Rental Agreement: templates and forms
4 forms available to fill out or download.
Open-ended residential lease, with optional notice waiver (Germany)
The usual German lease of a flat for an indefinite term, and the right choice for anyone who wants a fixed minimum term: the optional mutual waiver of ordinary notice binds both sides for up to four years, as far as the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) allows, without the reason a fixed-term lease under § 575 of the German Civil Code (BGB) would need. Otherwise the tenant gives three months' notice and the landlord needs a statutory reason. With the deposit rules of § 551 BGB, service charges under the BetrKV, stepped or index-linked rent, the rent-cap disclosure and decoration clauses that stand up in court. In German, to print and sign.
Sublease of a room in a shared flat (Germany)
The agreement by which the main tenant of a flat in Germany sublets a room in the shared flat (WG): the room and shared use of kitchen and bathroom, rent with a flat-rate charge for utilities, the deposit under § 551 of the German Civil Code (BGB), house rules and notice. It records the landlord's permission to sublet (§ 540 BGB) and sets the notice period by whether the room is furnished and the main tenant lives in the flat — then notice by the 15th takes effect at the end of that month. Open-ended or with an end date, for a semester for instance. In German, to print and sign.
Fixed-term residential lease under § 575 BGB (Germany)
A fixed-term lease of a flat in Germany (Zeitmietvertrag), for the one case German law allows it: the landlord means to live there or house family there afterwards, to demolish or substantially rebuild the flat, or to let it as staff housing, and states that reason concretely in writing at signing, as § 575 of the German Civil Code (BGB) requires. Without such a reason any fixed term counts as open-ended — for a guaranteed minimum term, take the open-ended lease with a notice waiver. With the deposit rules of § 551 BGB, stepped or index-linked rent, the rent-cap disclosure and lawful decoration clauses. In German, to print and sign by hand.
Lease of a furnished room in the landlord's own flat (Germany)
A lease of a furnished room in a flat in Germany that the landlord lives in — whether as owner or as a tenant with permission to sublet — with shared use of kitchen and bathroom. Under § 549(2) no. 2 of the German Civil Code (BGB) such a room has only limited tenant protection: no rent cap, no rent-increase rules, and notice by either side by the 15th to the end of the month, without a reason. With an inventory of the furniture, a flat-rate charge for utilities, the deposit under § 551 BGB, house rules and an optional end date. In German, to print and sign.