Short-term furnished apartment rentals - a rant

Is there something wrong here in Germany? I've been looking at the web sites for short term furnished flats and every single one of the companies advertising here - Mr Lodge, Liz Frey, etc. - says that you have to sign a rental contract and post a deposit and pay for a professional cleaning crew - €100 to €300.

Is that not the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard!

I can't believe they can get away with that. I mean, I am here for a month and I have to sign a contract and put a deposit down. That is just an excuse to gouge the renter, "oh you spilt coffee on my flea-bitten couch, now you have to replace it". I don't think so. I've been on the road for almost five years, most of it in short term lets, and have never paid a deposit or signed a contract for a furnished place. Nor will I. Why do you think they charge extra. If you don't have a German bank account or are here for a short visit you are basically giving the landlord the money with the hope he'll return it.

It's stupid!

Anyone who puts a deposit on a furnished flat deserves to lose their money!

For newcomers to Germany I am putting together a short blurb on avoiding dodgy landlords, a few things to be aware of - this post will go under accommodations wanted. I guess I'm going to have to add a section about short term lets that you don't require a contract and never give a deposit. I just can't believe they do that, I guess its just the over the top Germanness!

I didn't put this under "accommodations wanted" as it's a rant rather than a posting for an apartment.

If you don't want to pay a deposit, stay in an Aparthotel such as this one.

Looks like you may be spending a few nights in "cardboard city" near Donnersburgerbrücke

in Germany you have to pay a deposit on any rented accommodation. It is quite normal and nothing worth getting hot under the collar about. You won't be able to avoid it.

I don't understand what is so strange? I agree the cleaning bill is a bit steep, but a deposit I would expect and see nothing wrong with it. In addition, they have to pay you interest on your deposit which they should have a separate konto account for it.

the cleaning bill is also quite normal for short term lets because many land lords have had bad experiences with tenants that don't treat the property with any respect and leave it looking like a pig sty.

Also, what you mustn't forget is that most short-term lets are paid for by companies, who usually foot the bill for the going rate. This tends to increase the "going rate" to as much as the lettors feel they can get away with. Also most people in this situation are business people in busy jobs with no time to clean etc and who show littel respect for the property.

You are letting an apartment so you need a contract.

The contract will contain a list of items in the apartment and their condition. You can inspect EVERYTHING in the apartment and add bits to the list if you like. You can write down anything you want regarding the condition of these pieces and then sign that sheet declaring you are taking on the apartment, even for one short month, in that condition.

On this contract it will also have your details and give the landlord a possibility to track you down should you piss off having trashed the place.

A higher-than-average deposit also ensures that the landlord has some compensation should you piss off having supplied false information before trashing the place.

You will, however, get a receipt for the deposit and it will be in the contract so the landlord is legally obliged to return it to you..

If you don't like it then stay in a hotel for a month or these apartment hotels as Katrina suggested

When we first came here in 1999, accommodation was virtually impossible to find. We ended up staying in a holiday apartment in Starnberg which was cheaper than anything an agency could come up with. It did the job but the novelty wore off after the first month and I certainly had had enough after the fourth month. The owners of the apartment were in heaven as we paid regularly and they did not have to arrange new tenants for a long time. The problem came (for us) when the summer arrived and the apartment regulars returned. I cannot remember whether we paid any kind of deposit.

Yes if you renting a normal apartment, but not a short term let. We were just in Erding for 18 months (the project is being moved to Madrid YES good bye snow) in the first place Hotel Regent and it was verbal reservation, the second was a verbal contract, his only request was a deposit against the first months rent, just to ensure we showed up. The cost was 1100 per month which is double what he get if he rented if as an apartment. In both cases I didn't require a contract or deposit. I get hot under the collar because you wouldn't pay a deposit against damages for a hotel room why should you on a short term let, its basically a fancy hotel room.

Think of it this way, last year on holidays the short term let you took the wife and kids for two weeks, did you sign a contract or put a deposit against damages of course not. You probably had to pay a cleaning fee but that is normal. The only exception might be company apartments, BMW has a bunch and they are tiny. In that case they will sign a contract agreeing that they have exclusive use of the apartment for there employees, they get a slight discount and the landlord doesn't have the hassle of.

It seems to be strictly a Munich thing no body else does that, I've been looking around and it seems every agency wants some form of deposit. My suggestion is to go private.

One place I looked at you had to sign off on an apartment list just to avoid theft but no deposit or contract

if we are talking about furnished flats (cos now i am not at all certain whether you mean that or a something like Katrina's Aparthotel because of this comment:
) then it is not just Munich, I can't imagine you'd be able to get rented furnished accommodation for 18 months with no security deposit anywhere in Germany.


mmmm. now I think we have crossed wires. What do you mean by this? I am assuming you are talking about renting from private landlords. What would be non-private by your definition?

Actually you do have to pay a deposit in most hotel rooms in the US, if you don't use a credit card.

Frankly I think you are lucky to find any landlord willing to offer a place on a short-term let. Barely economic for the landlord or the letting agent. Hardly ever used to see them in the UK, and I was an estate agent before you start.

I did in Garching... furnished flat, no contract or deposit, pay month's rent in advance. been here 18 months will leave in September. I'll accept it's very rare, but it does happen

Yes, when I first moved here few years ago I went with a certain company called "Mr. Something-or-other" - the biggest rip off in town. Moreover, the service I got out of those people was just plain wrong. You pay a lot for nothing!!! They have a great website though! :-) Don't let that part fool you!

I think it is te normal to pay deposit for a short (or long) term rental of a flat...in the UK.

Certianly that's been my experiance as a jobber.

What is different here is the large non-returnable fee paid to the agency (Mr.Blank or whoever) for doing **** all.

The deposits they ask for here, are larger than back in the UK...frankly as a landlord back home I think this is one area that the Germans are better set up than us. Especialy those special bank accounts where they put deposits...that is good system for both landlord and tenent.

I let out house back home...and I think (for a long term let) that a 3 month (typical German deposit) is better than UK's normal one months deposit...because nearly all tenents gyp the last month rent (use the depost as rent) and often leave the place a s******e

I've never signed a contract or paid a deposit against a furnished flat. The idea is the landlord (usually) puts in old beaten up furniture and charges double the going rate. Munich seems to be unusual in that they do charge deposits. Occasionally if its a nicer place they will have you sign off a list of items so if you bust or remove something you pay for it.

For example we were 11 months at Hotel Regent (I don't know why we stayed so long there 19 qmts small) and then moved toAfelbaum Gasthaus in Erding for a further 8 months. In Hotel Regent we made a verbal reservation and Afelbaum we put a 500€ cash deposit down. But that went towards the 1st months rent.

Generally speaking I've rented the flats on a month to month basis, and the project always ended up being go longer than planned.

We also just rented a place in Madrid other than a cash deposit to hold it we nothing else and that was for a 3 month rental (with option to extend) and for the week rental was reserved simply by email. the cash deposit is then applied to the first months rent.

I should add that when I first started being on the road most places I stayed at were company appartments so I didn't even worry abou it, but recently I've starting arranging my own place. The alternative being a hotel room.