Discrimination on the German housing market?

Why is it so difficult for a non-German-speaking expat to secure a coveted rental apartment? And what can you do as an employer and employee to make it happen?

In Germany's urban centers, there's hardly anything more difficult than finding an apartment—at least, every apartment seeker, without exception, will confirm this, but especially foreign applicants. There are many different reasons for this.

For one thing, demand determines supply: living space is generally very limited, so depending on the city and urban area, apartments are incredibly expensive – and often don't offer what you expect for the price. But if you do hit the jackpot and fall in love with one, there can be 100 or more applicants for that apartment, depending on the city. This doesn't just complicate things, but makes it almost impossible, especially if you're a foreigner. Furthermore, landlords often have their own ideas about how they want to allocate apartments: people with a secure income, preferably couples, and, if they have the choice, preferably without children. You know, the so-called DINKS (double income no kids). Then there are other details like profession, likability, citizenship, and German language skills. Not only does it sound discriminatory, but unfortunately it is. But it's usually difficult to prove.

The problem of certain groups of people being excluded begins – first and foremost, of course, in people's minds, and then – with classified ads and real estate portals: a full 37 percent* of all readers say they are affected. A full 32 percent* confirm that they probably didn't get an apartment or house because they come from abroad and/or don't speak German. The majority of discrimination comes from private individuals who rent out one or a few apartments, but also from employees of private housing companies, real estate agents, and state-run, i.e., municipal, housing associations. It's worth repeating: everything is bad enough for Germans – it's almost impossible for people without German citizenship and a lack of German language skills.

So what can you do as an employer if you want to employ employees from abroad and want to support them in finding accommodation?

For example, help them create their search profile on the relevant real estate portals. This saves your employee a huge amount of time, meaning they won't have to waste time on endless apartment viewings that aren't suitable for them anyway. You can also support them in compiling their application documents and, of course, check the rental agreement upon signing – which is usually in German. However, only in the very unlikely event that it even gets that far. Because it usually falls apart when the landlord receives an email not written in German with an exotic-sounding name as the sender. So it's best to at least prepare a sample text for them. Or at the very latest during the on-site appointments: These are usually conducted in German, partly because landlords are often uncomfortable with their poor English or simply find it insufficient. If someone from the company can accompany them to the viewing – perfect!

What else can a foreigner do to increase their chances at a viewing appointment? Especially if their future employer doesn't have the capacity to offer support? Go to as many open viewings as possible. That is, viewings where the location and time are stated directly in the advertisement. It doesn't matter whether you're interested in the apartment or not. There you can practice. And observe how applicants behave, how they present themselves, how they dress. They should be neither too casually nor overdressed. You will also find, at least in cities with a housing shortage, that attempts to negotiate the price with the landlord are counterproductive. So if there are ten or more applicants at such appointments, you should hold off. And only after you have had a chance to get an idea of how a viewing works should you apply for an apartment that really interests you.

Of course, as an employer, you can consult a relocation agency like PROGEDO for your apartment search. We take care of everything needed to find an attractive, permanent residence for your employees: expectation management, which realistically prepares them for the German housing market, profiling for portals, the apartment search, contacting the landlord by email or phone, scheduling appointments, and all other handling with the real estate agents and landlords. Of course, this also includes compiling application documents, accompanying the employee to viewing appointments upon request, and explaining the most important parts of the rental agreement. Increasingly, expats are also booking this service privately with us. We owe our almost 100 percent success rate to our 25 years of experience and trusting collaboration with the relevant contact points. And of course, we, the employers, and the affected parties themselves, are delighted every time.

*Source: Hamburger Abendblatt