Why German landlords want a cover letter — and what to actually write

In most countries, renting an apartment is a transaction. You have the money, they have the apartment, you sign something and get the keys. Germany is different. German landlords often want to know who you are before they decide whether they want you living in their building.

This is why the Anschreiben exists: a short cover letter attached to your application dossier, addressed to the landlord personally, explaining who you are and why you want this specific apartment.

If you’ve never heard of this, you’re not alone. Most expats find out it’s a thing when they lose an apartment to someone whose paperwork was identical except for the letter.

What landlords are actually looking for

German landlords are not reading your letter for entertainment. They’re trying to answer a few specific questions:

Will this person pay rent on time? Are they stable — steady job, no recent moves every six months? Will they cause problems with the neighbours? Will they take care of the apartment?

The letter is a chance to answer those questions before they ask. A couple who mentions they work regular hours and have lived in their current apartment for four years is telling the landlord something useful. A freelancer who explains they’ve worked with the same clients for three years and have a stable income is preempting the obvious concern.

What to actually write

Keep it to one page. Landlords read dozens of these. Nobody wants to read three pages about your journey to Germany.

Start with who you are and what you do. Name, where you’re from, what your job is, who you work for. If you work remotely for a foreign company, say so and clarify that your income is in euros or that you transfer a fixed amount monthly — this reassures them you can actually pay.

Mention how many people will live there. If you have a partner, say so. If you have children, say so. Landlords will find out anyway and surprises after the fact are worse than honesty upfront. Don’t mention pets unless asked — that’s a separate conversation.

Say something specific about the apartment. Not generic praise, something real. The courtyard, the proximity to your office, the school district if you have kids. It signals that you actually want this apartment, not just any apartment, and that you’re less likely to leave in six months.

Close with your timeline and contact details. When can you move in? How can they reach you quickly?

What not to write

Don’t write about how much you love Germany or how excited you are to experience German culture. Landlords are not tourist offices.

Don’t over-explain your finances. The documents do that. One sentence saying your income is stable is enough; a paragraph with monthly figures looks anxious.

Don’t start with “Dear Sir or Madam” if you know the landlord’s name. You know their name. It’s on the listing or the viewing invitation. Use it.

Don’t make it longer than one page because you feel like more detail will help. It won’t. Brevity reads as confidence.

One more thing

Write it in German if you can, even imperfect German. A foreign applicant who made the effort reads differently than one who didn’t bother. If your German is genuinely not good enough, write it in English and attach a note that you’re currently taking language classes. That’s more honest and more appealing than a visibly machine-translated letter full of formal errors.

The cover letter won’t save a weak application. But two equally qualified applicants, one with a letter and one without: the one with the letter usually gets the callback.

Building your application dossier and tracking which apartments you’ve applied to? Haus Together helps you stay organised.