The “Bundesmeldegesetz” (Federal Citizen Registration Act) we already wrote about, will get an update this year. Currently, the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence, “Wohnungsgeberbestätigung” in German, is necessary for registration and de-registration for German citizens as well as for foreign residents. In November the Landlord’s form to confirm the residence will be disposed at least for the process of de-registration due to the administrative expense.

The Landlord´s Confirmation of Residence

According to the current Registration Act, the landlord is part of the registration and de-registration process of the tenant. Thus, the lessor has to confirm the entry and the moving out of the tenant in written form. You can find the download for the pre-printed form of the confirmation on the official homepage of Munich.

Within the process of registration, the tenant has to bring the written form of the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence (“Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung”) to the Residence Registration Office in Munich (which is called “Bürgerbüro”). Regarding de-registration the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence is only mandatory in case someone gives up his permanent residence in Germany for good. Recently, we wrote an article about the current procedure for registration and de-registration in Germany.

Planned changes for the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence

In the future the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence (“Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung”) will not be necessary any more to simplify the de-registration process. The administrative expense for providing this confirmation for the registration as well as the de-registration is not justified. After the bill gets the approval by the government, the law should be enacted on November 1st this year.

The new law also clarifies some dubieties concerning the style of the confirmation document. Prospectively, landlords have to provide the tenants with the Landlord’s Confirmation of Residence only in written form, but the authorities accept it also in electronic form.

Thus, the updated law will simplify the process of de-registration for people leaving Germany in the future.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general information purposes only and should not be considered as legal or tax advice. If you have any further questions on the applicability of this information, please get in touch with our office.