What is it and when to do it?
The Bewerbungsmappe is a document pack you attach to every apartment application. Without a complete set of documents, a landlord will not take your application seriously. Prepare the folder before your first viewings: good apartments in German cities are often gone the same day they are listed.
What goes in the folder
Required documents:
- SCHUFA-Auskunft — no older than 3 months
- Last 3 pay slips (Gehaltsabrechnungen)
- Copy of Personalausweis or passport + valid residence permit
- Completed Mieterselbstauskunft (tenant self-disclosure form)
Strengthens the application (optional): employment contract (Arbeitsvertrag), landlord reference from previous tenancy (Vermieterbescheinigung), 3 months of bank statements.
In practice
Prepare everything in parallel: while your SCHUFA request is being processed (up to 7 days), collect your pay slips and complete the self-disclosure form. Send the same folder to all listings — only the cover letter needs to be personalised for each apartment.
I sent the same folder to 20 apartments and only changed the cover letter each time. Two hours of preparation saved me weeks of stress. I'd already ordered the SCHUFA before I even knew for certain I was moving.
The free Datenkopie takes up to a week. If your viewing is the day after tomorrow, pay the €29.95 for the BonitätsAuskunft — it arrives instantly as a PDF download. The landlord cannot tell which version you submitted.