October 14, 2026
Apartment Swap in Berlin: How Wohnungstausch Works and What Your Rights Are
Photo: Vitaly Gariev via Unsplash.
An apartment swap (Wohnungstausch) is a move in which two tenant households exchange their apartments, usually because one wants to downsize and the other needs more space. In Berlin, the seven state-owned housing companies run their own portal for this, where the net cold rent stays the same. With private landlords, a swap only works if they agree. Waitly also explains how to get onto Berlin apartment waiting lists.
Last updated: 13 October 2026.
In short
There is no legal right to swap apartments; your landlord has to agree. Tenants of berlinovo, degewo, GESOBAU, Gewobag, HOWOGE, STADT UND LAND and WBM can swap with each other through the companies' joint swap portal. There, the net cold rent of each apartment stays the same, but you sign a new lease. With private landlords, a swap is a matter of negotiation, and the rent can be reset.
Do I have a right to swap my apartment?
No. German civil law gives you no right to swap apartments. Under § 540 BGB, you may only let a third party use your apartment with your landlord's permission. A swap therefore only works if both landlords take part.
Swapping behind your landlord's back, for example as an unauthorised sublet of the whole apartment, is risky: the Berlin Tenants' Association warns that it is grounds for termination. Our guide to subletting in Berlin explains what applies to an approved sublet.
The state-owned companies' swap portal does not create a legal right either. It is a voluntary service, and there is no guarantee that you will find a suitable offer.
Photo: Bekky Bekks via Unsplash.
How does the state-owned companies' swap portal work?
The companies' joint swap portal, available in German, connects tenants of the seven state-owned companies. You can swap with tenants of all seven companies, not just your own landlord. Three conditions apply: you are the main tenant, your lease has not been terminated, and your company has your email address on file.
The process has five steps:
Create a free account on the swap portal.
Verify yourself as a tenant with your name, lease number, lease start date and the email address your landlord has on file.
Publish your apartment as a swap offer, with the details imported directly from your company's system, and set up a search profile.
When you find a match, click "Tausch anregen" (suggest a swap), get in touch and view each other's apartments.
Confirm the swap in the portal. The two companies then take over, inspect both apartments in advance and prepare the leases.
For privacy reasons, the portal shows no photos or floor plans. You exchange those directly with the other tenant once you are both interested.
What happens to the rent when you swap?
With the state-owned companies' portal, the net cold rent of both apartments generally stays the same, and no re-letting surcharge is added. You simply take over your swap partner's cold rent. Your total costs, however, do not always stay identical.
The companies list several exceptions in their questions and answers about the portal:
Income-based discounts your swap partner received do not pass to you.
Service charges can rise, for example if more people move in or heating advance payments are adjusted.
A rent increase or modernisation charge that only takes effect after the swap applies to you as the new tenant.
As with any new letting, your company checks whether you can afford the rent.
If one of the apartments is social housing, it can only go to someone with a suitable WBS, even in a swap. The WBS is reassessed for the new apartment. You can see which apartments require a WBS on our page about WBS apartments in Berlin.
Photo: Cytonn Photography via Unsplash.
New lease or taking over the existing lease?
There are two contract models for an apartment swap. Either both parties sign new leases, or each takes over the other's existing lease. With the state-owned companies' portal, you end your old lease with a termination agreement and sign a new one, so you do not need to give notice.
With private landlords, a new lease is the usual route. Taking over a lease is less common: the existing terms stay in place except for the rent. Ask to see every annex and the handover report, for example because of obligations to remove fittings.
In both cases, a private landlord can raise the rent. The rent cap under § 556d BGB, which Berlin has extended to the end of 2029, still applies: the new rent may be at most 10 percent above the local comparative rent, with exceptions such as new builds. Our article on the Mietpreisbremse in Berlin shows how to check this.
What should you check before swapping?
A swap means two moves at once, and each side organises and pays for its own move. Clarify these points first:
Consent first: ask your landlord before you look for a swap. A refusal after weeks of searching wastes everyone's time.
Sign first, then give notice: never terminate your old lease before the new one is signed. A notice of termination cannot be withdrawn. Our guide to notice periods in Germany explains the deadlines.
Deposit: you pay a new deposit for the new apartment and get the old one back under the usual rules.
Key money: there is no right to payment for a kitchen or furniture you leave behind. Put any takeover agreement in writing.
Repairs: if the state-owned company's advance inspection finds repair needs, your move can be delayed.
Photo: Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. via Unsplash.
How successful are apartment swaps in Berlin?
Rarely, compared with demand. According to the Berlin Tenants' Association, only 135 swaps were completed through the state-owned companies' portal in 2023, despite strong interest. The Association of Berlin-Brandenburg Housing Companies (BBU) names a mismatch as the main reason: for every household that wants to downsize, five want more space.
If you need more room, treat a swap as one of several strategies. Housing cooperatives let apartments to their members; our guide explains how to join a Berlin housing cooperative.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I swap a state-owned apartment for a private one?
Not through the swap portal. It is open only to main tenants of the seven state-owned companies, and swaps are only possible between their rented apartments. Apartments the companies manage but do not own are excluded too.
What if several people are named on the lease?
Then all main tenants must agree to the swap. By the time you report the swap to your company at the latest, everyone's consent should be in place.
When is the swap binding?
Once both parties have signed their new leases. Until then, either side can call off the swap and everything stays as it was.
Keep an eye on new apartments in Berlin
If no swap partner turns up, the classic search remains. The Waitly newsletter for Berlin alerts you to new apartments in the districts you care about. Signing up improves your chances, but it does not guarantee you a home.
