Germany rent brake (Mietpreisbremse) calculator: is your rent too high?
How much rent was allowed at the start of the lease in Germany, whether you pay too much and how much you can claim back.
Excess rent paid per month
€126.00
with a permitted maximum rent of €924.00 a month
- Allowed at most €924.00
- Your rent €1,050.00
- 25% above the comparable rent
The local comparable rent is €12.00 per m², for 70 m² so €840.00. With the permitted 10% on top it is at most €924.00 a month. You pay €1,050.00: €126.00 a month and €1,512.00 a year too much.
If you object now, within 30 months of the start of the lease, you can claim back the excess rent from the start of the lease: after 12 months €1,512.00 (BGB § 556g para. 2).
- If the landlord invoked an exception, they had to inform you before your contract declaration; otherwise they cannot rely on it at first (BGB § 556g para. 1a).
- Object to the violation in text form: without an objection you do not get the excess rent back (BGB § 556g paras. 2 and 4).
Your rent compared
- Allowed€92488%
- Too much€12612%
I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.
Show the detailsHide the details
| Local comparable rent€12.00 × 70 m² | €840.00 | |
|---|---|---|
| + | 10% surchargeBGB § 556d para. 1 | €84.00 |
| = | Maximum permitted rent | €924.00 |
| Agreed net rent | €1,050.00 | |
| = | Excess rent paid per month | €126.00 |
How it works
- In areas that the state government has designated as having a tight housing market, the rent when a new lease is concluded may exceed the local comparable rent by at most 10 percent (BGB § 556d para. 1). You find the comparable rent in the rent index (Mietspiegel); here you enter the value per square meter for your apartment, and the calculator multiplies it by the living area and by 1.10.
- Exceptions: an apartment that was first used and let after October 1, 2014, and the first letting after comprehensive modernization (BGB § 556f). A higher previous rent may still be demanded by the landlord (§ 556e para. 1). After a modernization in the last three years, the landlord may exceed the limit by the amount that a modernization rent increase would give: 8 percent of the costs a year, at most €3 per square meter a month, €2 for a rent under €7 per square meter (§ 556e para. 2, § 559).
- You only get excess rent back if you have objected to the violation in text form (BGB § 556g paras. 2 and 4). If you object within 30 months of the start of the lease, you can claim back the rent from the start of the lease; if you object later, only the rent that falls due after the objection is received.
Worked example
Apartment of 70 m², comparable rent €12 per m²: €12 × 70 m² = €840, with the 10% surcharge at most €924 a month. Agreed is €1,050: €126 a month too much, with an objection after 12 months €1,512 back. With a previous rent of €1,000 only €50 would be too much.
Sources
- Civil Code (BGB) § 556d: permissible rent at the start of the lease — gesetze-im-internet.de (in German)
- Civil Code (BGB) § 556e: taking into account the previous rent or a modernization carried out (in German)
- Civil Code (BGB) § 556f: exceptions (in German)
- Civil Code (BGB) § 556g: legal consequences; information about the rent (in German)
- Civil Code (BGB) § 559: rent increase after modernization measures (in German)
Text checked on October 6, 2026
Good to know
- This is an estimate from your details. The local comparable rent of a single apartment is often a range in the rent index, and in a dispute a court examines the individual case.
- If the landlord invokes a previous rent, a new build or a modernization, they had to inform you before your contract declaration; otherwise they cannot rely on it at first (BGB § 556g para. 1a).
- With a graduated rent the limit applies to each step (BGB § 557a para. 4), with an index-linked rent only to the starting rent (§ 557b para. 4).
- The calculator compares the net rent without utility and heating costs and does not know special cases such as a furnishing surcharge.
- The tenant can demand information from the landlord about the facts that matter for the permissible rent; all declarations about the rent brake need text form (BGB § 556g paras. 3 and 4).
Frequently asked questions
What is the rent brake?
A limit for new leases: in areas with a tight housing market, the rent at the start of the lease may exceed the local comparable rent by at most 10 percent (BGB § 556d para. 1).
Where does the rent brake apply?
Only in areas that the state government has designated by ordinance; these ordinances must end by December 31, 2029 at the latest (BGB § 556d para. 2). Whether your municipality is included is in your state’s ordinance.
When does the rent brake not apply?
For an apartment first used and let after October 1, 2014, and for the first letting after comprehensive modernization (BGB § 556f). The rent may also be higher if the previous rent was higher or if the apartment was modernized in the last three years (BGB § 556e).
Can I claim back excess rent?
Yes, if you have objected to the violation, in text form. If you object within 30 months of the start of the lease, you get the rent back from the start of the lease; later only the rent that falls due after the objection is received (BGB § 556g para. 2).
May the landlord refuse to give information?
On request the landlord must give information about the facts that matter for the permissible rent, as far as they are not generally accessible and the landlord can easily give them (BGB § 556g para. 3).