Germany/Housing/Schufa

Schufa is the biggest German credit score system. Mostly, you need their report of you if you want to rent an apartment long-term. Read here how to get a such a Schufa Bonitätsauskunft.

Questions & Answers

Do I need a Schufa report?

It depends on the place you want to rent:

• Almost always, you need one for renting an (unfurnished) apartment long-term.
• You probably don't need one for renting a furnished apartment short-term.
• Also it's unlikely when subletting an apartment or room from another person.

Read more about renting and apartment or room.

Why do landlords want a Schufa?

• In Germany, renting apartments is highly regulated by law.
• Especially, it is difficult for landlords to kick a tenant out.
• Therefore, landlords want to be sure that a new tenant will pay their rent before they sign a contract.
• A way to check this is whether the applicant has paid their bills before. This is why they want to see a credit score report.

Get a Schufa report

Free

Instead of the regular credit score report, you can get a free copy of all the personal data that Schufa stores about you (based on the GDPR). It also contains the information that landlords want to see.

But it is sent to you by letter, so it takes a few days.

• Go to MeineSchufa.de: Datenkopie (nach Art. 15 DS-GVO)
• Pick the option on the left: SCHUFA-Datenkopie.

A page with a form opens, fill it out. Here's a dictionary:

• Anrede: salutation
• Vornamen: first names
• Nachname: last names
• Geburtsdatum: date of birth
• The next fields are optional:
  • E-Mail-Adresse: e-mail address
  • Geburtsname: birth name (maiden name)
  • Geburtsort: place of birth
  • Frühere Namen: previous names

• Straße: street
• Hausnummer: house number
• Postleitzahl: postal code
• Ort: city

You can also upload documents (e.g. from you Anmeldung) but this is optional.

• click on Eingaben prüfen, check your inputs and submit (Absenden).

Fast

online

You can also get Schufa report online directly from the company. It costs ~€30 and arrives in 1-3 by letter.

1. Go to the Schufa website.
2. Pick Schufa-Bonitätsauskunft.

• • Make sure you are ordering it with a one-time payment. Schufa also offers subscriptions per month which look cheaper but have minimum terms.

1. Fill out your data and submit. You might use the dictionary from above.

in a branch

You can also get a Schufa report now by going into a bank branch. But this report costs ~€30.

Find a branch of

• Postbank or
• Volksbank

walk in with your

• ID or passport
• and a Meldebescheinigung (certificate of registration)

More guides

• How to get a free Schufa by All About Berlin