- Price
- €7.95incl. VAT, 2 pages included
- Delivery time
- Next business dayusually, after handover to the post
- Proof
- Delivery recordinto the letterbox, + tracking
- Handed to the post
- Upload by 12:00Central European Time on a business day, posted the same day
- Counts as
- Domestic registered mailprinted and posted in Germany
Does the reply have to go by registered mail?
No. The German Civil Code (BGB) sets no form for consenting or refusing. If you do not consent to an increase to the local comparative rent, you do not even have to reply: silence is not consent.
Registered mail helps when you want proof: a partial consent, a refusal with reasons, or a special termination. The tracking ID shows when the letter reached the landlord.
What should I check before replying?
A request under section 558 BGB must be in text form and give reasons (section 558a BGB). Check in particular:
- Has the rent been unchanged for 15 months, and was the last increase at least a year ago?
- Does the letter give a reason, such as the rent index (Mietspiegel), a rent database, an expert report or three comparable flats?
- Does the increase stay under 20 percent in three years, or 15 percent in many cities (the cap)?
- Is it about modernisation? Then section 559 BGB applies: the landlord needs no consent, but the statement must calculate and explain the costs (section 559b BGB).
What if I would rather move out?
You have a special right to terminate until the end of the second month after the request arrives, effective at the end of the month after next (section 561 BGB). The increase then does not take effect.
That termination needs written form with a handwritten signature (section 568 (1) BGB). A printed copy of your signature is not enough for it. Sign the original by hand and deliver it in a way that lets you prove receipt.
Which deadlines apply?
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Your period to consider | Until 31 January 2027 (end of the second calendar month) |
| New rent, if you consent | From 1 February 2027 (start of the third calendar month) |
| Landlord's claim, if you do not consent | By 30 April 2027 (three further months) |
| Your special termination | By 31 January 2027; notice given in January ends the tenancy on 31 March 2027 (section 561 BGB) |
For an increase to the local comparative rent, you have until the end of the second calendar month after the request arrives. If you do not consent, the landlord can sue for consent within three further months (section 558b (2) BGB).
How do you reply by registered mail?
- Check the increaseWith the questions above: waiting period, reasons, cap.
- Write the replyUse the German sample below, for all tenants.
- Upload it as a PDFBy 12:00 Central European time on a business day, it is posted that day.
- Keep your proofIn case the landlord goes to court for consent.
Sample reply to a rent increase, in German
In German, the language your landlord reads. Keep variant A or B and delete the other.
[Vorname Nachname]
[Anschrift der Wohnung]
[Vermieter]
[Anschrift]
[Ort], [Datum]
Ihr Mieterhöhungsverlangen vom [Datum]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
[Variante A] der Erhöhung der Nettokaltmiete auf [Betrag] Euro stimme ich nicht zu, weil [Grund, zum Beispiel: die Kappungsgrenze überschritten ist].
[Variante B] der Erhöhung stimme ich teilweise zu, und zwar bis zu einer Nettokaltmiete von [Betrag] Euro ab dem [Datum]. Im Übrigen stimme ich nicht zu.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
[Vorname Nachname aller Mieter]
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to object to a rent increase by registered mail?
No. The BGB sets no form for consenting or refusing. If you do not consent, you need not reply. Registered mail only records when your answer arrived.
What happens if I do nothing?
For an increase to the comparative rent, silence is not consent. After your period to consider, the landlord can sue for consent within three months (section 558b (2) BGB).
Can I consent in part?
Yes. Section 558b BGB speaks of consent to the extent the tenant consents. Name the amount you accept. Proof of receipt is useful here.
Can I reply by email?
Yes, no particular form is required. An email is harder to prove as received than registered mail with a tracking ID.
Does this apply to an increase after modernisation?
No. Under section 559 BGB the landlord needs no consent. The increase must be declared and calculated in text form (section 559b BGB), and is owed from the third month after it arrives.
Is a printed signature enough for a special termination?
No. Terminating the tenancy needs written form with a handwritten signature (section 568 (1) BGB).
Does registered mail prove the contents?
No registered letter proves the contents. Your proof PDF does contain the printed letter, so you can show what you sent.