Comparing furnished apartments in Berlin is hard, because prices are quoted in different ways: per night or per month, with or without utilities, with or without fees. This guide lists the cost items to check, and shows them for the FRITZTOWER apartment.
The cost items to compare
- Monthly rent, including or excluding a furniture surcharge
- Utilities: heating, hot water, electricity, internet
- Deposit: by law at most three months' net rent
- Platform or service fees on top of the rent
- Final cleaning fee and optional cleaning during the stay
- VAT on short stays: for stays under six months, 7 % VAT applies
All-inclusive versus net rent
A low monthly figure can hide several hundred euros of extra costs once electricity, heating and internet are added and contracts have to be signed with each provider. All-inclusive rent is easier to compare and easier to budget, especially if you do not yet have a German bank account or address.
Platform versus direct
Rental platforms make searching easy, but many charge tenants a fee on top of the rent. Renting directly from the owner avoids that fee and gives you one contact person for the whole stay.
Example: the FRITZTOWER apartment
Rent starts at €1,600 per month and depends on the length of stay. It includes heating, electricity, water, internet and all furnishings. The deposit is usually two monthly rents and is refunded after the stay. There is no platform fee. At move-out a one-off final cleaning of €400 is charged; regular cleaning during the stay can be booked on demand.