Subletting a room in a German flat share

Ask first: landlord and flat

In Germany a sublet is legally a sublease (Untermiete) and needs the landlord’s permission, ideally in writing. If a legitimate interest arises after you sign your contract, for example a temporary stay abroad, you can, under certain conditions, demand that permission (§ 553 para. 1 BGB). Your flatmates matter just as much: they will live with the new person for months and should help choose.

Finding the subtenant

Subtenants often search at short notice and for fixed periods, for example exchange students or interns. State exactly in the ad from when until when the room is free, what it costs all-in (Warmmiete) and what stays in the room. Abbreviations such as ZW, WM and NK are explained in the flat-share glossary. A short meeting with the flat, by video call if need be, prevents nasty surprises. How to sort and choose applications is in find a flatmate, and what the interview usually looks like in WG-Casting questions.

The sublease

1. The names of the main tenant (Hauptmieter) and the subtenant
2. The exact period with start and end date
3. Rent including utilities, internet and the broadcasting fee share
4. The deposit (Kaution) and when it is paid back
5. Which furniture and items stay in the room
6. That the flat’s rules apply, such as the cleaning rota and quiet hours
7. A written handover record (Übergabeprotokoll) with photos at the start and at the end

Rent and deposit

It is usual for the subtenant to take over the rent for the room, meaning their share of the Kaltmiete (rent excluding utilities), the utilities, electricity and internet. You keep paying the landlord or the flat as before and receive the money from the subtenant. A deposit (Kaution) of one to two months’ rent protects you against damage and open amounts. Anyone letting a furnished room may charge a reasonable supplement for it, but profit at the subtenant’s expense is not the point.

Address registration and formalities

Someone who is already registered in Germany and stays no longer than six months does not usually have to re-register for the sublet. If the person stays longer, they must register (Anmeldung, address registration) within two weeks after the six months have passed, and someone who otherwise lives abroad must already do so after three months. For this, you as main tenant issue the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (landlord’s confirmation of move-in). You yourself normally stay registered at the flat address while you are away. Set up a mail redirection (Nachsendeauftrag) or ask the flat to collect your post. More on registering is in Anmeldung in a shared flat.

In daily life in the flat

For the time of the sublet the new person is a full member of the flat: they are in the cleaning rota, chip in on shared shopping and keep to the rules. In the flat-share app ManaWG they join the flat with an invite link and leave it themselves at the end. Expenses are split with them in that time, not with you. Before they move out their balance should be at zero.

Return and handover

At the end, do a handover using the handover record from the start. Check the room and inventory, settle open amounts and pay back the deposit if everything is in order. Allow a few days of buffer between the subtenant moving out and your return in case a date shifts. If you still have questions about the rota and costs during your absence, see holidays and time away in a flat share.