How to find an apartment in Berlin and Munich (2026)

How do you find an apartment in Berlin or Munich when you are new to Germany? Expect it to take time: asking rents are high and many people apply for each flat. The approach that works for most international tech workers is to start in a furnished or temporary flat, prepare a complete tenant file (ID, employment contract or payslips, a SCHUFA credit report), apply fast, and never pay before you have seen the flat and signed a contract. Whatever you rent, make sure the landlord gives you the move-in confirmation you need to register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks.

This guide covers what flats cost, where to look, what landlords ask for, how SCHUFA works for newcomers, the Anmeldung in Berlin and Munich, and how to spot scams. It is general information, not legal advice; rental and registration rules can change, so check the official links.

What flats cost in Berlin and Munich

Before you search, know the market. These are official figures for flats advertised on the market, not old contracts:

Sources: IBB Wohnungsmarktbericht 2025; City of Munich, Wohnungsmarktbarometer H1 2026 and Wohnungsmarktbarometer 2025. The 50 m² line is our own multiplication.

Net cold rent (Nettokaltmiete) is the flat only. Warm rent (Warmmiete) adds heating, water and building costs. Listings may show either, so check which one you are comparing. Our cost of living guides for Berlin and Munich cover the full budget, and Berlin vs Munich compares the two cities.

Step 1: Start with a temporary or furnished flat

It is hard to sign a long-term lease before you arrive, because you usually need to view flats and hand over documents in person. A furnished or temporary flat for your first one to three months gives you an address and time to search properly.

It costs more. In Munich, furnished re-let flats were advertised at an average of €29.80 per m² in the first half of 2026, against €22.93 for unfurnished ones (City of Munich). The city’s figures for 2025 show that almost a third of re-let flats advertised in Munich were furnished (Wohnungsmarktbarometer 2025).

Before you book, ask one question: will the landlord give you a move-in confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) so you can register your address? Without it you cannot complete your Anmeldung, and many later steps, such as receiving your tax ID, depend on it. Check this before you book any short-stay accommodation.

Ask your employer, too. Some companies offer temporary housing or relocation support. On Germany Dev Jobs on 16 October 2026, 13% of the jobs in our October 2026 report mentioned relocation support.

Step 2: Prepare your tenant file

Landlords and agencies usually choose between many applicants, so a complete file sent quickly helps. A typical file includes:

• a copy of your passport or ID and, if you need one, your visa or residence permit,
• your employment contract, or your last three payslips once you have them,
• a SCHUFA report (see below),
• a landlord’s confirmation that you have no rent arrears (Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung), if you have rented in Germany before,
• a short introduction: who you are, your job and employer, who will live in the flat, when you want to move in.

Only send personal documents to a landlord or agency you have verified, after a viewing. Scammers collect ID copies too (see below).

Step 3: SCHUFA and credit checks for newcomers

SCHUFA is Germany’s main private credit agency. Many landlords ask for a SCHUFA report as proof that you pay your bills.

• You can get your data for free. Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to a copy of the personal data a company holds about you, and the first copy is free (GDPR, Article 15). SCHUFA calls it the “Datenkopie nach Art. 15 DSGVO”. The consumer advice centre of North Rhine-Westphalia points out that this free copy can be requested directly from SCHUFA, and warns that third-party websites charge for applying on your behalf (Verbraucherzentrale NRW).
• Ask what the landlord accepts before you pay for any report. Use only SCHUFA’s own website, not paid intermediaries.
• If you are new to Germany, your SCHUFA file may be empty. A credit file is built from your history with businesses in Germany, so a new arrival often has little or no history. That is not the same as a bad score. Explain it in your application and add other proof: your employment contract, salary, and a reference from a previous landlord.

Open a German bank account early; our relocation checklist explains the order of the first steps.

Step 4: Search and apply

Flats are advertised on property portals and also found through housing companies, employers and personal contacts. The City of Munich notes that portals tend to show the more expensive part of the market, because many flats are let through personal contacts and recommendations (Wohnungsmarktbarometer 2025). Tell colleagues you are looking.

Practical tips:

• Set up alerts and reply within hours, with your file ready to send after the viewing.
• Widen your area. In Berlin, the median asking rent in Marzahn-Hellersdorf was €11.56 per m² in 2025, against €20.00 in Mitte (IBB). Check the commute to your office.
• Consider a shared flat (WG) for your first months. It is often the fastest way to get a room with a registration address.
• Watch the agent fee. An agent may not charge you, the tenant, unless they were hired only by you to find a flat for you; normally the landlord who hired the agent pays (§ 2(1a) Housing Brokerage Act).

Step 5: Check the contract and the rent

• Deposit (Kaution): by law, at most three months’ net cold rent, and you may pay it in three monthly instalments, the first at the start of the tenancy (§ 551 German Civil Code).
• Rent brake (Mietpreisbremse): in areas designated as tight housing markets, the rent for a new lease may usually be no more than 10% above the local comparative rent, with exceptions (§ 556d German Civil Code). If a rent looks too high, ask a tenants’ association for advice.
• Fixed-term and furnished contracts: read the notice periods and what is included in the rent.
• Get everything in writing, including the handover report when you move in.

Step 6: Register your address (Anmeldung)

Once you have moved in, you must register with the registration office within two weeks (§ 17 Federal Registration Act). Your landlord must confirm your move-in in writing or electronically, with the landlord’s name and address, the move-in date, the address of the flat and the names of the people moving in (§ 19 Federal Registration Act). It is illegal to offer an address for registration to someone who does not live there, so be wary of anyone selling “Anmeldung addresses”.

Anmeldung in Berlin

• Where: at any Berlin citizens’ office (Bürgeramt), by appointment. Book online or by calling 115 (service.berlin.de).
• Bring: the completed registration form, your passport or ID, and the landlord’s move-in confirmation. A rental contract does not replace the confirmation. Bring birth or marriage certificates if you have them.
• Fee: none.
• Online: possible with a BundID account and an electronic ID card, but only for German and EU citizens aged 18 or over; residence permit cards (eAT) do not work for this (service.berlin.de). Most non-EU newcomers need an appointment.

If you can’t get an appointment within two weeks, book the earliest slot you can and keep proof of your booking.

Anmeldung in Munich

• Where: at the Bürgerbüro, by appointment through the city’s online booking system (City of Munich).
• Bring: a valid ID for everyone registering, your passport if you move from abroad, and the landlord’s move-in confirmation. If you don’t have the confirmation yet, you can submit a statement explaining why.
• Fee: none.
• Online: possible for a main residence through the federal online service, if you have the required electronic ID.

The City of Munich notes that your tax ID is sent by the Federal Central Tax Office about two to four weeks after registration (City of Munich).

How to spot rental scams

Fake flat ads exist on many platforms. The consumer advice centres list these warning signs (Verbraucherzentrale):

• the rent is much lower than comparable flats,
• the “landlord” is abroad and offers to send the keys or use an intermediary,
• you are asked for a deposit, key fee or viewing fee before you have seen the flat,
• you are asked for a copy of your ID before a viewing,
• photos don’t match the description, or the same ad appears elsewhere with other contact details,
• you are asked to pay through a service that does not handle rentals, or to a bank account in an unexpected country.

Their advice: never pay before you have viewed the flat; the deposit is due only when the tenancy begins under a signed contract. If you have already paid, contact your bank at once, report the ad to the platform and file a police report (Verbraucherzentrale).

If you are searching from abroad and cannot view a flat yourself, ask a colleague or your employer’s relocation contact to go for you.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to find an apartment in Berlin?

There is no official figure, and it varies a lot by area, budget and timing. Plan for weeks to months, and book a furnished or temporary flat with a registration confirmation for your first one to three months so you are not under pressure.

How do I book an Anmeldung appointment in Berlin?

Book at any Bürgeramt through service.berlin.de or by calling 115. Bring the registration form, your passport and the landlord’s move-in confirmation. Registration is free. Online registration is only open to German and EU citizens with an electronic ID card.

Do I need SCHUFA to rent a flat?

Many landlords ask for it, but it is not a legal requirement. You can request your data from SCHUFA for free under Article 15 GDPR. If you are new to Germany and have no SCHUFA history yet, explain this and add your employment contract, salary and previous landlord references.

What is the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung?

The landlord’s written confirmation that you moved in. You need it to register your address. It must state the landlord’s name and address, the move-in date, the flat’s address and the names of the people moving in. A rental contract does not replace it.

Do I have to pay an agent fee?

Usually not. A housing agent may only charge the tenant if the tenant alone hired the agent to find a flat. If the landlord hired the agent, the landlord pays.

How much deposit will I pay?

At most three months’ net cold rent, which you may pay in three monthly instalments. In Munich, for a 50 m² flat at average asking rents, that is about €3,440; in Berlin, about €2,370.

Next steps

• Browse tech jobs in Berlin and in Munich.
• Check what you will take home with the salary after tax calculator.
• Follow the relocation checklist for your first weeks.