German for renting a flat: viewings, deposit and bills
A German flat viewing is short, crowded and decided on paperwork rather than charm. The vocabulary is its own dialect: rent comes in a cold version and a warm one, the kitchen may not exist, and the deposit has a name you will hear before you hear the price. These are the phrases for the ad, the viewing and the contract, all in Sie, which is what you use with a landlord or an agent.
Answering an ad
Ist die Wohnung noch frei?
Is the flat still available?
Ich habe Ihre Anzeige im Internet gesehen.
I saw your listing online.
Könnte ich die Wohnung besichtigen?
Could I come and see it?
Besichtigung is the viewing. Expect a fixed slot with several other people in it.
Wie hoch ist die Kaltmiete?
How much is the rent without bills?
Kaltmiete is the bare rent, Warmmiete adds the running costs. Ads quote the cold one first, which is why the real figure is always higher.
Wie hoch ist die Kaution?
How much is the deposit?
Ist die Wohnung möbliert?
Is the flat furnished?
Ab wann ist sie frei?
From when is it available?
At the viewing
Wie viele Quadratmeter hat die Wohnung?
How many square metres is it?
In welchem Stock liegt die Wohnung?
Which floor is it on?
Erster Stock is one flight up. The ground floor is das Erdgeschoss and does not count as the first.
Gibt es einen Keller?
Is there a cellar?
Ist eine Küche vorhanden?
Does it come with a kitchen?
Ask early. Plenty of German flats are handed over with bare walls where the kitchen should be, and an Einbauküche is sometimes sold to you separately.
Was ist in den Nebenkosten enthalten?
What do the service charges cover?
Wie wird die Wohnung geheizt?
How is the flat heated?
Sind Haustiere erlaubt?
Are pets allowed?
Contract and keys
Welche Unterlagen brauchen Sie von mir?
What documents do you need from me?
Ich kann eine Schufa-Auskunft vorlegen.
I can provide a credit report.
The Schufa is the standard credit record, and offering it before being asked is normal here rather than pushy.
Kann ich den Vertrag mit nach Hause nehmen und in Ruhe durchlesen?
Could I take the contract home and read it through?
In Ruhe on its own asks for time to read it there and then, without the taking-it-away part.
Gibt es eine Mindestmietdauer?
Is there a minimum rental period?
Wie lang ist die Kündigungsfrist?
What is the notice period?
Wann bekomme ich die Schlüssel?
When do I get the keys?
Können Sie mir die Wohnungsgeberbestätigung ausstellen?
Could you issue the landlord confirmation for me?
The form you need for the Anmeldung. Ask for it while you are signing, not a month later.
False friend traps
Kaution looks like caution, but means the deposit
Usually a multiple of the cold rent, held until you move out. Being cautious is vorsichtig.
Stock looks like stock, but means a storey, a floor of a building
Im dritten Stock means three floors above the Erdgeschoss. German counting keeps the ground floor separate rather than calling it the first.
Bad looks like bad, but means the bathroom
Ein großes Bad is a big bathroom, not bad news. A bath itself is die Badewanne.
Mieter looks like a meter, but means the tenant
You are the Mieter, the landlord is the Vermieter, and the meter on the wall is der Zähler.
Provision looks like a provision, a supply, but means commission, and in a rental ad usually an estate agent's commission
Provisionsfrei in an ad means no broker's commission is charged, which is the word people search for first.
Kaltmiete looks like cold rent, something to do with heating, but means the rent before any running costs
Nothing to do with temperature. Warm just means the Nebenkosten are already counted in, so compare warm against warm.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
What is the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmmiete?
Kaltmiete is the rent for the flat alone. Warmmiete adds the Nebenkosten, the running costs such as heating, water and rubbish collection. Electricity and internet are usually contracted separately and sit outside both figures, so ask what is actually included rather than assuming.
Why do so many flats have no kitchen?
Tenants here often own their kitchen and take it with them, so an empty kitchen wall is normal rather than a fault. Ask Ist eine Küche vorhanden before the viewing, and if there is one, ask whether it is included in the rent or being sold to you by the previous tenant.
What do landlords want to see from me?
Typically proof of income, a Schufa credit record and identification, and some landlords ask for additional proof about your previous tenancy, such as a Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung confirming you left no rent unpaid. Requirements genuinely differ from landlord to landlord, so treat any list as a starting point. Bringing a tidy folder to the viewing genuinely helps in a competitive market, because decisions are made on paperwork rather than on the conversation.
How do I stand out at a group viewing?
Be brief and be prepared. Greet with Guten Tag, use Sie, ask two or three specific questions rather than a long list, and hand over your documents at the end. Warmth matters less than looking like a tenant who will be no trouble.