Germany/Housing/Rent

What do I need to rent an apartment in Germany?
If you only sublet from a private person, things can be very easy. Mostly enough is

- a copy of your ID / passport - a deposit

But if you rent directly from a landlord and become a main tenant (German: Hauptmieter), things are pretty formal. You will need:


 * Schufa-Auskunft a report of your creditworthiness by Germany's most known credit bureau
 * Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung: a confirmation that you have no debts from previous rents. You get this from your previous landlord
 * Proof of income (German: Einkommensnachweise): Usually from the last 3 months. And your income needs to be 3x higher than the rent incl. heating (German: Warmmiete)

Some apartments are part of social housing and require a WBS (German: 'Wohnberechtigungschein') from you.

More info

 * 4 Tips for Finding a Cheap Flat in Berlin
 * How to move into an apartment in Germany

Berlin

 * List of Landlords and Housing companies in Berlin