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Renting in Germany: your rental application documents

Moving to Germany to study or for a job? Here is an overview of the documents for your rental application, the key rules on deposits, registration and scams, free tools to prepare your documents and official places that help you locally.

The documents themselves stay in German, because German landlords read them. Several tools have a German interface; each one says so.

Young woman sitting with a laptop and a suitcase by the window of an empty, bright period-style room

Your documents at a glance

  • Tenant self-disclosure (Selbstauskunft)

    Your contact details and information about your current housing. Use the landlord’s own form if they provide one.

    Fill in the self-disclosureEnglish form, German documentmietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung.de/en/tenant-self-disclosure

  • Proof of income or enrolment

    Depending on your situation: payslips, an employment contract or a certificate of enrolment, together with suitable proof of how you finance your stay.

    What fits your situation

  • ID card or passport

    Have your ID ready to show. Do not add a copy of your ID to your application unless you are asked for it.

  • Rent payment certificate or an alternative

    If you have one: a confirmation from your previous landlord (Mietschuldenfreiheits­bescheinigung). Without a previous landlord in Germany, explain your situation and offer other proof.

    Prepare the templateEnglish form, German documentmietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung.de/en/free-template

  • SCHUFA credit report or an alternative for newcomers

    Ask which proof of creditworthiness is expected. If you are new to Germany, ask which alternatives they accept.

    See alternatives

  • Cover letter

    Introduce yourself briefly: who is moving in, from when you are looking and why the flat suits you.

    Prepare the cover letterGerman form and lettermietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung.de/wohnungsbewerbung-anschreiben

Tick off what you have already prepared. Your progress is only saved in this browser.

For students and first-year students

Show how you finance your rent

Have your certificate of enrolment or admission letter ready. Ask whether, for example, proof of a scholarship, proof of funds or a guarantor is accepted.

For professionals moving to Germany

Start with your proof of employment

Have your employment contract and, if you already have them, payslips ready. If your job has not started yet, say which documents you can already provide.

New to Germany

No previous landlord in Germany - what you can show instead

You have not rented in Germany before? Say so briefly and openly. Ask the landlord which other documents they accept for your application.

Show your rent payments another way (German tool)

  • Previous rent payments

    If you have them: a confirmation from the country where you lived before, or suitable payment records. Ask whether a translation is needed.

  • Funds and creditworthiness

    Offer suitable proof of income or funds. Without a German SCHUFA history, ask for an alternative, for example a guarantor.

A template you fill in yourself is not yet a confirmation. Which alternative is accepted is something you agree on directly with the landlord.

No German income yet

Proof of funds without a German salary

No German payslip yet? Then show in another way that you can pay the rent. The landlord decides which proof they accept, so ask early.

  • Blocked account (Sperrkonto)

    Many international students open a blocked account for their visa. Only a certain amount can be withdrawn from it each month. You can also offer the bank’s confirmation in your rental application. The required balance depends on the purpose of your stay; the competent German mission abroad states the current amount. More from the Federal Foreign Office: blocked account for students.

  • Scholarship

    If you have a scholarship, offer the award letter or a confirmation that shows the amount and the period of funding. If it is not in German or English, ask whether a translation is needed.

  • Guarantee, for example from your parents (Bürgschaft)

    With a guarantee, another person, often a parent, agrees to pay if you do not pay your rent (§ 765 German Civil Code). A guarantee is also a rental security. § 551 German Civil Code limits the security to at most three months’ rent without utilities. If a landlord asks for a guarantee on top of a full deposit, this limit may be exceeded. In that case, get advice, for example from a tenants’ association (Mieterverein).

Send bank statements and certificates only once the landlord wants to choose you, and black out what they do not need.

A room instead of a flat

Student residences, flatshares and sublets

Especially at the start, a room is often easier to find than a flat of your own. Each of these options works a little differently.

  • Student residence (Wohnheim)

    Rooms in student residences are in high demand. Apply as early as you can with the Studierendenwerk (student services) in your university town; often you can do this when you apply for your place at university. Ask how long the wait is. You can search residences across Germany with the DAAD Dormitory Finder.

  • Room in a flatshare (WG)

    In a flatshare (Wohngemeinschaft, WG) you have your own room and share the kitchen and bathroom. Before you get the room, the flatmates usually want to meet you, in person or online. This is often called a WG casting. Say briefly what you study or do, what you enjoy and how you imagine living together. Many WG listings use the informal “du”; then you write with “du” as well. The cover letter tool (German) is meant for landlords and property managers and uses the formal “Sie”.

  • Sublet and short-term let (Untermiete, Zwischenmiete)

    In a sublet you rent from someone who is a tenant themselves. A short-term let (Zwischenmiete) is for a limited time, for example while the main tenant studies abroad. The main tenant needs their landlord’s permission (§ 540 German Civil Code); for part of the flat they can ask for it if they have a legitimate interest (§ 553 German Civil Code). Ask about the permission and sign a written sublet agreement.

Search safely

How to spot rental scams

If you search from abroad or in a hurry, you are an easy target. Often it is about several thousand euros for the deposit and the first rent, warns the German police’s crime prevention service (Polizeiliche Kriminalprävention, in German).

The most important rule: never pay any money before you have seen the flat and signed the rental contract. If you cannot go yourself, ask someone you trust to view it for you. The first instalment of the deposit is only due when the tenancy begins (§ 551 German Civil Code).

What to do if you suspect a scam

  1. Do not pay and stop the contact. If you have already paid, ask your bank at once to recall the payment. You have no right to get it back this way.

  2. Report it to the police. For fraud, you can also do this online through the police online stations (Onlinewachen, in German).

  3. Report the listing to the platform where you found it, so that others are warned. The consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale, in German) describes further tricks.

Typical warning signs

  • Money before the viewing

    You are asked to transfer a deposit, rent or a “fee” for the viewing before you have seen the flat. Honest landlords and agents do not ask for this.

  • Landlord “abroad”, keys by post

    The supposed owner cannot be there. They want to send you the keys after an advance payment or hand them over through someone else.

  • Payment through money transfer services

    You are asked to pay through services such as Western Union or MoneyGram, in cryptocurrency or to an account abroad. With such payments, the receivers can usually not be traced. Also check the country code at the start of the IBAN.

  • A copy of your ID in advance

    You are asked to send a copy of your ID before you have even met. Scammers can use it to steal your identity.

  • Too cheap to be true

    The rent is far below what similar flats cost, or details such as the basic rent, the energy certificate or a contact person are missing. You can check the photos with a reverse image search.

Good to know

Deposit, registration and SCHUFA: the key rules

These rules apply to rented flats in Germany. They help you judge what you are asked for and meet deadlines.

  • Deposit (Kaution)

    The deposit may be at most three months’ rent without utilities (Nettokaltmiete). You may pay it in three equal monthly instalments; the first is due when the tenancy begins, the others with the next two rent payments (§ 551 German Civil Code).

  • Registration (Anmeldung)

    After moving in, you must register your address with the registration office within two weeks, usually at the Bürgeramt (§ 17 Federal Registration Act). For this, the person who provides the flat confirms your move-in in writing (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, § 19 Federal Registration Act). In a flatshare or sublet, this is the main tenant. You can prepare a draft with the landlord’s confirmation tool (German).

  • SCHUFA report or free copy of your data

    SCHUFA is a private German credit agency. Once a landlord wants to choose you, they often ask for a credit report that is meant to be passed on to others. The free copy of your data under Art. 15 GDPR is meant for you and contains more than a landlord needs. Without a German SCHUFA history, ask for an alternative.

Prepare instead of searching

Free tools

Start with your application folder or prepare a single document. The tools run in your browser and need no account. Each card shows its language.

  • Rent payment certificate template

    Fill in an English form and download a German document for your landlord to sign.

    English form · German document

    Open the template

  • Application folder

    Combine your documents into one PDF in your browser.

    English interface · German cover page

    Open the folder tool

  • Tenant self-disclosure

    Prepare the information form for your application.

    English form · German document

    Open the form

  • Cover letter

    Write a short personal introduction for the landlord.

    German form and letter

    Open the cover letter

  • Previous landlord’s certificate

    Prepare a draft for your previous landlord to review.

    German form and document

    Open the draft

  • Your own rent payment record

    List your rent payments from your bank statements.

    German form and document

    Open the record

  • Rent receipt

    Prepare a receipt for rent you have paid, for your landlord to confirm.

    German form and document

    Open the receipt

  • Landlord’s confirmation for registration

    After moving in you must register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks. For this, your landlord confirms the move-in in writing (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, § 19 Federal Registration Act).

    German form and document

    Open the confirmation

All tools and guides in English

Step by step

How to prepare your application

You do not have to do everything at once. Start with what the specific flat requires.

  1. Read the requirements

    Check the listing and ask which documents are needed and when.

  2. Collect suitable proof

    Prepare your information and clarify missing documents or alternatives.

  3. Check your personal data

    Share only what the application needs. Check documents before sending them.

  4. Put your folder together and apply

    Combine the requested documents and adapt your cover letter to the flat.

Arriving with support

Official help

Good first contacts are the Studierendenwerk (student services) and the international office of your university, or the welcome centre of your city if you come for work. They give advice on finding a flat, on student residences and on arriving.

Germany-wide

Examples from universities and cities

We link to these places because they can help you locally. There is no partnership and nothing in return.

Short answers

Frequently asked questions

Do I need all documents right away?

Follow the listing and ask which documents are needed at which step. Do not send sensitive documents to every contact in advance.

What if I have no German rent payment certificate?

Explain that you are new to Germany. Offer records from the country where you lived before or suitable proof of funds, and ask what is accepted.

What can I show without payslips?

Depending on your situation, for example an employment contract, proof of a scholarship or funds, or a guarantor. Ask the landlord which documents they accept.

Can a landlord ask for money before the viewing?

Honest landlords and agents do not ask for money before you have seen the flat. Pay the deposit and rent only after the viewing and once the rental contract is signed. Under § 551 German Civil Code, the first instalment of the deposit is only due when the tenancy begins.

Why are the documents in German?

Landlords in Germany expect German documents. The rent payment certificate template and the tenant self-disclosure have an English form, and the application folder has an English interface; the documents they create stay in German. The other tools have a German interface, and every card on this page says which language to expect.

Besides the free tools, this website also describes a paid way to have the rent payment certificate confirmed online by your previous landlord. Read about the certificate and the online option