Skip to content
Free tool · English form · German document

Tenant self-disclosure form, with only what is needed

Prepare the Mieterselbstauskunft that German landlords ask for, organised by application stage. The form is in English; your PDF or Word file is in German, ready for your landlord. No account, no email. Your entries are processed in your browser.

Fill in the form

Your self-disclosure

Processed in your browser
Self-disclosure details
What do you need the self-disclosure for?
About you

This is the only required detail.

Only if you saved a draft in the rent payment certificate template on this device. You see beforehand what will be copied.

About the flat

For example the address, location or listing ID. This tells the landlord which flat your details refer to.

For social housing
Do you have a housing entitlement certificate (WBS)?

For social housing, you may be asked as early as the viewing whether you have a housing entitlement certificate. Only hand over a copy once you want to rent the flat. For other flats you can choose “Not stated”.

Additional information

For example a sentence about yourself or why you are moving. Nothing you do not want to share.

What is deliberately missing here and why
  • Religion, beliefs, ethnic origin, nationality, sexual identity. These details are generally not needed for the rental decision. Religion and ethnic origin are specially protected; nationality may not be asked about across the board. In addition, the German General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) prohibits certain kinds of discrimination when flats are let, with statutory exceptions.
  • Pregnancy, wish to have children, family planning, marital status. Pregnancy, the wish to have children and plans to marry belong to the core of private life. Marital status is generally not necessary for the decision; for the use of the flat, the number of people moving in is enough.
  • Membership of a political party, trade union or tenants' association. These memberships are not necessary to assess rent payments. Trade union membership is also specially protected.
  • Health and disability. Health data is specially protected. Details about health or disability are generally not necessary for this rental decision; discrimination because of a disability may also breach the AGG.
  • Criminal records and investigations. Questions about criminal records are generally inadmissible; ongoing criminal investigations may not be asked about.
  • Bank details and complete bank statements. Bank details do not belong in this self-disclosure. If, after being selected as the future tenant, you use a bank statement as proof of income, black out details that are not needed.

General information, not legal advice. You do not have to answer inadmissible questions. Leave them blank or raise them politely.

Create document

The file is created in your browser. Sign it yourself and only give it to landlords you are seriously applying to.

Draft on this device Nothing saved

Only when you click, no automatic saving. An income you entered is never saved. Better not to save on shared devices.

Step by step

Which details are usual at which stage

In its guidance (version 2.0, January 2026), the German data protection conference (Datenschutzkonferenz, DSK, in German) distinguishes three points in time: the viewing, your wish to rent and the landlord's decision. The tool follows this structure.

  1. 01

    Enquiry and viewing

    A few details are usually enough to arrange a viewing. Income, employer or creditworthiness are not yet relevant. Only hand over a copy of the housing entitlement certificate once you want to rent the flat.

    • Name and a way to contact you
    • your current address, if you wish
    • for social housing: whether you have a housing entitlement certificate (WBS)
    • show your ID if asked, no copy needed
  2. 02

    You want to rent this flat

    Use these details once you have told the landlord that you want to rent this particular flat. If a public authority pays the rent in full directly to the landlord, the question about income is not admissible; after selection, suitable proof that the costs are covered can be provided.

    • Number of people moving in, pets that need the landlord's consent
    • Occupation and employer
    • Income, unless the rent is paid in full by a public authority directly to the landlord
  3. 03

    Before signing the contract

    Only provide proof of income and a suitable credit report once the landlord has selected you as the future tenant, immediately before signing the contract. Black out details that are not needed. The free copy of your data under Art. 15 GDPR is meant for you and usually contains more than a landlord needs. According to the data protection authorities, landlords may not ask for it. A credit report designed for landlords is suitable.

    • Suitable recent proof of income, with details that are not needed blacked out
    • A suitable credit report, for example from SCHUFA
    • Rent payment certificate (Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung), if available

New to Germany? Which other documents are usual and what you can offer without a previous landlord in Germany is shown in the rental application checklist for students and newcomers. You can combine everything into one PDF with the application folder.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to fill in a self-disclosure?

You decide which details you share with this template. For the selection, a landlord may only ask questions that are necessary at the current stage. You do not have to answer inadmissible questions; leaving admissible details blank may affect your application.

What happens if I give false information?

Knowingly false answers to admissible questions can put the later tenancy at risk, for example through rescission or termination. According to the German data protection conference (DSK), opened insolvency proceedings that have not been concluded must be disclosed. Answer such a question truthfully.

Is the self-disclosure the same as a rent payment certificate?

No. In the self-disclosure you give information about yourself. If your previous landlord voluntarily issues a certificate (Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung), it can state whether there are rent arrears. They do not have to issue it and the new landlord cannot insist on it. In practice, however, many landlords ask for it.

Why is the document in German?

The form helps you prepare the information in English. The preview and the downloaded document stay in German so that your landlord can read them.

Is my information stored or transferred?

The form processes your entries in your browser. A draft is saved on this device only when you click save, and without the income. You can delete it. Check the generated file before passing it on.

Has the template been legally reviewed?

The template follows the guidance of the German data protection conference (DSK), version 2.0 from January 2026. It has not been reviewed by a lawyer and does not replace legal advice. The template and notes give general information and do not assess your individual case. For disputed or unusual questions, a tenants' association or a lawyer can help.