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A letter ending your tenancy

Kündigung der Wohnung

What a Kündigung from a landlord is, the difference between the ordinary and immediate forms, and why to act quickly.

From: Landlord or property management

This letter looks serious

For a letter like this, please get help from a qualified person.

What this letter is

A „Kündigung“ from your landlord states that they intend to end your tenancy, and from which date.

„Ordentliche Kündigung“ is the ordinary form with a notice period. „Fristlose Kündigung“ claims the right to end the tenancy immediately, usually over unpaid rent.

Why to get help with this one

Losing your home affects everything else, including your residence status and your benefits. Whether a Kündigung is valid depends on details that only someone reading the letter and your contract can assess.

For a letter of this kind, get help from a person rather than acting alone. A Migrationsberatung (migration counselling service), a Sozialberatung, a Verbraucherzentrale, or a lawyer can read the actual letter and tell you what your options are. Many of these services are free.

A Mieterverein (tenants' association) is the specific service for this kind of letter.

The deadline that applies to you is printed on your own letter — usually near the top or at the end of the section describing what you must do. Look for a date, or a phrase such as „innerhalb von zwei Wochen“ (within two weeks) or „bis zum“ (by). Do not rely on a period you read online, including here: the same letter type carries different deadlines depending on why it was sent.

This explanation was generated by AI and can contain mistakes. The original German letter is the document that counts. For serious matters, get help from a qualified person.