The Documents You Need to Rent an Apartment in Munich
A complete checklist of the documents you need to rent in Munich — ID, proof of income, SCHUFA, references and newcomer extras — with where and how to get each.
Key Takeaways
- Gather seven essentials: ID, proof of right to stay, three payslips, your contract, a SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft, a self-disclosure form, and rental references.
- Order the SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft (about €29.95) before you start viewing, since it takes a few days to arrive.
- Newcomers should add a Bürgschaft, proof of savings and an employer letter to offset a missing German credit history.
Munich landlords decide largely on paperwork, so knowing precisely which documents to gather — and where each one comes from — saves you days of scrambling. This is the master checklist; for how to arrange everything into a winning package, see our guide to the application folder. Work down the list, obtain anything missing early, and you will be ready to apply the moment a flat appears.
Proof of identity and right to stay
Have a copy of your passport or national ID ready, plus evidence of your right to live in Germany: an EU passport, or for non-EU newcomers your visa or residence permit. You do not yet need your registration certificate — that comes after you move in, as explained in the newcomer guide — but landlords like to see your status is settled.
Proof of income
This is what landlords care about most. Gather your Gehaltsabrechnungen (last three monthly payslips) and your Arbeitsvertrag (employment contract), or a written confirmation of employment. If you are self-employed, substitute your two most recent tax assessments (Steuerbescheide) and a current statement from your accountant. The goal is to show stable income comfortably above the rent.
Proof of creditworthiness
Two documents cover this. The SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft (the landlord-facing credit certificate, about €29.95) is explained in full, including how to order the right version, in our SCHUFA guide. Alongside it, complete a Mieterselbstauskunft (tenant self-disclosure form) covering your job, income and household.
Rental history
A Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung — a former landlord's written confirmation that you left owing no rent — strengthens your file, though no landlord is legally obliged to issue one. A brief reference from a previous landlord can serve a similar purpose, especially if you cannot get the formal certificate.
Extras that strengthen a thin file
Newcomers without a German track record should add reassurance: a Bürgschaft (a written guarantee from a parent, partner or employer accepting liability), proof of savings, and an employer or relocation letter. These are the documents that turn "no German history" from a problem into a non-issue, and they matter most in your first months.
Where and how to get each, and when
Payslips and your contract come from your employer; the self-disclosure form is usually supplied by the landlord or agent; the SCHUFA certificate is ordered online and arrives within a few days; a guarantee just needs signing. Order the SCHUFA before you start viewing, not after, and keep every document as a single, clearly named PDF — protecting your data by sharing the full pack only with verified landlords.
Get them in the right order, and on time
Sequence saves stress. Before you even arrive you can line up the slow or hard-to-get items: your passport, your employment contract and an employer or relocation letter. In your first days, order the SCHUFA certificate and complete the self-disclosure form so they are ready before the first viewing. Then keep the time-sensitive pieces fresh as you search — payslips should always be the three most recent, and you can request a no-rent-debt confirmation from a previous landlord while you still have an easy line to them. Treating the list as a short project in week one means you are never the applicant who loses a flat waiting three days for a document to arrive.
Your folder is a bundle of sensitive personal data, so handle it with care. Share the complete pack only with landlords or agents you have verified, never upload it to an unknown link, and feel free to black out account numbers on bank statements — a landlord needs to see steady income, not your transaction history. Watch the dates, too: a SCHUFA certificate much older than three months starts to look stale, and a payslip from six months ago raises questions, so refresh the relevant pieces rather than re-sending an ageing file.
Gather these once, this week, and store them safely on your phone. A complete, current document set is the difference between applying within minutes of a listing and losing it to someone who was ready — and in Munich, ready almost always wins. With the checklist done, the only remaining task is presenting it well, which the folder guide covers step by step.