Renting in Germany: documents and your rights

What landlords usually ask for

• At the viewing: your name, address and contact details; the landlord may check them against your ID without copying it
• When you want to rent: your net income and monthly commitments
• Just before the contract: proof of income, such as a payslip or tax assessment, with unnecessary details blacked out
• Often: a credit report you request yourself (for example a SCHUFA BonitätsCheck)

What to cover on your documents

On your ID

A landlord may look at your ID but doesn't need a copy. If you share one anyway, cover the access number (CAN), the serial number, the machine-readable lines and anything else not needed to identify you.

On your payslips

Cover your tax ID, social security number, tax class, church tax, personnel number and bank details. Your net income must stay readable.

What a landlord may not ask for

• A copy of your ID card
• A certificate from your current landlord that you have no rent arrears
• Questions about how long you have been employed, or why you have debts

Sources

• Datenschutzkonferenz: Orientierungshilfe Selbstauskünfte bei Mietinteressent:innen (Version 2.0, 2026)
• LDI NRW: Personalausweis und Datenschutz

General information, not legal advice. Checked against the sources below in October 2026.