Anmeldung: register your address
Everyone who moves into a home in Germany must register the address at the local registration office (Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt) within 2 weeks of moving in. This is the Anmeldung.
You need a confirmation from your landlord that you have moved in, the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, and the landlord is legally required to give it to you. Ask for it when you sign.
Once you are registered, your tax ID is sent to you by post, and banks and employers often ask for your registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung). Appointments can be scarce in big cities, so book as early as you can.
SCHUFA and proof you can pay
SCHUFA is Germany's main credit agency, and many landlords ask for a SCHUFA report. If you are new to Germany, you will have little or no record yet.
You can request a free copy of the data SCHUFA holds about you. While your record is thin, your employment contract, recent payslips and a letter from a previous landlord confirming you paid your rent can help you stand out.
The deposit (Kaution)
The deposit can be at most 3 months' cold rent, meaning the rent without service charges. You have the right to pay it in 3 equal monthly instalments, the first at the start of the tenancy.
The landlord must keep your deposit separate from their own money, in an account that earns the usual savings interest, and return it with interest when you leave, minus any justified claims.
Kaltmiete and Warmmiete
Kaltmiete (cold rent) is the rent for the home alone. On top come the Nebenkosten: service charges such as heating, water, rubbish collection and cleaning of shared areas, usually paid as a monthly advance. Kaltmiete plus Nebenkosten is the Warmmiete (warm rent).
Once a year the landlord sends a statement of the actual service charges (Nebenkostenabrechnung). You may get money back, or have to pay more. Electricity and internet are usually separate contracts in your own name.
The broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)
Every household in Germany pays one broadcasting fee, whether or not it owns a TV or radio. When you move in, register with the Beitragsservice, unless someone in your household already pays for the home. Flatmates share one fee.
Who pays the agent (Bestellerprinzip)
Since 2015, whoever hires the estate agent pays the agent. When a landlord lists a flat through an agent, the landlord pays the commission, not you.
You only pay an agent's fee if you hired the agent yourself, in writing, to search for a home for you, and the home was found for you alone.
Checklist before you sign
- You have viewed the flat, or seen it on a live video call, and met the landlord or their agent.
- The Kaution is no more than 3 months' cold rent, and you know you may pay it in 3 instalments.
- You understand the Kaltmiete, the Nebenkosten advance and what the Warmmiete includes.
- You know whether the lease is open-ended or fixed-term, and any rules for rent increases (such as an index or stepped rent).
- You will get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung for your Anmeldung.
- You have not been asked for an agent fee for a flat the landlord listed.
- You and the landlord sign a handover record (Übergabeprotokoll) noting the flat's condition and the meter readings.
Scams to avoid
- A landlord who is "abroad" and will send the keys by courier once you transfer the deposit.
- Requests for the Kaution or first rent before you have seen the flat or signed a lease.
- Asking for copies of your passport and bank details before any viewing, which can be used for identity theft.
- An agent fee for a flat the landlord advertised.
- Payment through a money transfer service, or to an account in another person's name, before the keys are handed over.
Last reviewed 29 October 2026. General information, not legal advice; rules change. Check the official sources for your area and read your tenancy agreement before you sign.