Proving credit history to a prospective landlord

I'm currently on the market to find a nicer flat, but the one that really peaked my attention mentioned that I must provide them with Schufa records of somekind.

I did setup a viewing for this coming Thursday, but the guy mentioned that there was somebody already wanting the flat who they haven't decided on yet. So I guess this turns into a competetion between the two of us (thats if I decide to go for it), but I'm guessing that there's no contest between a foreigner from Canada with no Schufa record and a German who's looking for a flat and probably is known by Schufa.

I've decided to print out bank statements from Canada and credit card history to prove I'm a reliable tenant... and maybe get a reference from my old Berlin landlady (who I dont want anything to do with)... maybe that will suffice in place of that missing German credit.

Anyone have any other tips for beating out this person who's competing with me?

Normally minor businesses like your landlord will have no chance to get an information from Schufa - except they ask you to provide a statement you have to get from Schufa yourself ("Selbstauskunft").

I know for shure that a mobile contract with Vodaphone (former D2) is recorded by SCHUFA - which is not a negativ item (as long as you pay your bills).

Any entry in SCHUFA could be considered negative as it is an incumbent liability on your personal finances. That's the whole point of SCHUFA - estimating your ability to pay regular bills to others by summarising your liabilities and regular payments.

Thanks for the replies... but would anyone have any ideas on what I can do instead of providing SCHUFA records of which are completely non-existant? Or any tips around that bit? Surely the Germans have gotta be somewhat flexible.

This "Selbstauskunft" is nothing more than you telling the Landlord how much you earn and who is paying you. They may ask you to bring 3 Payslips with you or something, but SCHUFA records? Do me a favour! Sounds like the potential Landlord is doing all he can to prevent you getting the apartment without having to tell you he does not actually want you in there.

I don't think it is - I had to get a Selbstauskunft from SCHUFA for the flat I lived in before this one (why I'll never know, it was a right dive ).
You just go to their offices (somewhere at Hbf IIRC), they give you a slip of paper saying you're not dodgy and you hand over some exhorbitant fee for the priviledge.
Some landlords ask for it and some don't. I guess it depends on whether they've had their fingers burned in the past or not.

I was told by German colleagues never to apply for a SCHUFA record. Once you ask for the information you also allow them to have a file on you. I don't know why this is considered bad, but they (my colleagues) assume it is then easier for a creditor to file something on your record if you have a file already. Refuse.

You can't stop them having a file on you, and usually, the simple act of opening a bank account begins one, so most people living here have a SCHUFA record, even if it is as good as empty. Many credit institutions consider it VERY negative to NOT have a SCHUFA record than simply having a poor one.

Not easier for a creditor to file on you, but easier for him to find out whom you have owed how much for how long, if there are writs/verdicts/garnishments of wages against you, if you yourself or someone is your name has filed for insolvency procedures against you, if you have signed a credit agreement with a bank either as creditee or guarantor etc. It's not a blacklist unless your credit rating is bad anyway.

hi there id like to add something to this thread , i came to germany in sept 2000 leaving uk with approx ,,,,, i say aprox cos i thought it better not to count them lol , 17 actice ccjs, all uk peeps will know what they are , but basically i was f...ked , so i got a job in germany , however now six yrs has gone by and im returning to uk , with a clean , aslong as i remove them off the register credit rating.
however my point is really to do with schufa-- and its powers of checking records mmmm, after i got a ful time contract with my firm i decide to buy a flat , did the bizz and obviously the bank did a schufa check on me--- result clean; AT this time approx ten to fifteen ccjs were still active in uk , so i guess my point is schufa can AND only does check your credit rating in germany, contary to its small print on back of a SCHUFA form. interesting thought ???

SCHUFA doesn't go looking for bad debt. Your creditors have to actually manually insert records on your SCHUFA files. UK creditors are hardly going to go around the world looking for credit agencies to add your debt records to...