Lease

Can landlords ban pets in Germany? What's allowed for dogs, cats and small animals, why a blanket ban is void (§ 535 BGB, BGH ruling) and how to draft a valid clause.

Draft a watertight Kleinreparaturklausel: the valid per-repair and annual caps, which repairs count, and when the whole clause becomes void and you pay it all.

Bestellerprinzip for rentals: the landlord pays the Makler (§ 2 WoVermRG). Capped at 2 net cold rents plus VAT; passing it to the tenant is void.

Draft a legally sound residential Mietvertrag: required details, fixed-term or open-ended, Staffelmiete or Indexmiete, Kaution limits and invalid clauses – step by step for landlords.

Staffelmiete (stepped rent, § 557a BGB) or Indexmiete (index-linked rent, § 557b BGB)? How landlords agree a predictable Mieterhöhung – rules, limits and comparison.

Can a foreigner rent an apartment in Germany? Yes — German tenancy law protects every tenant regardless of nationality. The documents you need, renting without a SCHUFA, your deposit limit and your rights.

Can your landlord ban pets in Germany? Which animals you may keep without permission, why a blanket ban is void (§ 535 BGB, BGH) and how to get consent for a dog or cat.

Kleinreparaturklausel in your Mietvertrag: when do you as a tenant have to pay, and when not? Limits, the 4 requirements, and when the clause is void.

Maklerprovision (broker commission) when renting: under the Bestellerprinzip, whoever orders the broker pays (§ 2 Abs. 1a WoVermRG). As a tenant you usually pay nothing.

Check your Mietvertrag before signing: the Kaution may not exceed 3 Nettokaltmieten (§ 551 BGB), and Schönheitsreparaturen and Kleinreparatur clauses are often void. What to look for.