What does a holiday rental in Germany earn?
Across the markets Terrivio tracks, gross yields in Germany typically range from 4–6% and net yields from 2–3.5% after operating costs and acquisition costs. The spread between the two is the whole story: platform fees, cleaning, management, utilities, insurance and local taxes usually consume 35–50% of gross revenue.
Worked example: a €300,000 property at €120 per night and 55% occupancy books about 201 nights and grosses roughly €24,120 a year (8% gross yield). After 25% variable costs and €4,600 fixed costs, NOI is about €13,490 — a net yield of 4.1% on the total investment of €330,000.
Purchase costs and taxes in Germany
Budget roughly 10% on top of the asking price for acquisition costs. The main component is the Grunderwerbsteuer 3.5–6.5% by state + ≈2% notary & registry. These costs are sunk on day one, which is why Terrivio divides NOI by the total investment — not the asking price — to compute net yield.
Rental profit is taxed with your progressive income tax (14–45%) after 2% straight-line depreciation and cost deduction. Short-term lodging is subject to 7% VAT once you exceed the small-business threshold.
Tourist tax: Berlin 7.5% city tax · Kurtaxe €1–4 per night in resorts. It is normally collected from guests but affects your competitive nightly rate.
Short-term rental rules in Germany
Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and other cities enforce a Zweckentfremdungsverbot: letting a whole flat short-term needs a permit and a visible registration number. Resort municipalities often require Ferienwohnung zoning approval.
Regulation is the biggest single risk in European STR investing. Terrivio's risk score weights regulatory risk at 25% and flags night caps, licence requirements and enforcement intensity for every analysed listing.
Where to look: cities and portals in Germany
Popular short-term rental locations include Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Baltic coast (Rügen, Usedom), Allgäu and Black Forest. Each has a different seasonality profile — Terrivio shows the 12-month revenue curve so you can see how much of the year carries the return.
Listings are mostly published on ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Kleinanzeigen and Immonet. Terrivio reads these portals directly: paste the listing URL and the pipeline extracts price, size, rooms and location automatically.
How to analyse a Germany listing with Terrivio
- Copy the listing URL. Open the property on ImmoScout24 or another supported portal and copy the address bar URL.
- Paste it into Terrivio. Terrivio scrapes the listing, geocodes the address and pulls market ADR and occupancy for the segment (property type, bedrooms, location).
- Review yield and cashflow. You get gross and net yield, NOI, monthly cashflow, break-even occupancy and 10-year IRR — using Germany-specific acquisition costs and taxes.
- Check risk, tax and rules. The report shows the 10-dimension risk score, the recommended tax regime for Germany and the STR rules that apply to the exact city.
Frequently asked questions
Is a holiday home in Germany a good investment in 2026?
It depends on the micro-location and on regulation. Typical net yields are 2–3.5%; the best results come from locations with year-round demand and clear licensing. Always model the net figure, not the gross.
How much are purchase costs in Germany?
Plan for roughly 10% of the price: Grunderwerbsteuer 3.5–6.5% by state + ≈2% notary & registry, plus notary, registry and agent fees where applicable.
Do I need a licence to rent out short-term in Germany?
Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and other cities enforce a Zweckentfremdungsverbot: letting a whole flat short-term needs a permit and a visible registration number. Resort municipalities often require Ferienwohnung zoning approval.
Which Germany property portals does Terrivio support?
Terrivio analyses listings from ImmoScout24, Immowelt, Kleinanzeigen and Immonet and 40+ other European portals. Paste any listing URL to start.