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Guide
Guides to buying property in Germany
What to know before you buy in Germany: costs, taxes, notary, letting, financing – updated October 2026.
Guides
Buying a flat in Germany as a foreigner: the process step by step – Buying a flat in Germany without a German passport: reservation, notary draft, notarisation, priority notice, payment, land register and handover.
Additional purchase costs when buying a flat in Germany in 2026 – Property transfer tax by state (3.5–6.5%), notary and land register, agent's commission under §§ 656a–d BGB: the extra costs of buying a flat in 2026.
Buying a flat in Germany without travelling: power of attorney, approval, remote completion – Buying a flat from abroad: power of attorney under § 29 GBO, consulate or apostille, subsequent approval, video viewing – there is no online notarisation.
Paying tax on rental income from Germany without residence in Germany – Limited tax liability under § 49 EStG: tax return in Germany, depreciation of 2/2.5/3%, deductible expenses and double taxation agreements explained.
Selling a flat: speculation period, owner-occupation and commercial property dealing – When the gain on selling a flat in Germany is tax-free: 10-year period (§ 23 EStG), owner-occupation, three-property limit, non-residents.
Property financing in Germany without German residence – Mortgages for buyers from abroad: equity, documents, interest rates in October 2026 (approx. 4.1–4.5% for 10 years) and alternatives at home.
Letting a flat in Germany and Berlin: the most important rules in 2026 – Rent brake until 2029, 15% cap, 2026 rent index, protection against eviction, conversion ban, social preservation and furnished letting in Berlin.
Holiday flats and Airbnb in Berlin: what is permitted in 2026 – Berlin ban on misuse of housing: permit, registration number, 90-day rule for second homes, EU Regulation 2024/1028 and fines of up to €500,000.
Service charge, owners' association and administrator: what flat buyers should check – Declaration of division, service charge, maintenance reserve, owners' meeting and administrator under the WEG – with a checklist for minutes and budget.
Heating and energy: what the 2026 Building Modernisation Act changes for flat buyers – Since 29.07.2026 the GModG replaces the 'heating law': 65% rule dropped, bio-fuel steps from 2029, energy certificate on sale. What buyers should know.
Calculating the yield of a let flat correctly – Gross and net rental yield, non-recoverable costs, loss of rent, maintenance: a sample calculation for a Berlin flat and the risks.
The Berlin property market 2025/2026 in figures – Berlin housing market according to the valuation committee: 18,303 flat sales in 2025, avg. €5,511/m², Q1 2026, rents, new builds, district differences.
Where flats in Germany are inexpensive – and what buyers should look out for – Eastern Germany, Saxony and the Ruhr: price levels in 2026, vacancy, population forecasts and the risks of buying inexpensive flats.
Berlin's districts
Berlin-Mitte · Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg · Berlin-Pankow · Berlin-Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf · Berlin-Spandau · Berlin-Steglitz-Zehlendorf · Berlin-Tempelhof-Schöneberg · Berlin-Neukölln · Berlin-Treptow-Köpenick · Berlin-Marzahn-Hellersdorf · Berlin-Lichtenberg · Berlin-Reinickendorf
General information, as of October 2026. It does not replace advice from a tax adviser, a lawyer or a notary.
