Furnished or Unfurnished? The Einbauküche Question

One of the bigger surprises for newcomers is what a German flat includes when you move in — which is often far less than you expect. The furnished-versus-unfurnished choice is not just about sofas; it shapes your upfront costs, your move-in effort and your monthly rent. Get clear on what each really means before you decide, because an "unfurnished" Munich flat can be emptier than almost anywhere else you have lived. Here is how to weigh it up.

What "unfurnished" really means

An unmöbliert (unfurnished) German flat is frequently bare to the walls: no kitchen, sometimes no light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, occasionally no wardrobes. You are expected to fit it out yourself and strip it back when you leave. This is normal here, not a fault in the listing, but it catches people who picture a typical furnished-or-at-least-equipped rental from elsewhere.

The Einbauküche question

The biggest variable is the kitchen. A flat may include an Einbauküche (a fitted kitchen, shown as "EBK" in listings — see our listing guide), or it may not. If the previous tenant installed one, you are often offered it for a one-off Abstandszahlung (a payment to take over fixtures and fittings). Otherwise you buy and install your own, which realistically runs anywhere from a couple of thousand euros upward.

Furnished: convenience at a premium

A möbliert (furnished) flat is move-in ready and flexible — ideal for newcomers, short stays, or anyone who does not want to buy a kitchen on day one. The trade-off is cost: furnished one-bedrooms in Munich typically command a premium, often in the €1,200-2,000 range or more, and they are usually found on the expat platforms in our portals guide. Some include utilities, which simplifies budgeting.

The cost over time

The maths usually comes down to how long you will stay. Furnished costs more each month but spares you the upfront outlay on a kitchen and furniture and the hassle of selling it all later. Unfurnished is cheaper over the long run and lets you make the place yours, but the first months carry real setup costs. As a rule of thumb, furnished wins for stays under a year or so; unfurnished pulls ahead if you settle for two years or more.

Teilmöbliert, and what to pin down

You will also see teilmöbliert (partly furnished), which can mean almost anything — a kitchen only, or a kitchen plus some furniture. Whatever the listing says, get the exact inventory written into the Übergabeprotokoll (handover protocol) at move-in so there is no dispute later. And remember the deposit rules apply either way, covering damage beyond normal wear to whatever the flat contains.

Practical traps and how to handle them

A few specifics catch newcomers out. If you take over an Einbauküche via an Abstandszahlung, treat it like any purchase: see the kitchen in person, agree the price in writing, and confirm it is yours to keep or sell when you leave. If you install your own kitchen in an unfurnished flat, you generally take it with you at the end — so budget for both buying and later removing or reselling it. For furnished and part-furnished lets, photograph every item at move-in and attach the inventory to the Übergabeprotokoll, because anything listed as provided is something you can be charged for if it is damaged. And do not overlook the small stuff that "unfurnished" can exclude: lamps, curtain rails, even the bathroom mirror are sometimes taken by the outgoing tenant, so walk the flat with a checklist rather than assuming. When in doubt, ask the landlord to spell out in the contract exactly what stays.

Which to choose

Match the option to your situation: short or uncertain stay, limited time and cash for setup, or wanting flexibility all point to furnished; a longer horizon, a tighter monthly budget, and the wish to furnish to your own taste point to unfurnished. Neither is "better" — they simply suit different stages of a Munich life. Decide your likely length of stay first, and the rest of the decision tends to make itself. Either way, knowing what an empty German flat really includes is what keeps your first week from turning into an expensive scramble.