cost breakdown and, should I indeed pay for anything which I shouldn’t, to adjust the stated tenancy period.
Thank you in advance for any help, advice and clarification.
Happy New Year!
Will
Hey Will, Thanks for that very long message. This blog aims at giving general advice and cannot replace proper legal counselling. I suggest you get in touch with a lawyer. Sorry i cant help.
Hello, I signed a one year contract begining on September 1st but the company I work for transfered me to other city 300km away, the agency says I need to keep the appartament until end of August. Is this correct?
Hey Ana. Sorry to hear about this situation. Please note that this blog cannot provide legal counselling. In theory, the agency is right and this can only be disputed in certain rare cases. See here for more information. You might want to check with your company if they could pay for those expenses?
——-This is not legal advice.—–
Try to find someone who can take your contract.
Agency only cares for money
I a a student and living in an apartment with warm rent provided by the bauverein AG.
Since the last one month i have moved in the heaters stop working the very first day and get fixed after two weeks and now again after working fine for merely one week the heaters stopped working again and it’s been 5th day now.
I have put up complaints but the lady responsible for communication and fixing our issues just says that she has sent an email to fix it.
But no one came to fix the problem and she doesn’t even give a thought when i said that she has to compensate for rent as the heaters are not working. Kindly let me know what i can do in this case?
Because i do not want to pay them for the utilities which are not provided or more precisely not working properly. Looking forward to hear from you soon.
Hey Umair. This reply does not constitute legal advice but if you think you have been treated unfairly, you should notify them in writing and ask for compensation. If they don’t reply or cooperate, you might need to talk to a Mietverein or lawyer.
Hello, Thank you for that break down and this site in general. My wife and I have been looking at a 135m2 flat (attic, 5th floor, 1913 construction renovated in 2017). The rent is about 1300€ cold and about 250€ for Nebenkosten but says Heizkosten are not included. Also says for Heizungsart is it floor heating (Etagenheizung) and main energy source is gas.
My question is how can I estimate my heating costs that will be in addition? I have not been lucky on finding sites to estimate this kind of thing.
Hey Brandon. This means that you probably need to take up a contract with a gas provider. Entering your info with them with provide you with an estimate.
Hi, I am having issues with paying for utilities. I Have been in this flat a year. I am the untermietvertrag. When we moved in the hauptmieter and I agreed on €150 Nebenkosten in the contract per month. Now the Jahresabrechnung have come in and she won’t show me the bills but says now my rent will be lower. There are 3 of us living in the house and I see she has charged me half of the total which I think is unfair but I can’t get a breakdown from her to see how much I overpaid. Is it normal to get a refund for bills I have overpaid? I always have done in the past and assumed this is how it would work but she is saying as I signed the contract she doesn’t have to give me anything. The contract does not say anything about this.
Hey Dan. Yes, it’s possible to get a refund if you paid too much Nebenkosten as a Hauptmieter. She doesn’t have to provide you with a overview though. Source.
I’m wondering what’s a reasonable rent in Berlin these days. I have an offer for a flat right on Boxhagnerplatz, 2 rooms, but small, less than 40sqm in total, fully furnished… for 1050/mo, including all utilities (heating, electricity, etc.), internet, etc. Is this absolutely extravagant or more or less average these days?
Looking at Immo24 for unfurnished flats it looks like the average in Kberg/Fhain/Pberg is 600-750/mo (cold) which I’m assuming after utilities + internet would bring the average to around 850-950 (warm + internet) unfurnished?
Am I totally crazy for considering paying 1050/mo? My net salary is 2400 + commission
When I moved here 3 years ago rents were so much cheaper and I’m having a hard time figuring out what’s normal now
Hey Anon. Boxahagener Platz is a highly sought-after area so no wonder you’d find a pretty high rent price there. I’d personally not take it but that’s just an opinion. I’m living in Neukölln in a 90sqm and i pay less than that.
Hey, I am moving to Berlin in the next couple of weeks and am loving the information on this site so thanks! Quick question: is it usual to expect agency fees? (Some websites are charging 500 EUR fee on top of the deposit to the landlord + rent.)
Hey Calum. No, it’s not legal. Agency fees are to be paid by the landlord.
Hi, I have moved into expensive student Wg and here has been a problem with the hot water. We did not have hot water for 1 month and I emailed and email, got a slight rent reduction but all I wanted was hot water to shower in. Since then the water is merely lukewarm, not hot enough to enjoy a shower or to sterilize dishes (no dishwasher). They do not take me seriously, they say wverytime i E-Mail that they have checked and it is hot and they found no problem, which is a lie. What can I do? I can’t find alfalfa about what the temperature should be or the process for legal action. Thanks in advance
Una
Hey Una. You need to check what your contract says about this. Apparently in Germany, anything below 40°C is considered a defect. Source.
Hello everyone, my boyfriend and I are moving to Passau next September. We are looking already for options online. Nevertheless, we have been told not to sign anything until we have a chance to see the apartment first. I have recently contacted someone offering an apartment but I am not really sure if it is warm or cold rent. These are the fees:
Kosten
Miete: 470€
Nebenkosten: 120€
Sonstige Kosten: n.a.
Kaution: 1410€
In the nebenkosten item is it included gas, electricity, water and Internet costs? How do I know?
On the other hand, the guy offered me the option to sign the contract by email and asked me this info to get it done: names, date of birth, copy of passport, emailadresses and handynumbers.
Is it usual? What is your advice?
Best, Daniela
Hey Daniela. So short response is : it depends, sometimes Nebenkosten might include heating or electricity, depending on the contract. But yeah in general, just wait to see the flat first.
Hello friends, I’m currently living in Munich at a private campus dorm. I have recently purchased an air conditioner due to the up coming hot summer. I was wondering, if I had to pay extra for my electricity due to more usage, although all the utilities are included in the rent. Just want to make sure If there is a limit. Thank you in advance.
Hi Mobin. You should check your contract what applies in that case.
Hello,
I have a question about housing contract. I recently signed a contract with starting 15.04.2018. The contract is for 12 months and after that I have to give a notice of 3 months before leaving the apartment. As per agreement, I pay the deposit and collect the keys before 15.04, but at the moment I haven’t paid anything yet. Due unforeseen circumstances, I no longer want to rent the apartment(nothing wrong with the apartment). If I want to cancel my rental contract now (its been less than a week since i signed it), what would be the repurcussions? Is it possible to do so, if so will I have to pay them to cancel my contract? Could you please help me or direct me to the place?
Thanks for the help!
Regards,
Jym
Hi Jym. You may want to check the part of the contract that is about “Widerrufsrecht”, which defines the conditions to cancel the contract after signing it. Maybe there is a clause allowing you to cancel it. However, as a rule, you cannot get out of it. Source.
My rent is 680 Euro but i pay 100 euros extra each month along with my rent to my landlord ( which i think for the Warm Rent )
i pay separately for the electricity and internet by myself.
But this whole winter , most of the time, i was traveling outside Germany and did not user heaters too much.
Now my question is what is going to happen with extra 100 euros that i have been paying to my landlord since July , 17 ?
If i am paying for my electricity monthly , then how this 100 euros each month will be setteled in the end ? How would landlord know how much heating or warm water did i use ??
Kindly suggest.
Hi Neeraj. Depending what it says on the contract, there will be Jahresabrechnung of the Nebenkosten, which in turn can result in a refund if you paid too much.
Could you elaborate on the terms of utilities contracts? Do you have to commit to a year or something? In the States, I’m used to just paying for those on a month-to-month basis and being able to terminate them whenever I want.
It depends. For example, speaking for Berlin here, Vattenfall is sort of the standard electricity provider if the tenant or the landlord has not switched to another one. In this case, commitment is quite limited and i think only a 1-month notice is required before getting out of the contract. When switching to another provider, a one year commitment is pretty standard but can be tied to price-guarantees. (If price for electricity goes above a given threshold per Watt/hour, you can get out of the contract whenever you want). You can also pay on a monthly basis.
Hi there! We are living in a flat with a minimum of 1 year lease but unfortunately we cannot afford it anymore (due to unemployment) and thinking of moving out and back to our home country. My idea is to find a more financially capable person to take over the lease but the landlord insists that I, and not any other person, must pay for the remaining 4 months up to meet the 1 year lease in the contract. Is it not common in Berlin to do it this way, find another potential tenant to take over the lease, granting the new tenant will take the contract exactly as it is? Many thanks for your reply!
Hey Reese, yes this sort of arrangement is something that can happen, but it’s up to the landlord to decide if that can happen or not.