Overview
- Tenants can end a residential lease with three months’ notice under BGB §573c, regardless of how long they have lived in the home.
- The notice counts only if the landlord receives it by the third working day of the month during business hours, with Saturday treated as a working day for access.
- Emails, messaging apps or scanned signatures are insufficient; the letter must be written on paper and hand-signed by every tenant named on the contract.
- To prove delivery, experts recommend a witnessed handover, an Einwurfeinschreiben (registered mail drop), or a stamped receipt from the house management.
- Landlords face longer notice periods after five and eight years and must show a legitimate interest, while tenants retain special termination rights after rent increases or when comprehensive renovations are announced.