Authority for Urban Development and Housing

Rent index

A rent index gives you an overview of the rents for comparable apartments in the city or municipality. It contains indications that

• whether the landlord's request for a rent increase is justified,
• whether the rent is permissible in the event of re-letting if the apartment is in an area in which the regulations of the so-called rent brake apply,
• whether the rent is generally reasonable (outside the scope of the so-called rent brake).

The rent index shows the monthly average rent in euros per square meter on the basis of net rents that have been newly agreed or changed in the last six years. This comparative rent can be higher or lower for each individual apartment. The criteria for this are listed in the rent index.
For example, the following can be decisive:

• apartment size
• building age
• residential area
• state of energetic modernization and
• Equipment of the apartment, for example central heating, indoor toilet, parquet floor.

The local comparative rent may deviate from the current market rent.
Rent indexes are drawn up jointly by representatives of landlords and tenants, such as tenant associations, house and landowner associations, or by the cities/communities. A city/municipality should create a rent index if there is a need for this.
For municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, the law on the reform of the rent index law will in future oblige them to create simple rent indexes (entry into force on July 1, 2022).
Rent indexes should generally be adjusted to market developments and published every two years.
Rent indexes are available in many larger cities and communities.