Renting in Germany: Prices, Contracts and Tips

The hardest part of renting in Germany is often not the price but securing a flat and assembling the papers. In the third quarter of 2026, an existing 70 m² flat was advertised at about €926 cold rent in Berlin (about RMB 6,960) and about €1,414 in Munich (about RMB 10,630), before heating and building costs. The deposit is capped by law at three months’ cold rent, and nobody should ask you for money before a viewing.

Unlike the Chinese habit of paying one month’s deposit plus three months’ rent and signing the same day, German landlords screen applicants first, and you must register your address within two weeks of moving in. Rules are as of November 2026. RMB figures use the ECB reference rate of 4 November 2026, €1 = RMB 7.5177.

Rent prices in Germany by city

The table shows ImmoScout24 third-quarter asking rents for a two-room, 70 m² flat, meaning new-lease prices. Monthly rents and RMB figures are our own conversions, for budgeting only.

Figures vary by method. The Kiel Institute’s Greix index puts Munich’s average asking cold rent at €23.70 per m² in the third quarter. Destatis, using the 2022 census, found foreigners paid an average net cold rent of €7.75 per m², 9.5% above Germans, and more often lived in small homes.

A room in a shared flat (WG) is a common starting point. A Moses Mendelssohn Institute analysis from September 2026 found a national average of €510 (about RMB 3,830), a median above €850 in Munich, €650 in Berlin and Hamburg and €640 in Cologne, generally as warm rent.

Cold rent, warm rent and Nebenkosten

• Kaltmiete (cold rent): the net rent, on which the deposit is based.
• Nebenkosten (additional costs): operating costs passed on under the lease, including heating and hot water, water, waste and building insurance.
• Warmmiete (warm rent): cold rent plus the prepayment for additional costs.

The German Tenants’ Association reports average operating costs of €2.67 per m² a month for 2024, with heating and hot water at €1.32, and up to €3.68 where every item applies. On 70 m² that is about €187 to €258 a month, making warm rent in Berlin about €1,113 (about RMB 8,370). Electricity, internet and the broadcasting fee are usually extra. Prepayments are reconciled yearly. The statement must reach you within 12 months of the end of the billing period; after that the landlord generally cannot claim more.

Where Chinese residents live

Germany has no officially defined Chinese district. At the end of 2025, 168,660 Chinese citizens lived in Germany. According to Statista, citing the Central Register of Foreigners, North Rhine-Westphalia has the most. Düsseldorf is in that state, but we found no city figure for it.

These figures show a dispersed population, so choose a district by commute and budget first. For the wider picture, see our Germany guide.

Rental websites and other channels in Germany

• Whole flats: common platforms are ImmoScout24, Immowelt and Kleinanzeigen.
• Shared flats: WG-Gesucht is widely used.
• Student halls: apply to the local student services organisation (Studierendenwerk), and join the queue early.
• Subsidised housing: this needs a housing entitlement certificate (WBS). Berlin requires non-EU citizens to hold a residence permit valid for at least one year and meet income and other conditions. Applying is free, and rules vary by state.

Students should compare rent with their blocked account. The German Consulate General in Hong Kong’s April 2026 checklist states a monthly withdrawal limit of €992. The average WG room takes about half of that, and in Munich more than 85%. See our Germany visa guide. Allow time to send the deposit from China; see our guide to currency exchange and transfers.

It is hard to secure a long lease from China. A safer approach is to book one or two months of temporary housing first; see our guide to hotels and long stays in Germany. To compare the process, read our guide to renting in the UK.

Documents and moving in

Under German data protection guidance, a viewing needs only your name and contact details. Once you apply, the landlord may ask about occupants, employer and income. Only when you have been chosen, shortly before signing, may the landlord ask for proof of income and creditworthiness.

New arrivals usually have no Schufa record, so the employment contract is the main document. For pay levels see our guide to working in Germany.

1. Set the budgetWork from warm rent and set aside the deposit
2. ViewGive only your name and contact details
3. Hand in documentsProvide proof once you are chosen
4. Sign and payView first, sign next, pay last
5. HandoverTake photos and read the meters
6. RegisterWithin two weeks of moving in

Address registration (Anmeldung) is a legal duty, and the landlord must give you a move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). If the landlord refuses, tell the registration authority straight away. Lending an address without genuine residence is illegal, with fines of up to €50,000, so never accept a borrowed address.

Rental contracts and deposit rules in Germany

• Deposit (Kaution): under section 551 of the Civil Code, at most three months’ rent, excluding operating costs, payable in three equal monthly instalments. The landlord must keep it in a bank, separate from their own assets. On 70 m² in Munich that is about €4,242 (about RMB 31,890).
• Broker’s fee: under the orderer principle (Bestellerprinzip), an agent hired by the landlord cannot charge the tenant.
• Rent brake (Mietpreisbremse): in tight markets designated by state governments, a new rent generally may not exceed the local comparative rent (check the Mietspiegel) by more than 10%. State ordinances must expire by 31 December 2029. Exemptions include homes first used after 1 October 2014. To recover overpaid rent you must first object in writing.
• Stepped rent (Staffelmiete): the lease states each amount, each step lasts at least a year, and you can waive notice for up to four years.
• Index rent (Indexmiete): follows the consumer price index, stays unchanged for at least a year, and currently has no ceiling on rises.
• Notice: tenants usually give about three months. Landlords need a legal reason and cannot terminate to raise the rent.
• Subletting and key money: subletting needs the landlord’s permission, and an agreement to pay an outgoing tenant to leave is void.

Housing let only for temporary use falls outside the rent brake and several protections against termination, so treat it as a bridge only. For disputes, join a local tenants’ association (Mieterverein) or ask a consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale).

What to watch for when renting in Germany: common scams

• The landlord abroad: claims to be overseas and unable to show the flat, wants the deposit first, promises to post the keys and often sends stolen ID.
• Fake escrow: asks you to pay through Western Union, MoneyGram or a so-called trust service.
• The fake agent: rents a holiday flat for a short time, shows people round and collects deposits.
• Phishing: fake portal login pages that steal your account.

Watch for rent far below local levels, pressure to decide at once and an unexpected country code in the IBAN. See the consumer centre’s guide to fake listings. If you have paid, contact your bank at once to try to reverse the transfer, and report it to the police. Heilbronn police advise: never pay in advance, and pay only once both sides have signed.

FAQ

What is the maximum rental deposit in Germany?

At most three months’ rent, excluding operating costs. With a €900 cold rent, the deposit is at most €2,700 (about RMB 20,300).

Can I rent a flat while still in China?

You can try, but this is the riskiest route. Never transfer money before viewing and signing, and ask someone you trust to view the flat.

Can I rent without a Schufa record?

You can try. Schufa is not a legal requirement, so show your ability to pay with an employment contract or blocked account. The landlord decides whether to accept them.

Sources

1. ImmoScout24 WohnBarometer, Q3 2026 (accessed November 2026)
2. epd: Greix index, Q3 2026 (accessed November 2026)
3. dpa/WEB.DE: Moses Mendelssohn Institute on WG rents, 2026 (accessed November 2026)
4. German Tenants’ Association: operating costs, 2024 (accessed November 2026)
5. Destatis: Census 2022 rents (accessed November 2026)
6. Statistics Berlin-Brandenburg: residents register, 2025 (accessed November 2026)
7. Statistikamt Nord: Hamburg, 2025 (accessed November 2026)
8. Munich statistics: migration, 2025 (accessed November 2026)
9. Frankfurt statistics: foreign residents, end 2023 (accessed November 2026)
10. Statista: Central Register of Foreigners, 2025 (accessed November 2026)
11. Service Berlin: WBS (accessed November 2026)
12. German Consulate General Hong Kong: student visa, 2026 (accessed November 2026)
13. German Data Protection Conference: applicant data (accessed November 2026)
14. Berliner MieterGemeinschaft: before the lease (accessed November 2026)
15. Berliner Mieterverein: MieterMagazin 9/2015 (accessed November 2026)
16. Civil Code s. 551 (accessed November 2026)
17. Civil Code s. 556 (accessed November 2026)
18. Civil Code s. 556d (accessed November 2026)
19. Civil Code s. 556f (accessed November 2026)
20. Civil Code s. 556g (accessed November 2026)
21. Civil Code s. 557a (accessed November 2026)
22. Civil Code s. 557b (accessed November 2026)
23. Civil Code s. 549 (accessed November 2026)
24. Civil Code s. 540 (accessed November 2026)
25. Civil Code s. 573 (accessed November 2026)
26. Civil Code s. 573c (accessed November 2026)
27. Housing Brokerage Act s. 2 (accessed November 2026)
28. Housing Brokerage Act s. 4a (accessed November 2026)
29. Federal Registration Act s. 17 (accessed November 2026)
30. Federal Registration Act s. 19 (accessed November 2026)
31. Federal Registration Act s. 54 (accessed November 2026)
32. Bundestag: hib 835/2026 (accessed November 2026)
33. dpa-AFX, 29 April 2026 (accessed November 2026)
34. miet-check: tenancy reform 2026 (accessed November 2026)
35. Verbraucherzentrale: fake flats (accessed November 2026)
36. European Consumer Centre Germany: rental fraud (accessed November 2026)
37. echo24: Heilbronn police, 2023 (accessed November 2026)
38. ECB: EUR/CNY (accessed November 2026)