Apartment Hunting — How to Find Housing in Germany

Where to Search?

Online Portals (Most Popular):

• ImmoScout24 — the largest
• Immowelt
• Kleinanzeigen (formerly eBay Kleinanzeigen)
• WG-Gesucht — rooms and shared apartments

Other Methods:

• Facebook groups (e.g., "Wohnung Hamburg")
• Local notices, flyers in supermarkets, Hausmeister
• Sozialwohnung — cheaper, but requires a WBS (Wohnberechtigungsschein) certificate from the local office for low-income earners

What Documents to Prepare? (Bewerbermappe)

1. Selbstauskunft — form with personal data and income
2. Schufa Report — credit reliability report (order at meineschufa.de)
3. Gehaltsnachweise — last 3 pay slips
4. Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung — certificate of no rental arrears from your previous landlord
5. Copy of ID/passport

Landlords almost always ask for Schufa — order the report in advance (the free version "Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO" is sufficient).

How to Increase Your Chances?

• Speed — respond within hours, have all documents in one PDF
• Good impression at Besichtigung — punctuality, cleanliness, brief motivational letter
• In tight markets, 50–100 people apply for one apartment — expect rejections

Broker and Commission

Since 2015, Bestellerprinzip applies: the person who ordered the broker pays — usually the landlord. Therefore, the tenant typically does not pay a commission. If someone demands a Maklergebühr from you for a regular rental — that's a warning sign.

What to Watch Out For?

⚠️ SCAMS:
- Never pay before viewing the apartment or send money abroad
- Don't provide bank details via email
- Price significantly below market = almost certainly a scam (e.g., fake "landlord abroad")

How Much Does an Apartment Cost?

These rates are Kaltmiete (cold rent). Add Nebenkosten (utilities allowance) — together they make up Warmmiete. In areas with Mietpreisbremse, the new rent cannot exceed the local level (Mietspiegel) by more than 10%.

After Finding an Apartment

• Before signing, carefully read the rental agreement (Mietvertrag)
• Prepare the deposit — max 3 cold rents, you can pay in 3 installments
• Within 14 days of moving in, register (Anmeldung) with Wohnungsgeberbestätigung

Rule: Rent Max 30% of Net Income