Renting off post in Wiesbaden: what Americans should know

Cold rent, warm rent and the yearly bill

Kaltmiete (cold rent) is the base rent for the apartment. On top come Nebenkosten: building costs like water, sewage, trash, building insurance, cleaning of common areas and often heating. You pay them as a fixed monthly advance.

Once a year the landlord sends a Nebenkostenabrechnung, a statement of the real costs. Depending on your use you get money back or pay the difference. Landlords have up to 12 months after the end of the billing year to send it, so keep money aside when you PCS.

Electricity and internet are usually your own contracts. On this site every listing says whether utilities are included or how much they are.

Ask the landlord what the utilities advance covers and what last year's statement looked like.

Security deposit (Kaution)

By German law the deposit can be at most three months of cold rent. With the standard lease used through the Housing Services Office, two months is common.

The deposit covers damage and unpaid utility bills, not your last month's rent. After you move out, the landlord may keep part of it until the yearly utility statement is done.

Military members can ask finance about advance pay for rent and deposit.

The lease and the military clause

Let the Housing Services Office (HSO) look at the lease before you sign anything. HSO uses bilingual leases, and a bilingual lease is needed for OHA.

The military clause lets you end the lease with 30 days' notice for PCS orders, government quarters and a few other reasons. Without it, German law usually means three months' notice to the end of a month.

Notice must be in writing and sent by registered mail (Einschreiben) or handed over in person. Email, text or fax don't count. Verbal agreements are binding in Germany, so be careful what you agree to on the phone.

Kitchens, lights and closets

Many unfurnished German apartments come without a fitted kitchen, without ceiling lights and without built-in closets. That's normal here, not a sign of a bad landlord.

Check the listing for “Fitted kitchen” and ask what stays in the apartment. Military members may get help for some items through MIHA; ask HSO what is covered for you.

Real estate agents (Makler)

Agent fees are not reimbursed for military or civilian personnel, and HSO can't help negotiate when an agent is involved. Landlords on this site list their places themselves, without an agent.

Searching while on TLA

TLA is tied to actively looking for a place. Your housing office may ask for a list of the places you have viewed, and the rules about which lodging TLA covers have changed over time.

Ask HSO about the current requirements before you book furnished lodging for TLA. Our saved list has a viewing log you can print or save as a PDF.

Move-in inspection

Schedule a move-in inspection with HSO. If there's no appointment, do it together with the landlord, write down every scratch and stain, and take dated photos. It protects your deposit when you move out.

German house rules in short

Quiet hours: most buildings expect quiet at night, usually from 10 pm, and often on Sundays and holidays. The Hausordnung (house rules) of your building has the details.

Trash is sorted: paper, packaging (yellow bin or bag), organic waste, glass by color, and the rest. Bins and pickup days are set by the city and the building.

Air out the apartment a few times a day by opening the windows wide for a few minutes (Stoßlüften). It keeps mold away, especially in winter.