Before you start

Passport and residence permit or visa
Meldebescheinigung from your Anmeldung, for most traditional banks
Steuer-ID, or an undertaking to supply it once issued
A German address

Step-by-step

1
Open a digital bank account before you arrive if you can
Several German and EU digital banks open accounts without a registered German address, which solves the problem of needing an account before the Anmeldung. It gives you a German IBAN for the deposit and first rent.
OnlineWho: YouBefore arrival
2
Open a traditional account once registered
Worth having alongside — Sparkasse Hannover and the regional cooperative banks are what smaller private landlords and older employers are comfortable with.
In personWho: You
3
Request your Schufa report early
You are entitled to one free data copy per year under GDPR, and landlords expect a Schufa-Auskunft with every application. A newcomer's is nearly empty — request it early so it is ready when a viewing appears.
OnlineWho: YouMonth 1
4
Know the deposit rules before signing
German law caps the rental deposit at three months' cold rent, requires it held separately from the landlord's assets earning interest for you, and permits payment in three monthly instalments.
In personWho: You
5
Build a Schufa record deliberately
A mobile contract, a registered address and an account in good standing all populate the file. Avoid opening several credit products at once, which reads poorly on a thin file.
OnlineWho: You
6
Set up SEPA direct debits
Rent, health insurance, the Rundfunkbeitrag and utilities all run on direct debit here. Get the mandates in place early to avoid a cascade of reminder letters.
Mobile appWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport and residence permit
Meldebescheinigung
Steuer-ID once issued
Employment contract, which some banks request
Proof of German address

Things most newcomers don’t know

The deposit is capped at three months and payable in instalments.

German law limits a rental security deposit to three months' cold rent under §551 BGB, requires it held apart from the landlord's assets earning interest for the tenant, and gives the tenant the right to pay it in three monthly instalments. Landlords rarely volunteer the instalment right and many newcomers pay the full sum in one transfer without knowing they need not.

Source: Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, §551

You are entitled to a free Schufa data copy every year.

Under data protection law you can request a full copy of your data at no charge. Schufa also sells a certificate marketed at landlords, but the free version contains the same information and most Hannover landlords accept it.

Source: Schufa — data copy under Art. 15 GDPR

The employer letter is worth more here than the Schufa score.

Hannover's biggest employers — VW, Continental, TUI, the Talanx group, the university hospital — are known quantities to every landlord in the city. A letter on one of their letterheads confirming a permanent contract does more for an application than a thin credit file does against it. Ask HR for one in German before you start viewing.

Source: community-reported

Germany runs on direct debit, not on cards.

Rent, insurance, utilities and the broadcasting fee are collected by SEPA direct debit. Cards are far less central than in the US or UK, and the Markthalle counters, the kiosks on the Limmerstraße and plenty of small restaurants remain cash-only — carry notes.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Arriving with no German IBAN and being unable to pay a deposit or first rent.
Not knowing the deposit is capped at three months and payable in instalments.
Applying for flats without a Schufa-Auskunft ready.
Opening several credit products at once on a thin file.
Not asking your employer for a German-language confirmation letter before you start viewing.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.