- For foreign buyers
- Built with local realtors
- Updated this quarter
Here's 99% of what you need to know before buying in Munich.
The 12 documents we wish we had before buying in Munich. What each district costs, how long a flat sits before it sells, and what the law will let you charge. Plus the things nobody writes down: the tenant who may have first refusal on your purchase, and the deed that gets read aloud to you in German.
The 12 documents to make a good real estate investment in Munich in 2026
The rent you may charge is measured against a published table, whole districts limit what you are allowed to renovate, and a sitting tenant can sometimes buy the flat out from under you at your own price. These documents show you what is actually earned and paid. They are put together with agents, notaries and owners we work with in the city.
Questions
Do you list your sources?
Yes, on every table. Each one says where the figures came from and the month they were collected: the land register and the city's own price collection, published notary and tax rates, listing histories we track ourselves, owners' meeting minutes and reserve statements shared with us, and what the agents we work with in each district are seeing week to week. Anything that is an estimate rather than a recorded number is labelled as one.
Can a foreigner actually buy property here?
Yes, freely, whichever passport you hold and whether or not you live in Germany. There is no permit and no restriction on ownership, which makes this one of the easier markets in Europe to enter and one of the harder ones to operate in once you are inside it.
Is the contract really read out loud in German?
Yes. The notary reads the entire deed aloud at the appointment, in German, and if you do not understand it you need an interpreter present or a certified translation, or the deed can be challenged later. What to arrange, and when, is in document 06.
Someone is living in the flat. Can I move in?
Often not for a long time. Where a rental building has been converted into individual flats, the tenant is protected against a notice for the owner's own use for a period measured in years rather than months, and the city sets that period. Document 09 explains what applies and how to check it.
Can a tenant buy the flat instead of me?
In some conversions, yes. When a rented flat is sold for the first time after being split off, the tenant can step into your contract at the price you agreed. It is legal, it happens, and you will have paid for a survey by then. Document 08 covers how to see it coming.
Why can I not just charge market rent?
Because new lettings are measured against a published reference table and capped above it, and in protected districts the renovations that would justify more are restricted too. What that means by district is what document 12 measures.
How long are the documents?
One to four pages each. They are tables and checklists rather than reports, so any one of them takes about ten minutes to read.
Which areas do you cover?
Eighteen districts: Altstadt-Lehel, Maxvorstadt, Schwabing West, Schwabing Freimann, Bogenhausen, Haidhausen, Au, Glockenbachviertel, Ludwigsvorstadt, Neuhausen, Nymphenburg, Sendling, Giesing, Laim, Pasing, Berg am Laim, Trudering and Messestadt Riem. If you need somewhere or a specific building that is not in there, write to us and we will put it together for you at no extra cost.
I have a question about my own situation.
Ask us. If the answer is in the research we already have, we will send it. If it needs a call to someone in that district or a look at a specific building, we will do that too and come back to you, at no extra cost.
Is $99 a lot for a set of documents?
You are about to spend several hundred thousand euros in the most expensive city in the country. A tenant you cannot move, a rent you are not allowed to charge, a special levy voted before you arrived: there are plenty of ways this gets expensive.
What format are they in, and when do I get them?
PDF, so you can read them on your phone, tablet or computer. The download link appears on screen straight after payment and a copy arrives by email.
How often are they updated?
Every quarter. Our contacts in Munich re-check the numbers before each release, so the version you download today is the one updated this quarter.
I have another question.
Ask us on the contact page and we will get back to you.
Three packs
The first pack has 4 documents, the second has 6, and the third has all 12 of our Munich research.
All the data and information in these documents was checked this year with agents, notaries and owners working in Munich.