The German rent brake (Mietpreisbremse) is set to apply until 31 December 2029, according to the legislative papers available so far. For students and young professionals this matters mainly when looking for a room or flat, because the rule caps the rent charged for a new letting. This guide explains what the draft bill changes, what remains open after 2029 and how to check the rule in practice.
Short answer: According to the government bill (Bundesrat printed paper 6/25 of 3 January 2025), the state ordinances on the rent brake must expire no later than 31 December 2029. Until now, 2025 was the date in the law. Press reports state that the Bundestag approved the extension on 26 June 2025. The binding version is the promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette. Last updated: November 2026.
The most important points at a glance
- The deadline concerns the ordinances of the German states that designate areas with a tight housing market.
- The draft bill replaces the year 2025 with 2029 in paragraph 556d, subsection 2, sentence 4 of the Civil Code (BGB).
- Press reports state that the Bundestag adopted the draft on 26 June 2025. The date of promulgation is printed in the Federal Law Gazette.
- The rule applies only to new lettings, not to existing tenancies.
What the rent brake does
The rent brake limits the rent a landlord may demand when a flat is re-let. The benchmark is the local comparative rent (ortsübliche Vergleichsmiete), meaning the rent usually charged in the municipality for comparable housing, plus a surcharge set by law. The rule therefore applies when a flat is let again. It does not directly reduce an ongoing rent.
The provision sits in paragraph 556d of the German Civil Code. According to its wording, the draft changes the deadline for the ordinances on which the rule applies in a given area, not the limit itself.
What the draft bill changes
The table below shows the changes and the stage each one has reached.
| Point | Content of the draft bill | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Provision | Paragraph 556d, subsection 2, sentence 4 BGB: the year “2025” is replaced by “2029” | Draft dated 3 January 2025 |
| Duration of the ordinances | All statutory ordinances must expire no later than 31 December 2029 | Press reports state adoption by the Bundestag on 26 June 2025 |
| Entry into force | The day after promulgation | Binding only once promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette |
Source of the table: government bill, Bundesrat printed paper 6/25 of 3 January 2025 (in German).
The explanatory memorandum of the draft states that the rules may be applied nationwide until and including 31 December 2029. This is an extension, not a new rule. Anyone relying on the rent brake therefore needs to check which municipality the flat is in and which ordinance applies there.
What this means for students and young professionals
The rent brake applies only in areas that a German state has designated, by statutory ordinance, as having a tight housing market. If you search in a city without such an ordinance, you cannot rely on the cap. That is why the first question is always whether your municipality is covered.
For students the deadline matters in practice, because tenancy agreements often run for several semesters. Take a tenancy that begins on 1 September 2028. It falls before 31 December 2029. Whether the rent brake applies on that date depends on whether the municipality is still covered by a valid ordinance at that time. If you plan long term, look at the current state ordinance and not only at the year 2029.
The cap is linked to the local comparative rent. The law also contains exceptions, for example for new buildings. Which cases apply in practice is explained in our guide Rent brake and new buildings: which exceptions apply (in German). For the question of the previous rent, see Previous rent under the rent brake (in German).
Whether a single room in a shared flat and its rent fall under the rule depends on the individual case. Our guide Does the rent brake apply to shared-flat rooms? (in German) covers this question.
How to check the rule in practice
- First check whether your municipality is listed as an area with a tight housing market in the ordinance of your state. You can find the ordinance in the official gazette of the state.
- Compare the offered rent with the local rent index (Mietspiegel), if one exists. A guide to reading it is Finding and reading the rent index.
- Ask for the information that matters for the calculation and keep the answers in writing.
- If in doubt, get advice before you sign, for example from a tenants association or a lawyer.
Which questions remain open?
The draft sets a deadline but does not regulate what happens after 2029. Whether the rent brake will be continued after that date is not decided in the papers available. If you plan a tenancy that runs beyond 2029, keep this uncertainty in view and do not rely on today’s rules alone.
It is also open how far the states will change their ordinances before then. The most reliable answer comes from the state government or the municipality concerned. Anyone who wants to apply the rule in a dispute must know the wording of the ordinance for their municipality and the current case law on it.
Frequently asked questions
Does the rent brake already apply until 2029?
According to the draft, yes, and press reports state that the Bundestag approved the extension on 26 June 2025. The binding answer is the promulgation in the Federal Law Gazette. You will find the date and the exact wording there.
Does the rule apply to every flat?
No. It applies only to new lettings and only in areas with a tight housing market that a German state has designated. Existing tenancies follow other rules, for example on rent increases.
What happens after 31 December 2029?
According to the draft, the ordinances must expire no later than that date. Whether and how the rule is continued afterwards is not decided in the papers available.
Can I object to a rent that is too high?
You can tell your landlord that you consider the rent too high. How and by when this must be done depends on the individual case. Get advice before you reduce or reclaim any rent, because a mistake can be costly.
What to do now
- Note the municipality, the start date of the tenancy and the rent offered.
- Check whether the municipality falls under the state ordinance.
- Compare the rent with the rent index and ask about the previous rent.
- Get advice before you sign if you have doubts.
Related reading
- Wohnen im Studium: Miete, WG, Wohnheim und Wohngeld im Überblick (in German)
- Gilt die Mietpreisbremse für WG-Zimmer? Was du prüfen kannst (in German)
- Student Tenancy Agreement: What You Should Check Before Signing
- Affordable student housing: strategy, portals and costs
Last updated: November 2026. This guide is general information, not individual advice.
