The Previous Tenant Wants Money for the Kitchen: Here's the Actual Math That Protects You
In Germany, unlike many countries, a rental apartment genuinely doesn't automatically come with a kitchen, so it's common to be asked to pay the outgoing tenant an Ablöse, a settlement payment, for their Einbauküche, built-in kitchen, when you move in. This kind of agreement is genuinely legal, structured as an actual purchase contract, as long as the price and what you're getting for it stay in a fair proportion, but you're never legally obligated to accept it, taking over the previous tenant's kitchen is entirely your choice. The real, calculable basis for a fair price is the Zeitwert, the current depreciated value: a kitchen loses 24 percent of its value in the first year alone, then depreciates a further 4 percent linearly each year after that. There's a genuine legal ceiling worth knowing precisely: if the asking price is more than 50 percent above this calculated Zeitwert, the agreement itself is legally invalid, so a seller can add at most a 50 percent markup on top of the actual depreciated value. Condition genuinely factors in too, damaged spots or broken appliances lower the real value, while additional or newer appliances and special built-in features can genuinely raise it.
The Official Rule
Being asked to pay for someone else’s kitchen when you move in can feel like an unfamiliar, even suspicious request if you’re new to German rental norms, but there’s a real, calculable framework behind it worth understanding.
In Germany, unlike many countries, a rental apartment genuinely doesn’t automatically come with a kitchen, this is worth knowing as the actual starting context. Because of this, it’s genuinely common practice for an outgoing tenant to offer their Einbauküche, built-in kitchen, to the incoming tenant for an Ablöse, a settlement payment, rather than removing and disposing of it themselves.
| Timeframe | Value loss |
|---|---|
| First year | 24% loss |
| Each year after | Additional 4% linear depreciation |
| Legal ceiling | Asking price can't exceed Zeitwert by more than 50% |
This kind of arrangement is genuinely legal, structured as an actual purchase contract, as long as the price and what you’re actually getting stay in a fair proportion to each other. This isn’t an informal handshake deal without real structure, it’s a recognized transaction type, which is exactly why a real, calculable fairness standard exists behind it rather than leaving the price entirely to negotiation and guesswork.
You’re never legally obligated to accept this, taking over a previous tenant’s kitchen is entirely your choice. This is worth knowing clearly upfront, if you’d rather start fresh with your own kitchen, you’re under no legal obligation to pay an Ablöse or take over existing built-ins just because they’re offered.
The real, calculable basis for a fair price is the Zeitwert, the kitchen’s current depreciated value, and the actual formula is worth knowing precisely. A kitchen genuinely loses 24 percent of its value in the first year alone, a steep initial drop, then depreciates a further 4 percent linearly each subsequent year. This gives you an actual number to calculate rather than relying on a vague sense of whether a price feels reasonable.
There’s a genuine legal ceiling worth knowing with real precision: if the asking price is more than 50 percent above this calculated Zeitwert, the agreement itself is legally invalid. This means a seller can add at most a 50 percent markup on top of the actual depreciated value, giving you a concrete, enforceable limit to reference if a quoted price seems inflated.
Condition genuinely factors into the real number too, not just age. Damaged spots or broken appliances lower the actual value below the simple age-based calculation, while additional or newer appliances and special built-in features the previous tenant added can genuinely raise it, this is worth discussing specifically rather than relying purely on the depreciation formula in isolation.
What Real People Say
Newcomers negotiating their first Ablöse consistently describe genuine relief at discovering the actual Zeitwert calculation exists, several mention initially feeling like they had no real basis to push back on a quoted price before learning this specific, calculable standard.
People who calculated the Zeitwert themselves before negotiating consistently describe more productive, concrete conversations with the outgoing tenant, several mention that citing the actual 50 percent legal ceiling specifically shifted a negotiation that had started from an inflated asking price.
Step by Step
- Find out the kitchen’s actual age as your starting point for calculating Zeitwert.
- Apply the depreciation formula, 24% loss in year one, then 4% per year after, to get a genuine baseline value.
- Adjust for real condition factors, damage or broken appliances lower it, newer additions or special features can raise it.
- Confirm the asking price doesn’t exceed this Zeitwert by more than 50%, this is your legal ceiling reference point.
- Remember you’re never obligated to accept, walking away and sourcing your own kitchen is always a genuine option.
Compliance Note
This page explains the general framework around Einbauküche Ablöse negotiations in Germany, but this is not legal advice, and specific circumstances can vary. For your specific situation, consult a Mietrecht (tenancy law) attorney or your local Mieterverein.
FAQ & Common Pitfalls
The previous tenant is asking for a price that feels genuinely high for a kitchen that's clearly a few years old. How do we actually push back with something concrete?
Calculate the actual Zeitwert yourself: a kitchen loses 24 percent of its value in the first year, then depreciates a further 4 percent linearly each subsequent year. Once you have that figure, you have a genuine, calculable ceiling, the asking price legally can't exceed that Zeitwert by more than 50 percent, so you can point to a specific number rather than just feeling like the price seems high.
We don't actually want the previous tenant's kitchen at all. Are we legally required to take it or pay for it?
No, genuinely not, there's no legal obligation to accept an outgoing tenant's kitchen or pay any Ablöse for it. This is entirely a voluntary purchase agreement, if you'd rather buy your own kitchen from IKEA or a Küchenstudio instead, that's completely your choice to make.
The kitchen we're being offered has a few newer appliances the previous tenant added recently. Does that change the calculation?
Genuinely, yes, this is worth factoring in rather than ignoring. Additional or newer appliances and special built-in features can genuinely raise the calculated value above what a simple age-based depreciation alone would suggest, so it's worth accounting for these specific additions when you and the seller work out a fair number together.