Rent a house: commission-free and private

Rent a house: Offers and special features in Germany

Germany is a "tenants' market". Although the proportion of homeowners has been rising slightly for some years, it is still below 50 percent. Despite the equally sharp rise in rents and comparatively attractive interest rates for real estate loans, many people still prefer to rent a house or apartment.

While many can only afford an apartment, others are realizing their dream of a house, at least in the form of a house to rent. The majority of offers come from private individuals. Many offers are placed on the market directly and without estate agents. Anyone looking to rent a house will therefore find many offers from private individuals, such as here on our site.

Rents for houses are rising

In most regions, rents for houses have risen continuously in recent years and decades. This is shown by data from the rent index. Nevertheless, many people are reluctant to buy a house. Renting has advantages such as enormous flexibility for life planning. But the trend in recent years also shows that the desire for a little more comfort than in an apartment has a price - rising rents.

However, there are differences. Not all houses are the same and the location is decisive for the rent level. As with all properties to rent, houses in the city or in prime locations are more expensive than those in the countryside. If you are not tied to one location, you can live a few kilometers outside the conurbations for significantly less.

Rent a house with or without a plot?

Most houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses or bungalows are available with a garden. This is precisely what makes the big difference compared to an apartment and is an argument for many people looking for a home to ultimately prefer a house. But you don't always have to have your own plot of land. In inner-city locations or in densely built-up areas, but also occasionally in villages, there are houses for rent without an additional plot of land.

If you are lucky enough to have some space and/or a garden, on the other hand, you can have three. It is true that the landlord may have some say in the design. As a rule, however, tenants of a house can use the property freely. Depending on the surroundings, this means not only leisure opportunities, but also peace and quiet. However, it can sometimes be noisier in the village or in a new development in a small town than in a slightly older single-family home estate in the city ... As always, it depends on the location whether a house with or without a plot of land is worthwhile.

Renting a house: Who is this particularly interesting for?

Living in a detached house, close to nature and the city in a traffic-calmed street where children can play without worrying - for many Germans, this is the desirable alternative to a rented apartment. Young families in particular, who often do not yet have sufficient equity, do not want to do without a detached house for the sake of their children. Rental offers without estate agent costs make the move to a new home much more affordable. But people who would like to use a garden, couples who need a bit of space or people who find it too noisy in the city will also find their wishes fulfilled in a rented house.

When is it worth renting - calculate carefully!

Financially, the question of whether to rent or buy is a simple calculation: the younger the prospective buyer is, the better their income and the clearer the local connection, the more worthwhile it is to look for houses to buy. The financial advantage evaporates if prospective buyers have only ever rented and have not been able to build up large reserves. In this case, renting a house makes more sense than buying, even at an older age.

Commission-free offers can mean lower rents

Commission-free offers from private sellers can be more attractive. Many private sellers do without an estate agent and can therefore keep the rent a little lower. Important for prospective buyers: The landlord always pays the estate agent's fee when renting. Exception: The prospective tenants have commissioned an estate agent themselves. In this case, two net cold rents plus VAT are typically payable as commission.

The difference: A rented house is different from an apartment

In principle, it is initially irrelevant whether someone wants to rent a house or an apartment. The cornerstones of tenancy law as well as the contract design and the rental process are the same. The rights and obligations are also virtually the same. Nevertheless, there are small details that make renting a house special.

Depending on the agreement with the landlord, tenants of a house bear a little more responsibility. They often register with the local water supplier and waste disposal company themselves. They sometimes commission chimney sweeps and boiler maintenance themselves and bear minor repair costs themselves much more frequently than in an apartment. You can freely design your "house and yard" and also make small changes. In short: you are much more autonomous, but this also entails more obligations. However, these freedoms depend on the landlord and the legal details from tenancy law remain fully valid. This also applies to the rules on conversions in rented properties.

The rent for a house

As with an apartment, the rent is made up of the basic rent per square meter and the operating costs. In addition to normal rental agreements, there may be index-linked and graduated rental agreements, as with apartments.

The operating costs are the costs that the owner incurs on an ongoing basis due to the intended use of the building and the property and are passed on to the tenants via a flat-rate service charge or advance service charge payment. The contributions are finally settled in the operating cost statement.

In addition, consumption-based operating costs for heating and hot water supply as well as electricity, water/waste water and refuse charges are usually settled directly by the tenant with the respective utility company when renting a house. However, this may be regulated differently in individual cases. Garden design and maintenance are generally the responsibility of the tenant, as is street cleaning (unless regulated by the local authority) and snow clearing.

Operating costs not dependent on consumption

A look at the typical ancillary costs when renting a house shows that there are few differences to rental apartments:

• Property tax,
• water consumption,
• street cleaning,
• waste disposal,
• chimney cleaning,
• maintenance work (e.g. boiler, guttering, smoke detectors),
• Premiums for certain insurance policies (homeowners' insurance, liability insurance for landowners, etc.)

These costs are allocated in the gross rent according to the rented living space. In addition, consumption-based operating costs for heating, hot water, electricity and individual expenses for Internet/TV are due.

Advantages and disadvantages of renting a house

Renting a house has many advantages. But there are also disadvantages. We list the most important aspects here so that you can browse the offers for commission-free houses in a more informed way.

The advantages of renting a house:

• High flexibility when moving in and out,
• financial and local flexibility,
• less responsibility for the tenant in the care and maintenance of the house,
• lower financing requirements,
• lower ancillary costs,
• later rental purchase of the house,
• more peace and space than in an apartment.

Disadvantages of renting a house:

• No provision for old age,
• limited freedom of design,
• more duties such as garden maintenance and street cleaning,
• Changes to the house must be approved by the owner or expensively dismantled when moving out,
• Rental costs are very likely to rise in the long term.

If renting a house, then commission-free offers

In view of the current low interest rates, it makes sense to compare the rental costs incurred with the financing costs that would be incurred if you bought a house. This allows a decision to be made on the basis of sober figures.

If there are no estate agent costs, this is often reflected in a lower rent. It makes sense to look specifically for such commission-free offers and compare the rents.

The dream of owning your own home is not always feasible. Renting can then be a good alternative. This applies to a small house in the countryside, a spacious bungalow, an urban villa, a small terraced house or a semi-detached house. If you are looking for such a property, you will find many offers. The more rural the area, the cheaper the rent usually is. It is therefore worth extending your search radius by a few kilometers. Then the house will also be affordable for tenants who have a lower income.