A huge part of our relocation service is Home Finding, either as a stand alone component in our Home Finding Package or as an essential part of our Getting Started Comfort Package. The housing market is tight and it has been a landlords’ market for many year now.
Statistics were recently published on the type of tenants preferred by landlords. Families are still a favourite and remain at the top of list. Followed by singles, retirees, students ans at the bottom are single parents. So, what do landlords look for – the ranking surprised me to some extent. A good first impression still counts the most, followed by a regular income, the potential tenant’s self-disclosure, proof of creditworthiness and confirmation of previous rental payment.
Of course, newcomers from overseas do not possess a line of credit when entering Germany. Proof of creditworthiness from their home country is not very meaningful and is often in the native language, making it difficult for the average landlord.
We communicate the difficulties of the German housing market to our assignees and ensure they are thoroughly prepared for the home finding. Our consultants always accompany them with the required documents, which also contributes to a good first impression.
from Judith Wambach