Where

WG-Gesucht for rooms & shared flats; ImmoScout24 / Immowelt for whole flats; Wunderflats / HousingAnywhere for furnished, registrable places you can book from abroad.

Your file

Have ready: ID, last 3 payslips, SCHUFA report, Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung (no-rent-debt letter) and proof of income. A tidy PDF wins viewings.

Avoid scams

Never pay a deposit or accept "keys by post" before viewing in person and signing a contract. If the price looks too good, it is a scam.

Kaution

Deposit is capped at 3 months' Kaltmiete, held on a separate account and returned after move-out.

Urlaubsanspruch

Statutory minimum 20 days (5-day week, Bundesurlaubsgesetz). Most contracts grant 25–30 days.

Kündigungsfristen

Probation (Probezeit): 2 weeks. Statutory baseline: 4 weeks to the 15th or month-end, rising with tenure (up to 7 months after 20 yrs, employer side).

Krankheit

Lohnfortzahlung: 6 weeks at 100% from the employer, then Krankengeld (~70% of gross, max 90% net) from the Krankenkasse. AU-Bescheinigung now transmitted digitally (eAU).

Five pillars — contributions roughly split 50/50 employer / employee (Unfall is employer-only).

System

Choose a public insurer (GKV: TK, AOK, Barmer…) — coverage is comparable, service & apps differ. High earners may opt for private (PKV).

Doctors

Your Hausarzt (GP) is the first stop and refers you to specialists. Book via Doctolib; appointments can take time.

Emergencies

112 = life-threatening emergency / fire. 116117 = urgent but non-emergency medical help. Pharmacies (Apotheke) dispense prescriptions.

Steuerklassen

Classes I–VI set your monthly withholding. Singles → I; married couples combine III/V or IV/IV (with Faktor); a second job → VI.

Abgeltungsteuer

Flat 25% on capital gains & dividends, + 5.5% Soli + church tax ≈ 26.4%. Sparer-Pauschbetrag: €1,000 tax-free (single).

ELSTER workflow

Register on elster.de → receive activation by post → upload certificate → file the Einkommensteuererklärung online.

How it works

SCHUFA scores your creditworthiness from contracts, accounts and payment history. Landlords and banks request it routinely.

Score range

Basisscore 0–100%; above ~97% is considered very good. New arrivals start with thin data.

Rebuild

One free Datenkopie per year (Art. 15 DSGVO), pay bills on time, avoid many parallel inquiries, keep one stable account.

Prepaid vs contract

Prepaid (Aldi Talk, congstar) works immediately. A Vertrag needs your Anmeldung + bank account and usually a 24-month minimum term.

Networks

Telekom = best coverage; Vodafone & o2 = better value. Discount brands ride the same three networks.

Home internet

Compare DSL/cable on Check24 / Verivox. Installation can take weeks — order as early as possible.

Kalt- vs. Warmmiete

Kaltmiete = bare rent. Warmmiete = Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten (heating, water, refuse, etc.).

Kaution

Deposit capped at 3 Monatskaltmieten, payable in up to 3 installments, held on a separate interest-bearing account.

Nebenkosten

Paid as a monthly Vorauszahlung; reconciled once a year via the Nebenkostenabrechnung. Tenant notice period: 3 months.

Pfand

Most bottles & cans carry a deposit (Pfand) — return them at supermarket machines for cash back.

Cash & cards

Carry a Girocard (EC) and some cash — many bakeries, Spätis and small shops are still cash-only.

Sundays

Shops close on Sundays and public holidays. Stock up on Saturday; Spätis and station shops help in a pinch.

Quiet & sorting

Respect Ruhezeit (nights & Sundays) and separate waste: Restmüll, Bio, Papier, Gelber Sack, Glas.