How to Use ImmobilienScout24 in English
This page is about searching ImmobilienScout24 in English, one of Germany’s leading property rental platforms for long-term apartments. We show you how to navigate the platform, cover useful German terminology for housing and give tips on the paperwork you need for securing a long-term apartment in Germany.
Note: While ImmobilienScout24 is a good resource for finding a long-term apartment, we actually recommend that you initially opt for short-term accommodation when arriving in Germany. We recommend this because:
✔️ Most listings on ImmobilienScout24 require you to provide paperwork to secure an apartment, which may include a SCHUFA credit report, liability insurance, work contract, payslips, etc. This paperwork can be difficult (or even impossible) to arrange when first arriving in Germany.
✔️ Finding a long-term apartment can take time. When arriving in Germany, you need a place right away, preferably with address registration (Anmeldung). Taking even 1 month to complete your Anmeldung can really hamper your move to Germany.
✔️ It’s not recommended that you sign-up for a long-term apartment without seeing the property as there may be issues with the apartment or area, and there are numerous property scams circulating on Germany’s rental platforms.
English terminology for navigating ImmobilienScout24
When moving to Germany, you’ll likely make use of various property rental platforms when searching for a long-term apartment to call home. Leading the way is ImmobilienScout24, which is definitely one of the most popular platforms for apartment hunters in Germany.
📕 However, the issue for many expats is that the desktop version is solely in German, making it tricky to navigate without some guidance. Therefore, before looking at ways to navigate the platform, it’s important to know some important Germany housing terminology (which can be used on all German property rental platforms):
Stadt: Town/City
Straße: Street
Erdgeschoss: Ground floor
Obergeschoss: Floor
Dachgeschoss: Top floor
Vorderhaus: Front of building
Hinterhaus: Rear of building
Seitenflügel: Side wing of building
Nebenkosten: Additional costs (utilities, heating, water, etc.)
Warmmiete: Rent including additional costs, e.g. heating, property tax, gas, refuse collection
Kaltmiete: Rent with no additional costs included
SCHUFA: Credit report
Einkommensnachweis: Proof of income
Wohnung: Apartment
Haus: House
WG Zimmer: Bedroom in a flatshare
Einzimmerwohnung: Studio apartment
Zweizimmerwohnung: Two-room apartment (i.e. one bedroom and one living room or two bedrooms and no living room)
Ab sofort: Available immediately
Neubau: New building
Altbau: Old building
Kaution: Deposit / Bond
Miete: Monthly rent
Möbliert: Furnished
Unmöbliert: Unfurnished
Instructions for navigating ImmobilienScout24 in English
🧭 Once you’ve familiarised yourself the terminology for apartment hunting in Germany, it’s time to perform a search on ImmobilienScout24. Here you can enter your requirements using the search function on the ImmobilienScout24 homepage:
Now that you know what the different search fields mean, here is an example of a search for a whole apartment in Kreuzberg, Berlin:
For this particular search, you’ll notice that there are three properties (3 Treffer) that match my search query. The next step is to click on the green ‘3 Treffer’ button, which will show the matches for your search:
You can then click on the listings and read about the different apartment offerings. If you are looking to rent a room in a flatshare instead of an entire apartment, then you can simply switch the search field from ‘Wohnung’ to ‘WG Zimmer’.
In short, that’s all you need to know to perform basic apartment searches on ImmobilienScout24. For added functionality, including saving your search criteria and receiving email notifications for suitable properties, you can set up a free ImmobilienScout24 profile here.
How to contact the property owner on ImmobilienScout24
📧 Once you’ve found a suitable apartment and would like to make an enquiry or arrange a flat viewing, you can contact the property owner through ImmobilienScout 24. To do this, go on to the listing and click:
This will open up a text field where you can write a message enquiring about the flat and add in your personal details. While this guide offers English instructions for using Immobilienscout24, it can be beneficial to contact property owners/landlords in German. For this, the following German template may be of help:
Sehr geehrte Frau [insert surname of the landlord if female] / Sehr geehrter Herr [insert surname of the landlord if male],
mein Name ist [insert your name] und ich bewerbe mich um die Wohnung in der [insert street name, city of apartment]. Mit diesem Schreiben möchte ich mich kurz vorstellen.
Ich komme aus [insert country you are from] und arbeite in Berlin als [insert job you do in Berlin]. Ich wohne seit [insert date you arrived in Berlin] in Berlin und suche nun eine Wohnung, in der ich längerfristig bleiben kann.
Ich stelle Ihnen gerne die folgenden Unterlagen zur Verfügung: [insert list of documents that you will provide to support your application, e.g. payslips as proof of income].
Ich freue mich auf Ihre Rückmeldung.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[insert your name]
Documents required for securing an apartment on ImmobilienScout24
📄 While you may have found your dream apartment on ImmobilienScout24, the landlord may well opt for another applicant if you are not able to provide suitable documentation regarding your income, financial status and reliability.
As some of the paperwork listed below can be difficult to get hold of, we recommend initially opting for short-term accommodation in Germany – by initially opting for short-term accommodation, you’ll have plenty of time to gather your documents and also ensure you are able to view apartments in Germany before committing to a long-term lease.
With regard to paperwork, the property owner will want to see proof that you can afford the property and are a trusted tenant. As such, they may ask for all or some of these documents:
✅ A copy of your passport
This will usually be a photocopy of your passport data page.
✅ Proof of income
To show that you can afford the property, the landlord may request a copy of your employment contract or payslips for the previous 3 months. If you are a job seeker and currently don’t have a job in Germany, then you may be able to show a bank account statement proving that you have sufficient savings to cover the rent.
✅ A SCHUFA credit report
A SCHUFA credit report is a simple report detailing your ability to pay bills and fines in Germany and is often a requirement when renting a long-term apartment.
The issue faced by newcomers to Germany is that you can’t generate a SCHUFA credit report before you are officially registered at an address (Anmeldung) and have opened a German bank account. Therefore, you need a SCHUFA to get an apartment, but an apartment to get a SCHUFA – a complete catch-22. To get around this, we recommend completing your Anmeldung at short-term accommodation in Germany, which will then allow you to apply for your SCHUFA and secure a long-term place to call home.
Once ready, you can order your SCHUFA report directly from www.meineschufa.de and are entitled to one free SCHUFA report per year. You will receive your report in the post after 2–3 weeks.
✅ Haftpflichtversicherung
Haftpflichtversicherung is personal liability insurance. This insurance is popular amongst landlords as it covers damage that you make to the property. It can be beneficial to include confirmation of your liability insurance in your application for a long-term apartment in Germany.
Our favourite liability insurance is GETSAFE, who offer a well-priced policy that is perfect for showing prospective landlords.
✅ Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung
A Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung is a simple letter detailing that you do not have any outstanding debts with your previous landlord.
This is most relevant for those who have previously rented an apartment in Germany. However, if you are moving from overseas, it may also be beneficial for your previous landlord to write you a short statement confirming that you do not owe any outstanding rent.
✅ Bürgschaft
A Bürgschaft is a guarantor letter from a parent or sponsor confirming that they will cover rent payments in the event that you are unable to pay. The letter should be accompanied by proof of funds from your parents/sponsor. A Bürgschaft is most relevant for students and job seekers.
We hope you’ve found this short guide on how to use ImmobilienScout24 in English useful. For more information about moving to Germany, check out our relocation guides and resources on our homepage.