Figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) have revealed that international residents pay nearly 10 percent more rent per square metre than German citizens.
According to information gathered for Germany’s 2022 census and recently published by Destatis, on average, international residents in the federal republic pay 9,5 percent more rent than German citizens.
International residents pay an average of 7,75 euros per sqm for basic rent without utility bills (Nettokaltmiete), compared to the average 7,08 euros per sqm which German citizens pay.
Since tenants with older rental contracts can enjoy the security of lower rents, and average rental asking prices have skyrocketed in recent years, it would be easy to assume that German citizens pay lower average rents by virtue of having lived in Germany for longer.
However, even international residents who have been renting in Germany for 20 years or more pay a higher average Nettokaltmiete than their German counterparts. The trend continues among international residents who have been renting in Germany for 15 years, 10 years, five years, or less.
According to Destatis, there is another explanation for the inequality: accommodation size. Put simply, international people rent smaller homes, and the smaller the house, the higher the average rent per sqm. “In 2022, the average Nettokaltmiete for homes smaller than 60 sqm was 8,01 euros per sqm and therefore 15,6 percent higher than the average rent for homes with 60 sqm or more (6,93 euros),” Destatis explained.
While German citizens live in homes with an average space of 109,6 sqm, international residents’ homes have an average of 85,7 sqm. What's more, 25 percent of international people in Germany live in homes which are smaller than 60 sqm, while just 12 percent of German citizens live in houses of this size.
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