An unbefristet Mietvertrag is an unlimited rental contract. Normally these come with a minimum rental period, often 2 years. This means that if you want to move out before the end of these 2 years, …

Anmeldung is your city registration. It enables you to get a tax ID, library card, and access other services. You need to make an appointment for this at the Bürgeramt ideally within a month of …

These are renters unions that you can join if you have a rental contract (Mietvertrag). You have to pay a small fee, but after that, you can call them for free advice and they will help you in rent …

This is a housing cooperative. There are several around the city. They offer lower rents in return for the payment of membership fees/shares, so that you become part of the cooperative. You have to …

The Wohnberechtigungsschein is the official proof in Germany that you can move into a publicly funded WBS apartment. The WBS is the document with which you can prove that you are entitled to such a …

This is a rent brake - theoretically it is a legal mechanism which can be used to get a rent deduction or refund from your landlord if you can prove that they are charging you significantly over the …

This is a fee for the previous tenant’s furniture and fitting, that they might ask you to pay upfront if you want to rent their flat. Sometimes these can be excessively high and are essentially …

This is a graduated rent which will increase over time by limited amounts i.e. 10%. It is something to watch out for, as some housing websites offer a cheap rent for 3/6 months, which then increases …

This is the average rent for your area and property type. Your landlord should not charge you more than 10% over this average rent (although there are exceptions, e.g. with furnished flats, which in …

When you move flats in Berlin, your next landlord might ask you for a debt free certificate. This is a signed document from your previous landlord saying you have no outstanding debts to them. …