Rental dispute in Germany? Tenant rights are strong — use them.
Withheld deposits, dubious rent increases, eviction threats, Nebenkosten surprises, mold and defects — landlords count on expats not knowing their rights.
- Get your deposit back — landlords must justify deductions, and vague claims rarely hold up
- Check rent increases and Nebenkosten bills — a large share contain errors you can contest
- Eviction and termination of leases have strict formal requirements that often aren't met
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What we help with
Some of the situations people come to us with. Yours doesn't have to be on the list.
• A deposit (Kaution) not returned after moving out
• Rent increases, and the Mietpreisbremse in tight markets
• Nebenkosten and utility statements with errors
• Mold, heating failures and other defects (Mietminderung)
• Termination of your lease, including Eigenbedarf claims
• Eviction threats and court deadlines
• Disputes over renovations and handover protocols
• Subletting (Untermiete) permission problems
Read this first
Eigenbedarf Meaning: When Your Landlord Wants the Flat Back
What personal-use termination means, the two deadlines to check, and how to prepare a hardship objection or a review of the notice.
5 min read
Behind on Rent in Germany? Eviction and the 2-Month Rule
When arrears justify termination, the two-month window to pay it off, why landlords send two terminations, and help from the Jobcenter.
8 min read
How to Get Your Rental Deposit Back in Germany
The three-month cap, what can and cannot be deducted, the written demand, and the court payment order that works without a lawyer.
8 min read
Rent Reduction in Germany (Mietminderung): Heating, Mould, Defects
The automatic rent reduction for defects, what counts, reporting duties, paying less or under reservation, self-repair, damages and leaving.
7 min read
Cancel Your Rental Contract in Germany: Notice Period and Nachmieter
The tenant's notice period, how to give notice so it counts, replacement tenants, fixed-term and staggered-rent leases, and special rights to leave sooner.
7 min read
Your Landlord Wants More Rent — Do You Have to Agree?
Why it needs your agreement, the consideration period, what a valid demand must contain, and the caps a landlord cannot pass.
8 min read
Your Nebenkosten Bill: Check It Before You Pay
What the BetrKV catalogue actually allows, the twelve-month rule that binds both sides, the errors that recur, and the receipts you are entitled to inspect.
8 min read
Mietpreisbremse: Is Your Rent Too High? Where the Rent Brake Applies
Which states and cities the rent brake covers, the exceptions landlords rely on, the pre-contract disclosure and reclaiming overpaid rent with a Rüge.
9 min read
Renting in Berlin: Rent Brake, Mietspiegel and Short Lets
The citywide rent brake, the Mietspiegel 2026, the 15% cap, ten years' conversion protection, holiday-let permits and the free rent review office.
8 min read
Renting in Munich: Rent Brake, Mietspiegel and Short Lets
Bavaria's tenant protection ordinance, the Mietspiegel 2025, the 15% cap, holiday lets and the city's free Mietberatung.
8 min read
Renting in Hamburg: Rent Brake, Mietenspiegel and Short Lets
The citywide rent brake, the Mietenspiegel and your street, the 15% cap, ten years' conversion protection and the tightened 2026 short-let rules.
8 min read
Renting in Frankfurt: Rent Brake, Mietspiegel and Short Lets
Hesse's ordinance and the 2026 court challenge, the Mietspiegel 2026, the 15% cap, the city's overcharging checks and holiday-let permits.
9 min read
Common questions
General information, not legal advice — your lawyer assesses your specific case in the free first consultation.
Related areas
Legal problems rarely arrive alone — a job loss can put a residence permit at risk, a divorce can raise housing questions.
Something else entirely? See everything we help with — request an English-speaking German lawyer for your legal issue.