A rent index is an overview of the local comparative rent. This corresponds to the usual charges that have been agreed or changed in a municipality in the last six years for housing of a comparable type, size, facilities, quality and location. A rent index serves as a guide and justification for new rental agreements and rent increase procedures and thus also helps to avoid disputes between tenants and landlords.

The Rent Index Reform Act (MsRG) came into force on 01.07.2022. This means that all municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are legally obliged to prepare a rent index. The rent index must be available by 01.01.2024 at the latest.

The city of Wolfsburg has opted for a qualified rent index. This offers greater legal certainty than a simple rent index, as it is drawn up in accordance with recognized scientific principles. In conjunction with recognition by the tenants' and landlords' interest groups in the rent index working group and recognition by Wolfsburg City Council, this leads to an increased presumption of conformity in accordance with Section 558d (3) BGB. It is assumed that the rents stated in the rent index reflect the local comparative rent. The effect of the presumption is that, in the event of a dispute, the burden of proof as to whether the rent index was prepared in accordance with recognized scientific principles lies with the plaintiff.

A working group was set up by the city of Wolfsburg as an expert advisory body. The working group consists of, among others, representatives of landlords' and tenants' interests as well as representatives of the city administration and local housing companies. The aim is a jointly developed and recognized rent index to create more transparency on the rental housing market for the city's residents.

According to Section 8 (1) of the Rent Index Ordinance (MsV), qualified rent indices must be calculated on the basis of a primary data collection through a representative survey of tenants or landlords. Secondary statistical data (e.g. residents' registration and property tax data) may also be used to prepare the data collection and for plausibility checks (see Section 8 (2) MsV).

The Department of Data, Strategies and Urban Development of the City of Wolfsburg, in cooperation with the Wolfsburg rent index working group, has drawn up a questionnaire to collect information on the apartment and the tenancy. Location and year of construction are not part of the primary data collection, but will be included in the calculation of the rent index from other sources. The qualitative residential location will be compiled by an external surveyor's office in consultation with the working group and the year of construction will be taken from the city's building statistics.

A survey is required to collect the necessary data for a qualified rent index. In the period from 01.03.2023 to 16.05.2023, the city of Wolfsburg requested data on 5,000 apartments. However, only 2,185 people received mail from the city. The four housing companies Neuland, Volkswagen-Immobilien, Allertal and Sahle provided information on the remaining apartments. Of the Wolfsburg residents who were contacted directly, 87 percent completed the questionnaire. In the case of the housing companies, the city received information on almost all apartments. This high response rate is due not least to the obligation to provide information introduced by the Rent Index Reform Act (MsRG).

Following the survey, the model was created after the questionnaires had been returned and checked for plausibility. A regression method was used to search for statistically significant correlations between the surveyed characteristics and the amount of the net cold rent. By applying the regression model created, the basic amount was determined as the initial value as well as the premium and discount values for the characteristics and furnishings of the apartments.
The methodological approach is documented in accordance with the Rent Index Ordinance and published in the method report.

The qualified rent index 2024 for the city of Wolfsburg is valid from 01.01.2024 to 31.12.2025 and will then be adjusted in accordance with the legal requirements before it has to be redrawn after 4 years.

The qualified rent index 2024 for the city of Wolfsburg only applies to apartments in apartment buildings with 3 or more apartments at the address/address (meaning the building entrance) in the living space range between 26 and 175 square meters.
In the rent index brochure(Chapter 1.3 "Scope of application") you will find detailed information on the cases in which the rent index is not or not directly applicable.

A rent index is an overview of the local comparative rent. The local comparative rent corresponds to the usual charges that have been agreed or changed in a municipality in the last six years for housing of a comparable type, size, furnishings, quality and location.

To calculate the local comparative rent, the premiums and discounts for features and fittings of the respective apartment are added to or subtracted from the basic amount determined for Wolfsburg. In this context, the rent index brochure provides basic information on whether the rent index applies to your apartment(section 1.3 "Scope of application"). On the other hand, the rent index brochure contains detailed information and tables on the step-by-step calculation of the local comparative rent for your apartment(Chapter 2 "Applying the rent index").

To calculate the local comparative rent, you must enter all the information on the features and fittings of your apartment that are shown in the tables in the rent index brochure(Chapter 2 "Using the rent index"). If information on individual features is missing (e.g. the year of construction), you as a tenant can also consult your landlord/landlady.

No. The local comparative rent is calculated individually for each apartment. For this purpose, the additions and deductions for features and fittings of the respective apartment are added to or subtracted from the basic amount determined for Wolfsburg.
The basic amount itself is therefore not to be understood as the standard local comparative rent, but merely a starting value that is included in the calculation of the standard local comparative rent irrespective of specific features and characteristics.
The rent index is therefore not used to determine the standard local comparative rent for the city of Wolfsburg or for individual districts.

The tenants' association Mieterverein Wolfsburg e. V. and Haus & Grund Wolfsburg und Umgebung e. V., which represent the interests of tenants and landlords with voting rights, recognized the rent index at the meeting of the rent index working group on 27.09.2023.
As the most important decision-making body of the authority responsible for preparing the rent index in accordance with state law, the Wolfsburg City Council also recognized the rent index at its meeting on 6 December 2023.

This double recognition of the qualified rent index 2024 for the city of Wolfsburg also leads to an increased presumption of conformity in accordance with Section 558d (3) BGB. It is therefore assumed that the fees stated in the rent index reflect the local comparative rent. The effect of the presumption is that, in the event of a dispute, the burden of proof as to whether the rent index was prepared in accordance with recognized scientific principles lies with the plaintiff.

The regulations on tenancy law contained in the German Civil Code (BGB) apply after the rent index has been drawn up just as they did before. However, the qualified rent index provides tenants and landlords with an additional means of justification, for example when requesting a rent increase. The rent index as a means of justification is easy to use and comprehensible. Other means of justification can still be used (see Section 558a (2) BGB). However, the calculated local comparative rent from the rent index must always be stated.

The local comparative rent is calculated in accordance with specific legal requirements, so that, for example, only residential tenancies that have been newly concluded or adjusted within the last 6 years are included in the calculation. The local comparative rent is therefore not an average rent for the city. A direct comparison with the Wolfsburg rental market analysis is also not possible. Furthermore, the rent index is not used for political control of rents.

Information on the preparation and application of the rent index can be obtained from the City of Wolfsburg (contact details can be found at the bottom of this page). However, the City of Wolfsburg is not permitted to provide legal advice. If you have individual questions about tenancy law, you can, for example, make use of the advisory services of tenants' or landlords' interest groups.

Information on the preparation and application of the rent index can be obtained from the City of Wolfsburg (contact details can be found at the bottom of this page). However, the City of Wolfsburg is not permitted to provide legal advice. If you have specific questions about tenancy law, you can, for example, make use of the advisory services of tenants' or landlords' interest groups:

Mieterverein Braunschweig und Umgebung e.V. (telephone: 05361-16709, email: kontakt@mieterverein-braunschweig.de, Internet: www.mieterverein-wolfsburg.de)
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Haus & Grund Wolfsburg und Umgebung e.V. (phone: 05361-12946, email: info@hug-wob.de, website: www.hug-wob.de)

The creation of a qualified rent index in accordance with the provisions of Section 558d of the German Civil Code (BGB) creates reliable legal certainty for tenants and landlords for the duration of the rent index's validity - particularly when it comes to requests for rent increases and the structuring of new contract rents. The latter only applies as long as the city of Wolfsburg is listed as an area with a tight housing market in Section 1 (1) of the Lower Saxony Tenant Protection Ordinance. The exact regulations are summarized in the rent index brochure in chapter 1.2 (section "Rent increases").

The creation of a qualified rent index in accordance with the provisions of Section 558d of the German Civil Code (BGB) creates reliable legal certainty for tenants and landlords for the duration of the rent index's validity - particularly when it comes to requests for rent increases and the structuring of new contract rents. The latter only applies as long as the city of Wolfsburg is listed as an area with a tight housing market in Section 1 (1) of the Lower Saxony Tenant Protection Ordinance. The exact regulations are summarized in the rent index brochure in chapter 1.2 (section "Permissible level at the start of rent").

The creation of a qualified rent index in accordance with the provisions of Section 558d of the German Civil Code (BGB) creates reliable legal certainty for tenants and landlords for the duration of the rent index's validity - particularly when it comes to requests for rent increases and the structuring of new contract rents. The latter only applies as long as the city of Wolfsburg is listed as an area with a tight housing market in Section 1 (1) of the Lower Saxony Tenant Protection Ordinance. The exact regulations are summarized in the rent index brochure in chapter 1.2 (section "Lower Saxony Tenant Protection Ordinance").

The Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Office of Justice provide the current rent index law on their website www.gesetze-im-internet.de with the German Civil Code (BGB) and the Rent Index Ordinance (MsV).

§§Sections 556d to 556f BGB (agreements on the rent level at the start of a tenancy in areas with tight housing markets)
§§ Sections558 to 558d BGB (regulations on rent levels)

§§Sections 6 ff MsV (qualified rent index)

Qualified rent index for Wolfsburg - results have been determined - valid from January 1, 2024

Wolfsburg will have a rent index from January 1, 2024 - this has been clear for some time. The city of Wolfsburg has now completed the necessary calculations for this and recorded the results in a rent index brochure. In addition to the basic amount, the building age classes and the living space classes as well as 20 other housing value characteristics have an influence on the rent level.

"The rent index provides a reliable overview of the local comparative rent and thus benefits both tenants and landlords," summarizes Lord Mayor Dennis Weilmann. "Ultimately, with the rent index, we are ensuring greater transparency on the rental housing market."

The local comparative rent corresponds to the usual rents for housing of a comparable type, size, furnishings, quality and location that have been agreed or changed in the last six years. First City Councillor and City Planning Councillor Kai-Uwe Hirschheide adds: "The collaboration over the last one and a half years has been characterized by a high level of professionalism and a common goal, which has resulted in a very good outcome. The working group will continue to meet regularly in the future to evaluate and further develop the rent index."

The City of Wolfsburg's Data, Strategies and Urban Development Department has developed the qualified rent index itself in accordance with scientific principles. Data from over 5,000 apartments was requested between the beginning of March and mid-May. Due to the very good response rate, almost 3,000 questionnaires were included in the Wolfsburg rent index model. A multiple linear regression model was used to determine which characteristics have an influence on the rent level. The rent index shows the local comparative rent as the monthly (net) rent per square meter of living space in an apartment. How the local comparative rent for an apartment is calculated and what special features there are is described in the rent index brochure.

The aim is a jointly developed and recognized rent index by the city of Wolfsburg and the rent index working group. To this end, all key stakeholders were involved in advance. The tenants' association Wolfsburg e. V. and Haus & Grund Wolfsburg und Umgebung e. V. already approved the rent index on 27 September as interest groups with voting rights in the working group. The political consultation will now begin, at the end of which the Wolfsburg City Council will make a decision on December 6.

The qualified rent index 2024 for the city of Wolfsburg will become valid with the publication of the rent index brochure and the method documentation on January 1, 2024 at wolfsburg.de/mietspiegel. It is valid until December 31, 2025 and will then be adjusted before it has to be revised after a further two years. The Wolfsburg rent index is based on the Rent Index Reform Act (MsRG), which came into force on July 1, 2022 and legally obliges municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to have a rent index.

Large response to rent index survey - "Preparation enters next phase"

Since the beginning of March, the city of Wolfsburg has requested data on 5,000 apartments. However, only 2,185 people have received mail from the city. The four housing companies Neuland, Volkswagen-Immobilien, Allertal and Sahle have provided information on the remaining apartments. Of the Wolfsburg residents who were contacted directly, 87 percent completed the questionnaire. In the case of the housing companies, the city received information on almost all apartments. This high response rate is due not least to the obligation to provide information introduced by the Rent Index Reform Act (MsRG).

"On this very good basis, we can now draw up a qualified rent index by the end of the year, which will ultimately benefit all sides," emphasizes city planning officer Kai-Uwe Hirschheide. "In this respect, I would like to thank all citizens and housing associations who took the time to participate in the survey."

Participation in the survey was possible both online and in the traditional way with a paper questionnaire. Overall, however, around two thirds of all Wolfsburg residents contacted took part online. In future, the qualified rent index will provide information on the local comparative rent. This corresponds to the usual rents for housing of a comparable type, size, furnishings, quality and location that have been agreed or changed in the last six years.

The rent index project team in the Data, Strategies, Urban Development department carries out a comprehensive plausibility check of the completed questionnaires so that the modeling can then begin. A regression procedure is used to search for statistically significant correlations between the characteristics surveyed and the amount of the net rent. By applying the regression model created, the local comparative rent can ultimately be determined from the combination of the respective characteristics of an apartment. The results will be published on this page by January 1, 2024 at the latest.

City collects data on 5,000 apartments - paper questionnaires on rent index sent out

As part of a survey, the city of Wolfsburg has been collecting data on 5,000 apartments since February 27. However, only about 2,000 people have received mail from the city. The four housing companies Neuland, Volkswagen Immobilien, Allertal and Sahle had agreed to fill in the questionnaires on behalf of their tenants, who are part of the sample.

Of the approximately 2,000 people, 25 percent have already taken advantage of the opportunity to participate online. "I am pleased that many citizens* have already responded online and would like to thank them for doing so. At the same time, I call on everyone else to complete the questionnaire promptly so that we can introduce a qualified rent index for Wolfsburg by the end of the year," appeals city planning officer Kai-Uwe Hirschheide.

At the end of this week, all those who have not yet participated or have not participated fully will receive a reminder letter - this time with the option of participating by mail. The letter will contain a paper questionnaire with instructions on how to complete it and a postage-paid return envelope. Of course, those who have been contacted may still participate online. Filling out the questionnaire takes about 30 minutes. Since the amendment to the Rent Index Reform Act, participation has been mandatory. All persons contacted are asked to participate in the survey by April 16.

As a result, the rent index will provide even greater transparency in the rental housing market. It will reflect the rents customary in the locality that have been agreed or changed in the past six years for residential space of a comparable type, size, equipment, condition and location. In addition to the amount of rent, the questionnaire therefore also asks for data on the size of the apartment, the fittings in the bathroom and kitchen, the presence of a balcony or roof terrace, and the type of heating.

Rent index: Survey starts on March 1 - Around 5,000 residents to be surveyed

After extensive preparatory work, the most important part of the rent index can now begin: the survey of Wolfsburg residents starts on March 1. The rent index reflects the rents that are customary in the locality and that have been agreed or changed in the last six years for residential space of a comparable type, size, equipment, condition and location. In addition to the amount of rent, the questionnaire therefore also asks for data on the size of the apartment, the bathroom and kitchen fittings, the presence of a balcony or roof terrace, and the type of heating. As this is the first time that the city of Wolfsburg has compiled a qualified rent index, many details are recorded that can have an influence on the local comparative rent.

"Based on the data collected, we will be able to introduce a qualified rent index for Wolfsburg by the end of the year," summarizes city building official Kai-Uwe Hirschheide. "With the rent index, we are ensuring even greater transparency in the rental housing market." With the rent index, landlords will be able to determine their rents with legal certainty in the future and tenants will be protected from unjustifiably high rents.

However, only about 2,000 people receive mail from the city. "Due to the special housing market structure in Wolfsburg, it is possible to minimize the survey effort. On request, the four housing companies Neuland, Volkswagen Immobilien, Allertal and Sahle have agreed to fill in the questionnaires on behalf of their tenants who are part of the sample," emphasizes Marcel Hilbig, head of the responsible department Data, Strategies, Urban Development. However, it is possible that the housing associations will contact their tenants with follow-up questions.

If possible, the questionnaire should be answered online at wolfsburg.de/mietspiegel. The cover letter therefore contains an access password that respondents can use to access the survey on the website. If it is not possible to complete the survey digitally, a reminder will be sent out automatically after around four weeks - in which case a paper questionnaire will also be sent out.

Before filling out the questionnaire, it is recommended to take the tenancy agreement, the last operating cost statement and possibly documents on rent adjustment or operating cost adjustment to hand. If tenants are unsure or lack information, they can also contact their landlords. "We ask all landlords*innen to support your tenants*innen on demand actively, because the rent index is in the interest of both parties", so Marcel Hilbig. In addition to the information on this page, respondents will receive additional information about the survey with their cover letter, and the questionnaire also contains specific instructions for filling it out. Under the telephone hotline 05361 281234 all further questions are answered. It is also possible to contact the company via e-mail at mietspiegel@stadt.wolfsburg.de. Filling out the questionnaire takes around 30 minutes.

"We ask all residents* to participate, who receive the letter to the rent survey from us. Since the amendment to the Rent Index Reform Act, participation is mandatory. Please comply with this obligation and complete the questionnaire in full by April 16, 2023, even if it involves some effort on your part," appeals Kai-Uwe Hirschheide. Data protection is always guaranteed during the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the rent index survey. The questionnaires are evaluated exclusively at the statistics office in the Data, Strategies, Urban Development department of the City of Wolfsburg.

Rents with transparency - starting signal for Wolfsburg rent index

Wolfsburg is getting a rent index, the city administration reported today also in the strategy committee. The rent index is a reliable overview of the local comparative rent in Wolfsburg and benefits both tenants and landlords. To ensure broad acceptance, the city of Wolfsburg has established a working group that brings together the city administration and the interest groups of tenants and landlords. The goal is a jointly developed and recognized rent index.

The administration is currently preparing a representative survey that will form the basis for the rent index. For this purpose, the city will ask randomly selected residents of Wolfsburg for information in writing. The survey will run from March 1 to April 16 and will form the basis for determining the local comparative rent. This corresponds to the usual rents for residential space of a comparable type, size, equipment, condition and location that have been agreed or changed in the last six years. The rent index with the local comparable rent thus complements the rental market analysis with information on existing and new rents very well and thus ensures even greater transparency on the rental housing market.

The basis for the Wolfsburg rent index is the Rent Index Reform Act (MsRG), which came into force on July 1, 2022 and legally obliges municipalities with a population of more than 50,000 to publish a rent index. The city of Wolfsburg has opted for a qualified rent index. This offers greater legal certainty than a simple rent index, as it is drawn up in accordance with recognized scientific principles. This also entails an obligation to provide citizens with information regarding the upcoming survey. Data protection is always guaranteed during the preparation, implementation and evaluation of the rent index survey. The questionnaires will be evaluated exclusively at the City of Wolfsburg's statistics office, where the local comparative rent will also be calculated.

The rent index must be available by January 1, 2024 at the latest. The City of Wolfsburg will provide comprehensive information on the start of the survey.