No German credit record, no local payslips, fifty applicants per flat and a landlord who answers the first complete file. Most internationals lose weeks to that, some lose the job. It is fixable. It is mostly speed and paperwork.
The market is not against you personally. It is against anyone who is slow or incomplete.
Landlords pick the first complete, credible file: Schufa record, proof of income, ID, a short cover note in German. Newcomers send three of the five, in English, two days late.
Often 50+ applicants per flatCold rent versus warm rent, a deposit of up to three months' cold rent, and utility bills that arrive a year later. Budget for the wrong one and the flat you can afford is not the flat you take.
Deposit: up to 3 months' rent, upfrontBanks want equity, a residence status that outlasts the loan, and a story they can read. On top of the price come transfer tax, notary and agent fees that nobody mentions in the listing.
Side costs: 10 to 15% on top of the priceFigures are illustrative, for a typical international household.
The free check asks about your home in Germany. Two minutes, and we know whether you are renting, buying to live, or buying to let.
Our partner Athaus.ai searches every listing in one place and applies on your behalf. We make sure the file behind the application is one a landlord answers.
Liability and household insurance, the Anmeldung, and if you bought: the mortgage set up so it still makes sense if you leave one day.
Our housing partner
One search covers the whole German market instead of five portals, and Athaus applies on your behalf. Buyers pay nothing. Terms for Unlock Germany members are being finalised; the community list hears first.
Free tools for this, no sign-up
Schufa is the credit record every landlord asks for. Newcomers can request one immediately; it will simply be short. A short, clean record plus proof of income beats no record at all, and we show you how to get it in days.
Often yes, but banks differ a lot. Residence status, how long it runs, equity and income history all matter, and the first bank you ask is rarely the right one. A pre-check before the search tells you what is realistic.
No. Our advice is free; if a partner pays us for a referral, we say so on the partners page. You never pay more by coming through us.
About two minutes of questions, then a personal report: what is sorted, what is quietly costing you money, and what to fix first.