Housing
Finding a home, tenant rights, housing benefit, utilities, and buying.
6 guides
The essentials, one guide at a time
Find a homeSearch for a home and check offers before paying.Kaltmiete
Tenant basicsUnderstand your rights as a tenant, from deposits and repairs to rent increases and notice. Find practical steps for disputes and urgent threats to your home.Kaution
Housing benefitWohngeld helps with rent or an owner-occupied home. Other living-cost benefits and eligibility for study or training funding can exclude a household. Exceptions and the amount require an individual check.Wohngeld
Electricity, gas, and heatingCheck which energy costs your rent covers, record meter readings and arrange electricity or gas supply for your move. Basic-supply prices are local; shared heating is billed under separate allocation rules.Grundversorgung
Contents insuranceContents insurance is voluntary and covers the movable things in your home under the policy terms. Registering your address does not create a policy, and it does not cover harm you cause to someone else.Hausratversicherung
Buying a homeA contract to transfer land needs a notary. Ownership changes when you agree and the change is entered in the Grundbuch. The Länder set the real-estate transfer-tax rate. Residential-building insurance is not required by statute.Grundbuch