Owner Glossary

Difficult to rent out - the Criteria

No Internet

Internet is a must for almost all tenants, and it should already be up and running by the time they move in. An additional telephone can be provided as an extra, but is not essential. Find all the information regarding internet and telephone connections.

Outdated Renovations

Apartments which have not been renovated for quite some time (with old bathroom facilities and no built-in kitchen etc.), are also more difficult to rent out.

No modern furnishings

Nearly all tenants prefer modern furnishings. Antique furniture is not commonly in demand, nor are oriental carpets, over-cluttered apartments, or hard to maintain plants.

Carpeted Floors

Carpeted floors are less than ideal. If there is a carpeted floor in one room, this can work out, but carpeted floors in every room make a flat more difficult to rent out.

Top Floor without a Lift

Apartments on the 4th or 5th floor without a lift are also not that easy to rent out. Most tenants prefer, or even require, a lift. As always, however, this is also dependent on the price. If you charge less than you would get for an apartment with a lift, there stilll is a good chance of renting out the flat.

Location

Most prospective tenants moving to Berlin are looking for a temporary home within the S-Bahn circle. However, there are exceptions to this.
If the rent is reasonable, quite a number of tenants are also willing to move outside of the city centre.
Problems may arise in more expensive, spacious, and luxurious apartments (such as in areas like Tempelhof or Wedding). The area of Zehlendorf is a bit differentwhen it comes to this. As the famous motto goes, it's all about location, location, location - but remember the Berlin housing market is unique, with many different factors at play which mean that location may not be the be all and end all.