Essential Guide to Finding Apartments in Germany: WG, Temporary Rentals, and Key Tips for Newcomers

Finding the right accommodation in Germany can be a daunting task, especially for newcomers. This guide outlines the various types of apartments available, along with essential tips for securing a place that suits your needs.

A WG is a shared living space and is probably the cheapest form of accommodation you can find in Germany. In a WG, multiple people rent out a house or a large apartment. There’s usually a primary renter (Hauptmieter), who’s name is directly on the lease agreement with the landlord. The primary renter usually has full responsibility for the apartment, including paying rent to the landlord, handling legal obligations, and managing any issues related to the property. In case of any damages or breaches of contract, the primary renter is the one held responsible by the landlord.

The remaining rooms are rented out to the secondary renters (Untermieter) and the living spaces (Kitchen, living room, etc…) are shared. On different websites, you can see different WG’s available. You can see the genders and the number of the tenants currently living there. You can see picture of the shared living spaces, the room they are renting out and the gender of the people they desire to join their WG. If you fit the criteria and the WG interests you, you can contact to set up a viewing. You can also find a group of people and rent out an apartment if you feel more comfortable with that.

Unlike most apartments in Germany, WG’s are usually furnished, except from the room you’ll be moving into. Sometimes, they will let you take over the furniture of the previous tenant for a price, or for free.

Finally, the costs of WG’s are usually given “Pauschal” which means it includes everything from wifi, electricity/heating (Strom und Heizung), utilities (Nebenkosten) to the actual apartment cost. The prices within one WG can differ, depending on the size of the room you have. Apart from this, you will also usually have to pay a security deposit (Kaution). The standard security deposit in Germany is up to three months cold rent (Kaltmiete)

Wohnung (Apartment)

Best Sites For Apartment (Wohnung) Rentals in Germany:

Just like most places in the world, you can find apartments of different sizes that cater to your needs. Unlike other countries, there are some things to note about apartments in Germany. Firstly, most apartments are not furnished. When I say not furnished, I mean no kitchen… no stove, no fridge, no microwave, no washing machine etc… Some apartments don’t even have counters ot sinks in the kitchen area. Sometimes, you can only take an apartment if you take over (pay for the cost at a reduced price) the kitchen, so be careful. You can find partially, or fully furnished apartments but they usually cost more money. Also, fully furnished apartments may still not have a washing machine and dryer.

Secondly, you can sometimes take over an apartment that needs to e renovated. Renovations are the responsibility of the landlord/owner of the apartment. That being said, since many people in Germany are handy, it’s not uncommon for the landlord to finance the renovation performed by the tenant.

When looking at apartments, there are usually two different prices. Warmmiete and Kaltmiete. Kaltmiete is the price excluding the heating and maintenance costs, whereas Warmiete includes it. Some landlords do not include heating costs in Warmiete. Be careful to clarify this before signing the lease. Electricity and wifi are usually always excluded, so you’ll have to find your own suppliers for the two.

A great website for comparing electricity, heating and virtually all suppliers is: https://www.check24.de/. I would suggest getting a plan you can cancel monthly, (if you’re staying under a year) and a price that is constant for at least a year. It may not be the cheapest, but at least you know exactly what you’ll be paying and it cannot change for the whole time period.

Naturally, you must also pay a security deposit. This will cover damages or failed rent payments. Again, this can be up to 3 months cold rent (Kaltmiete).

Wohnung auf Zeit (Temporary Apartments)

Best Websites For Finding A Temporary Apratment (Wohnung Auf Zeit):

If you’re looking for apartment for a few months or can’t sign a one year lease for whatever reason, this is probably the best option. Temporary apartments give you the flexibility to rent monthly if you want. They’re normally fully furnished and equipped everything, including wifi and for that reason, you’re only given a pauchschal price. You also do not have to worry about heating and electricity contracts.

Usually, temporary apartments are more expensive because of all the great benefits.

Tips For Securing An Apartment In Competitive German Markets

  1. START EARLY

    Depending on the city or region you’re going to, finding an apartment can be TOUGH. It’s better to start as early as possibly so that you have a better chance of finding an apartment that you like, rather than having to pay more than you anticipated.

  2. Record Apartment During walkthrough

    When walking through the apartment, thoroughly take photos and videos of everything. It’s important that you have on record, any problems or issues with the apartment. If you’re not careful, land lords may try to blame you for certain issues with the apartment and use your security deposit to fix it.

  3. Documents Needed When Applying For An Apartment

    • Employment Contract

    • Pay Slips from the last three months

    • Passport Data Page

    • Schufa Auskunft(Basically your credit score and you can apply for it for free online)

    It may vary from landlord to landlord but these are the general documents you need. It also helps if you bring these documents to the apartment viewing. It will help you get a foot ahead of other prospective tenants

  4. Follow Up

    Because the apartment market can be so tough and landlords get so many requests, it’s easy for them to forget applications. Make sure to follow up with the prospective landlord. Naturally, don’t call to the point where you become annoying but follow up occasionally until you get the final decision. It all also express your desire to get the apartment.