A letter ending your tenancy

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.