Renting a flat in Germany: what a landlord may ask for, and when
Guidance of Germany's data protection authorities, under the GDPR: what a landlord may ask depends on the stage. The landlord may see your ID, but may not copy it. Questions that are not allowed need not be answered.
What the official texts say, for information; not legal advice.
At the viewing
May be asked
- name, first name and address
- one way to reach you: phone or e-mail (more is up to you)
- if you view alone, seeing your ID card to check these details; a copy of it is not allowed
Das Anfertigen einer Ausweiskopie ist nicht erforderlich und damit unzulässig.
- for social housing: whether you have a housing entitlement certificate (WBS), its floor area and rooms
Once you say you want to rent
May be asked
- how many people will move in, adults or children
- the housing entitlement certificate (WBS) itself
- current employer and occupation
- net income, or what is left after monthly charges, or simply yes or no to “at least X a month”
- pets, except small caged animals
- an insolvency procedure not yet finished
- an eviction order in the last five years
Once the landlord has chosen you, before signing
May be asked
- proof of income as a copy, with the details not needed blacked out: payslip, bank statement or tax assessment
unter Schwärzung der nicht erforderlichen Angaben
- a credit report you get yourself, made for renting (not a credit bureau's full self-disclosure)
- proof that a public body pays the rent, where one does
May not be asked
- a copy of the ID card
Personalausweiskopien … sind unzulässig
- marital status
- nationality, religion, ethnic origin
- criminal record or current investigations
- plans to marry, pregnancy, wanting children
- membership of a party or a tenants' association
- how long you have been employed, or what your monthly charges are for
- previous landlords' contact details, or a certificate of no rent arrears
Sources
- Datenschutzkonferenz, Orientierungshilfe zur Einholung von Selbstauskünften bei Mietinteressent:innen, Version 2.0 · as of January 2026, published in March 2026
- Personalausweisgesetz, § 20 (copies of the ID card) · last amended on 16 July 2026
Checked on 19 October 2026.
Proof of income with what is not needed blacked out: Colshare, coming to Android, proposes boxes over the account and card numbers on payslips and statements, and you check the copy before you send it.
Need these papers from someone? Colshare, coming to Android, sends this list as an ask link: they add photos or PDFs in their browser, and only your phone can open them. See how it works