# Documents needed to rent a home in Berlin?



## WishPirate (Nov 14, 2016)

I will be moving to Berlin from the USA in the next few months (hopefully, possibly), and I'm trying to figure out what documents I need.

I am employed half time by an American company that lets me telecommute, and then I telecommute as an independent contractor for three other companies, only one of which is based in EU/Schengen. The money's decent, but I'm guessing proof of income will be a bit dicey? What will landlords in Berlin want in terms of proof of income, proof of ID, proof of the right to live in Berlin, etc...?


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Before you worry about the landlord, one rather bigger question: what will your legal status in Germany be?

Are you an EU/EEA citizen, or married to one? If not, what is your plan to gain a residence permit? I'm curious as to how much research you've done, and to how well you speak German.

It's been a long time since I've had to deal with a permanent rental on the private market - as opposed to short-term sublets - but you could be expected to provide proof of income, proof that you're in the country legally, a bank account and possibly a credit history (which you won't have if you've not lived in Germany). The Catch-22, of course, is that you need a registered address to get a bank account and your residence permit, which is what a landlord will want to see, so you should probably plan on a temporary furnished rental for the first three months at least, until you're settled. (You may or may not be aware that an unfurnished rental is often stripped bare, with no kitchen sink, cabinets or appliances, or sometimes even light fixtures. Neither fun nor cheap to set up.)

Presuming that you're a US citizen, you can stay in the country for 90 days as a visitor before you need a residence permit, but you probably should not be working during this period. If you're not employed by a German company willing to sponsor you for a work permit, you will have to throw yourself on the mercy of the Ausländerbehörde, since there isn't exactly a visa category for working remotely. You would also need to set yourself up to pay into the tax and social insurance system, and provide proof of acceptable German health insurance, which won't be cheap if you're a freelancer.

Lots of hurdles, in other words.

PS on edit: By all accounts the rental market in Berlin is getting very tight, so when given the choice of potential tenants, landlords might not be too interested in a foreigner who speaks little German, works remotely at an offshore job, and may not yet have authorization to remain in the country.


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

One of the key things to understand is that you are considered to be working in the country in which you are physically present while doing the work. It matters not at all where the "employer" is located, nor where you are being paid or the location of your customers. Net-net it means that you will need a visa/residence permit with working privileges, whether you are set up as an employee or a contractor or "self-employed" person. That involves, among other things, being set up to pay into the various tax and social insurances that are required in Germany.

And as Nononymous points out, proving your income to a potential landlord also involves proof that you are properly registered with and paying into the local tax and social insurance systems.
Cheers,
Bev


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## WishPirate (Nov 14, 2016)

Thoughtful responses. I probably should have clarified: I'm an EU citizen as well as a US citizen. But I've lived in the states pretty much my whole life. That no doubt clears a good portion of the hurdles I might otherwise face.

I gather that to register residency as an EU citizen in Germany at all, I need proof of a lease. How can I get a three month temporary furnished apartment as mentioned? AirBnB seems VERY expensive in Berlin, and scarce to boot. Are there other sites I should look on? (My German's not so good.) Also, would an address at a short-term furnished rental be sufficient to register my son with the public schools?

The issue with my employment being non-Germany-based is that I work entirely with employers that either pay me via Paypal or pay me by direct deposit into my American bank account. (The latter employers aren't at all set up to deposit money into bank accounts in other countries.) The only real proof of income I could show would be past pay stubs (written in English) or my current ongoing work contracts (written in English). How much good does that do me? I assume there is a way to register all of this income-- and ongoing paychecks-- with the German tax authorities?


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

WishPirate said:


> Thoughtful responses. I probably should have clarified: I'm an EU citizen as well as a US citizen. But I've lived in the states pretty much my whole life. That no doubt clears a good portion of the hurdles I might otherwise face.
> 
> I gather that to register residency as an EU citizen in Germany at all, I need proof of a lease. How can I get a three month temporary furnished apartment as mentioned? AirBnB seems VERY expensive in Berlin, and scarce to boot. Are there other sites I should look on? (My German's not so good.) Also, would an address at a short-term furnished rental be sufficient to register my son with the public schools?
> 
> The issue with my employment being non-Germany-based is that I work entirely with employers that either pay me via Paypal or pay me by direct deposit into my American bank account. (The latter employers aren't at all set up to deposit money into bank accounts in other countries.) The only real proof of income I could show would be past pay stubs (written in English) or my current ongoing work contracts (written in English). How much good does that do me? I assume there is a way to register all of this income-- and ongoing paychecks-- with the German tax authorities?


EU citizenship is one major hurdle cleared. 

For rentals, you can do better than AirBNB but it still won't be cheap. Go to the rental listing sites (immobilienscout24.de and others) and look for rentals "auf zeit" in your timeframe; you can also go directly to agencies like Home Company. I'm not sure what's available in English, or what's even current these days, since I've not had to do this for a while. Get busy with the google, and be prepared to pay a healthy commission of at least one month's rent, plus one to three month's rent as deposit as well, even for a six-month lease. The agency will let you know what documentation is necessary. Since they often deal with international moves they would let you set it up ahead of time then fly in; your having an EU passport would be helpful. 

Even a temporary rental is enough to register your address for bank accounts and school enrollment. Make sure the landlord and/or agency know this requirement ahead of time; people sometimes take illegal sublets then cannot register because the tenant won't inform the landlord or sign the forms. 

For taxes and social insurance, you will need to hire a tax adviser (Steuerberater) with decent English, of which there seems to be a good supply. You'd set up as an independent contractor and self-report all income. (You'll still need to file US tax returns and FinCEN forms, what fun, though you likely won't owe the US any money, so it's simplest to change your status to contractor and get off your US employer's payroll so that they don't take deductions.) If you go with public health insurance you'll be paying the full premium as a freelancer, which can be quite expensive, up to 700 euro/month or thereabouts depending on income.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Also, be aware that telecommuting to North American can be very isolating. I've done this for up to three months at a stretch, and it was about all I could stand. If your job requires real-time interaction with colleagues, you will be working from late afternoon to late evening. That's great for having daylight hours free, but not so great for having any kind of social life or doing stuff with your kid. If your job is more independent or flexible then it works better.


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## WishPirate (Nov 14, 2016)

OK, so there are agencies that can help me. Do you know where I could find a good directory of these? Or can you tell me what English or German keywords to use in Google to find these places? (I just tried Googling without luck, but am very unfamiliar with this industry.) Even if the websites are in German, I may be able to muck my way through or get help from a German speaking friend. 


I definitely hear you on the telecommute thing. My current job is about half flexible, half live telecommute. However, all of the live online conferences I do are with people in the Central European time zone, the UK, and the Mediterranean Middle East during their daytime hour. So my hours have actually been more isolating here in the States. This is actually the biggest reason I'm moving. I can take on more telecommute work, more functionally, if I actually live in/near my clients' time zones.


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## Nononymous (Jul 12, 2011)

Some keywords:
immobilien
wohnen auf zeit
plus whatever works in English, as there are things aimed at expats

Home Company is the only agency I remember. They will set up the contract and take payment and all that, but they charge a healthy fee for their services.


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## *Sunshine* (Mar 13, 2016)

It has become near impossible to find long-term affordable housing in Berlin and as a newly arrived foreigner it will be even more difficult. Tenants have many more rights in Germany and landlords tend to be choosey.

Without a steady local income stream you'll be limited at first to short-term rentals and sublets that are usually much more expensive. Make sure you budget enough and bring sufficient funds for the Makler (realtor) as well as deposit.

Another popular agency for furnished rentals is (I haven't used them) https://www.crocodilian.de.

A good website that also has sublets is WG gesucht (just make sure you check the box for apartments and not just rooms).

Beware of ads that appear too good to be true, there are also many scams.


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## Lil_M (May 16, 2012)

Hello there,

I've just been through the apartment hunting process in Berlin and found it wasn't nearly as difficult and discouraging as I was warned it would be. I've PM'd you with some advice from my experience. But mainly I'd say for now check out 

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-wohnung-mieten/berlin/c203l3331
http://www.wg-gesucht.de/

And if you're really desperate, there's also EXBERLINER Flat Rentals. However apartments are a bit overpriced, plus they charge a commission. 

Any more questions, PM me and I'd be happy to offer advice!


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