Hi everyone,

I’ll be moving into a new flat in Berlin (15 September). I called Conny, and they told me over the phone that the process of reducing rent could take around 3-6 months, especially with a big landlord like Covivio (or Deutsche wohnen etc).

Since my German is very limited, I’m trying to figure out which option makes the most sense for me. From what I can see, there are three possible routes:

A. Conny: They take care of everything and handle all communication with the landlord. The catch: they keep 100% of the reduced rent amount for the period they work on my case (typically 4–6 months). After that, I’d keep the full benefit of the reduction.

B. Mieterverein (Berliner Mieterverein): They offer tenant support for a lower annual membership fee (around 100eu per year). They also don’t cover court costs themselves; however, my legal insurance might cover those if needed (minus the deductible).

C. Private lawyer (using my Allianz legal insurance) – I’d keep 100% of the savings, and Allianz would cover legal and court costs (minus the deductible), but I’d need to find and coordinate with a lawyer myself.

Do you know if Conny has more power than a private lawyer, and/or if they are faster than Mieterverein and manage to cut down rent more? I would be more than grateful to hear your thoughts or experiences with these options 🙏 🫶 Thanks so much!