An apartment viewing is your chance to leave a lasting impression with the landlord, so that he ultimately decides to give you the flat. Below we have collected tips regarding apartment viewings in Germany, to help you increase your chance of landing your dream apartment.
The apartment viewing is your chance to make a good and lasting impression on the landlord.
1. Be interested and engaged
An apartment viewing is sort of like a job interview. You should arrive on time to appear reliable. Demonstrate that this is your dream apartment by appearing engaged and interested.
2. Stand out in conversation
Don’t be surprised when more than 50 interested renters show up to the same apartment viewing appointment. Sizeable showing numbers are especially common in large cities. In these cases, leaving a lasting impression is difficult, but try to anyway. Fall into conversation with the landlord; ask questions (about the flat, the city quarter, neighbors, etc.
3. Don’t say what you don’t have to say
It’s great to be sociable, but no landlord wants a noisy tenant. Always have friends over, or throw parties every weekend? It’s better not to advertise that.
When you’re asked about how you spend your free time, you have no obligation to tell your landlord the minutiae of your life.
4. Dress appropriately
Your appearance says a lot: If you are clean and tidy, then your apartment will be kept clean and tidy. Or at least, that’s what a landlord might infer.
You don’t need to show up to an apartment viewing in a suit and tie, but opt for something other than ripped jeans and dirty sneakers. Don’t show up smelling like the bar you were in last night either!
5. Bring documents with you
And in the end the apartment viewing is about one thing: Your landlord wants absolute security. He wants to know what your job is, how much you make, and perhaps if you have any debts.
It’s best to bring the documents that a landlord would want to see, such as proof of salary and your credit rating (only when the landlord requires this, not every landlord does).
6. Be the last to leave
If you have time, stay until all the other visitors have left and hand your documents to the landlord in person. This way you are not just one in a crowd, but an individual. Reiterate again that you absolutely want this apartment and ask when you can expect to hear back from the landlord.
Also in our blog: Finding an apartment isn’t always easy, especially in Germany’s large cities. Often there is intense competition between dozens of apartment-seekers for one flat. We have six tips to make your apartment search less stressful and more successful. Also interesting: Oriana Menabue from Venezuela, expat in Germany, sat down with Employland to discuss the challenges she faced when looking for an apartment in a new country – not to mention a large city like Hamburg.
Foto: monkeybusinessimages / Istockphoto.com
This post is also available in: Deutsch