Finding an apartment in Germany

The biggest portals are ImmoScout24, Immowelt and Kleinanzeigen, and for rooms in a shared flat (WG) there is WG-Gesucht.

• Municipal housing companies and housing cooperatives (Genossenschaften) publish their flats on their own websites, their rents are often lower, but waiting lists are long, so register early.
• Set up alerts on the search portals so that you receive an advert as soon as it goes online.
• Tell colleagues, neighbours and local associations that you are looking, because many flats are let through acquaintances before they are advertised.

Landlords expect a complete folder.

• It usually contains the tenant self-disclosure form (Mieterselbstauskunft), your last three payslips or other proof of income, a credit report from SCHUFA, a copy of your passport and residence permit, and sometimes a certificate from your previous landlord that you owe no rent.
• Order the SCHUFA report yourself from its website or from authorised branches; if you have no credit history in Germany the result will be empty, which does not mean you have debts.
• Add a short, friendly cover letter that mentions your job, your family and the reason you are moving.

There are two kinds of rent: the basic rent (Kaltmiete) without running costs and the total rent (Warmmiete) with utilities and heating.

• Always compare total rents.
• A landlord may ask for a deposit (Kaution) of at most three months of basic rent by law, you may pay it in three instalments, and the landlord must keep it in a separate account.
• Under the principle that the person who orders pays, a tenant usually does not pay the agent's commission when the landlord hired the agent.
• In some cities a rent brake limits increases in new contracts.

The Equal Treatment Act forbids discrimination in housing because of origin, religion or language, yet it still happens sometimes.

• If you feel you were turned down for that reason, keep the messages and contact the federal anti-discrimination agency or a local advice centre.
• On the other side, watch out for fraud: never pay money before you have seen the flat and signed the contract, never transfer to accounts abroad, and be suspicious of every advert with a much lower price than usual, with a request for advance payment or with an owner who is abroad and cannot meet you.
• Applying through trusted portals is safer.

If the search takes long, start with a temporary solution: a room in a shared flat, a furnished flat for a temporary let (Zwischenmiete), student housing or company housing if there is any.

• If your household income is modest, you may qualify for a social housing certificate (Wohnberechtigungsschein) from your city's housing office, which gives access to flats with subsidised rent.
• Ask migrant advice centres about help with searching, because many help fill in applications and write to landlords.

What is the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmmiete?