The rental market

Is it hard to find accommodation?

Rental accommodation is still the most common form of housing in Germany, even though the government constant efforts to boost the number of property owners.‍

The rental market in Germany is highly controlled, giving person who leases a place a large matter of protection. Which may also results that sometimes it’s difficult for landlords to get rid of persons who cause trouble or simply don't pay their rent. Therefore some landlords are very careful when choosing future person to lease their place.

In Germany rental accommodation changes widely in price and availability. In bigger cities particularly Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, rents can be expensive. It is common that up to half of the salaries goes towards paying the rent. By many foreigners the type of accommodation required can be expensive; rented at short notice and for relatively short periods, furnished or at least partly furnished apartments. To find apartments for larger families at reasonable rents is not either easy.

With the help of a table called the Mietspiegel rent contrasting can be made in each town or section of the city, that lists rent prices in each area. You can check if a rent is appropriate for an area or if it is illegal to charge such a high rent. At the local town hall or at the Mieterverein (tenant associations) The Mietspiegel can be found. Look for advice from a lawyer or tenant associations to reduce it, if the rent is above the legal limit.

Particularly in cities with a large student population is situated supply and demand can change considerably in the course of the year. There is usually a high demand for accommodation at the beginning of a term, i.e. in March/April and September/October.