How do I rent an apartment?
A rental agreement for an apartment can be concluded quickly. If it contains errors or if you catch the wrong tenant, it could be difficult to get the tenant out again. Find out the right way beforehand and rent out with as little risk as possible.
If you want to rent an apartment, you are sure to be interested with the rent to generate a return and not incur losses.
Offer an apartment competently
- You can easily get one estate agents commission, who will help you with his experience and market knowledge and weed out unsuitable prospective tenants. As a rule, the tenant pays the broker's commission. This may amount to a maximum of two months' rent plus sales tax. Often times, the broker expects you to pay half the commission. He is not allowed to demand advances.
- Please note that this commission is performance-based and only has to be paid by the tenant if a rental agreement is concluded. Doesn't come rental contract the broker can agree with you that you reimburse him for his expenses against proof.
- If you want to work without a broker, advertise your apartment in the newspaper. Show the cold rent and point out that consumption-dependent extra costs attack.
- You can ask the prospective tenant about his income situation and request a salary or pension certificate. If the rent is paid by the social welfare office, the tenant must inform you. Note that the prospective tenant only has to answer questions that are directly related to the rental agreement.
Rent an apartment - what to watch out for
Renting out an apartment should be very well planned and considered, because you have ...
Rent if possible renovated
- Make sure that you are offering the apartment in a reasonable condition. Don't necessarily leave a necessary one to the tenant renovation, as this can result in a variety of complications. Agree that the tenant must return the apartment in the same condition when moving out.
- Make sure that you have installed separate measuring devices for the energy consumption of the tenant. This saves you all sorts of billing difficulties.
- Get a sample rental agreement from the stationery store and read it through in detail. Always conclude the rental agreement in writing.
Keep these details in mind when renting out
- Make sure you know whether you want to rent out the apartment indefinitely or for a limited period of time.
- Make sure that you indicate all additional costs that are permissible to be transferred to the tenant.
- Make a specific agreement on how many people want to move into the apartment.
- Discuss whether the tenant would like to admit animals into the apartment and reserve your express consent for admitting larger or unusual animals.
- Make sure that you correctly state the number of square meters of the apartment and avoid rent reduction claims by the tenant.
- Ask for a deposit and, in accordance with the law, place it in a savings book in the name of the tenant with a three-month notice period. The deposit may amount to a maximum of three times the net rent.
- Please note that with the rent you receive income from renting and leasing and that you have to declare this in your income tax return. Keep a proper book right from the start so that you can always prove your expenses and offset them against the income.
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