Save €400 a month with rent control

Rent control is a law "to curb rent increases in tight housing markets" (Section 556d BGB). It was introduced nationwide in 2015 and now applies in most federal states. Rent control applies in many major cities such as Berlin or Munich and allows tenants to lower their rent if it is more than ten percent above the local reference rent. This currently makes it the most powerful weapon against excessive rents, which is why every tenant should know about it and use it.

In general, rent control applies throughout Germany. However, each federal state has to define for itself where it applies and implement the law.

Rent control applies throughout Germany and sets the maximum rent a landlord may charge. This maximum rent depends on the location and features of the apartment, as well as the age of the tenancy. If your rent is above this maximum, you can invoke rent control and lower your rent to the maximum permitted level. You can find out the maximum permitted rent for your apartment free of charge and without obligation using the CONNY rent calculator. Where exactly rent control applies, what exceptions there are, how you can enforce your rights and much more can be found on our rent control information page.

In principle, it's very simple: when an apartment is newly let, the landlord may not charge an excessive rent. A maximum of 10% above the local reference rent is allowed. Anyone who pays more can demand a rent reduction even during an ongoing tenancy and reclaim any overpaid rent from that point on. But the devil is in the details: the tenant must activate rent control with a so-called qualified letter of complaint, otherwise the landlord can simply keep the overpaid rent. This qualified letter of complaint has to meet several legal requirements and show specifically, based on the local rent index, why the rent is too high. If you hire CONNY, you don't have to worry about any of this: we take care of the letter of complaint for you. In addition, the landlord may try to rely on various exceptions to rent control.

Yes. If an out-of-court settlement can't be reached and we believe legal action has a good chance of success, our partner lawyers will also file a lawsuit in court. CONNY covers the legal costs. CONNY's commission is only due if we succeed. If we are not successful, you pay nothing, so you have no cost risk.

Landlords know rent control too and know that a higher rent is not lawful. As a result, the vast majority react calmly and are willing to find an amicable solution for both sides. Many landlords already know CONNY and are aware that, as recognized tenancy law experts, we communicate professionally and on a sound legal basis. A large share of landlords are housing companies that handle such cases routinely and have little interest in disputing what is usually a clear legal case. Terminating your lease because of the rent reduction is not allowed. So as a tenant, you don't need to be afraid of your landlord. Read more in our guide Lower your rent without fear of your landlord.

Yes, CONNY's analysis and calculation of your potential savings is completely free for you. Afterwards, you decide whether you want to hire our team to enforce your claim to a rent reduction.

Your landlord covers the costs! Here's how it works: if we get your rent reduced, you'll have an average of €400 more per month. Your landlord pays any claims from the period before the rent reduction to us. This includes the part of the deposit you overpaid because of your old, excessive rent. These repayments fund our team of legal experts who enforce a fair rent for you. As a rule, we cover our entire commission from the repayment claims against your landlord and don't send you an invoice. In rare exceptions, and only if we reach a result quickly and easily, we charge a minimum commission equal to six months of savings for the period after we send the letter of complaint. In no case will you pay more rent than you do today. Start your rent reduction now!

As a legal tech company, CONNY handles cases very differently from a traditional law firm. You can find a detailed look at how we work and how you stay up to date as a customer on our "How CONNY works" page.

We are experienced IT and legal experts who have already successfully enforced rent control for thousands of tenants. Our principle: you have no cost risk, because you only pay if we're successful for you. On top of that, we offer you the following benefits:

Convenient: We handle the entire process with your landlord; we submit requests, set deadlines, send reminders, request and review evidence, and fund contract lawyers if court proceedings are necessary. All you have to do is hire us. You'll receive updates on your case, be asked whether you want to accept settlement offers or continue the process, and be informed of the result at the end. Enforcing your rights doesn't get any easier than that.

No cost risk & active help: Unlike conventional lawyers, we only receive a commission if we're successful for you. If we don't succeed, you pay nothing. And unlike other consumer associations, we take action for you and enforce your claims.

High success rate: Thanks to thousands of successfully completed cases and our automated processes, the experience from every case flows into yours and we can work very efficiently. Since we take action against the same companies, the other side becomes more willing to settle with every case we win for our customers.

Put simply: there is no difference. wenigermiete.de is a platform and a well-known name across Germany for enforcing tenants' rights, operated by CONNY. On our mission to give consumers one unified platform for enforcing their rights, we developed conny.legal, which takes over all of wenigermiete.de's services and makes them accessible in a user-friendly design. We continue to help tenants as a trusted partner in enforcing rent control. CONNY also fights for fair severance pay for employees. As always: online, hassle-free and with no cost risk.