Agreeing to leave does not mean giving up everything. If the claimed need turns out to be fabricated, damages come into play — worth remembering before the move.
✓ Verified: 01/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
Even if you decide not to fight, move out with your documents secured. Fabricated need does occur and the law has an answer for it — but only for someone who can produce the letter, the correspondence and the costs.
Start the flat search alongside the objection rather than after it: notice periods run from three to nine months depending on how long you have lived there, which in the big cities is exactly how long a search takes. ImmoScout24↗ aggregates the listings; moving costs and agent fees are recoverable if the need turns out to be fabricated, so keep every receipt from day one.
We moved out calmly but kept the correspondence and receipts. Six months later the flat appeared in listings at a higher rent — the folder came in very handy.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Put any early-departure settlement in writing with an exact date. Verbal promises evaporate first in this area.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What if the claimed need was fabricated?▾
Where the person named in the letter never moved in and the flat was re-let at a higher rent or sold, damages for the tenant come into consideration. The burden of showing this falls on you, so keep evidence of removal costs from the outset.
Which costs can be recovered?▾
Where pretence is established, typically removal costs, agent commission and the rent difference over a defined period. The precise scope depends on the case and deserves professional assessment.
How would I find out who lives there afterwards?▾
Usually through listings, neighbours or simple observation. A former tenant has no special right of inspection, but equally nothing prohibits taking an interest.
Should I accept a payment for leaving early?▾
Sometimes yes — landlords do offer payment for earlier vacancy. The agreement belongs in writing, with a date, an amount and a statement of which mutual claims it settles; otherwise the dispute is merely postponed.