Tenant Glossary

Option to extend the Lease

Full flexibility with rental agreement

When you rent a furnished apartment in Berlin, the rental agreement has a set move-out date. It is not possible to give notice to leave before that date. But you can nearly always extend the lease. Then you will receive another contract.


You can however:

• Sign the rental agreement for a just a few months (or the minimum rental period allowed) and opt to extend the lease.
• You have to tell the landlord and the agency whether you want to extend the lease or not one month before your contract ends.
  If you wait any longer, the apartment may already be rented out to a new tenant.
• If you rent a sublet and the main tenant needs the apartment again, eg., returning from a trip away, it won't be possible to extend the lease.

How do I arrange the option to extend the lease?

The Crocodilian rental agreement is available in German and English. It can be concluded easily and quickly online.
The agreement already includes a section that deals with the possible option to extend the lease. You only have to tell the owner if you need this option, and if so, for how much longer you would possibly like to extend the lease. You should address this subject as early as possible.

If you would like to continue renting the furnished apartment, you must get in touch with the owner and with Crocodilian one month before your rental agreement terminates, or even earlier if you can. The sooner, the better.

If you do not get back to the owner and Crocodilan in time, the flat may already be rented out to somebody else. So please note that it is your responsibility who has to make sure that you actually get the option to extend if you need it.

Is it possible to extend the rental agreement more than once?

Yes, it is. Owers know that tenants need to stay flexible and cannot commit to a long rental period.

But hardly any owners will extend the lease on a monthly basis. It should always be two months, at least.