Create meetup in Berlinchevron_right
Select a place on the map to change the location.
I want to meet
Verified required?
want to meet at fmd_good Brew Lab
want to meet at fmd_good Steeped
explore Berlin Guides
Berlin Hidden Gems (2026)
kirstin
Berlin on a Budget: Tips 2026
annette
Where to Stay in Berlin (2026)
frieda
3 Days in Berlin: Itinerary 2026
rabeakurth
Things to Do in Berlin (2026)
viktoria
Best Food in Berlin (2026)
bar_chart Trends in Berlin
Am I being too suspicious?
I would like to take some advice from you regarding a somewhat sketchy rental situation.
As my lease was coming to an end, I was looking for a new flat, starting in April. To my luck, I fo… Hello all
I would like to take some advice from you regarding a somewhat sketchy rental situation.
As my lease was coming to an end, I was looking for a new flat, starting in April. To my luck, I found a posting on wg-gesucht that was almost too good to be true. Located right in the heart of Prenzlauer Berg, newly renovated (me and my future roommates are the first ones to move in) and the rent is not too exorbitant. Fortunately, I was the only show up to visit the flat and was offered a contract. Naturally, I was quick to sign the lease-agreement and sent him a copy of my SCHUFA and a scan of my ID.
Things got a bit sketchy however, when I sent him a follow-up email a few days later to schedule a handover of keys - the email couldn't get delivered as the email-address he used for correspondence with me didn't exist anymore. I got a bit itchy and googled his name and found what seems to be the website of his company, with multiple objects in and around Berlin listed as their property. The email-address listed on this website couldn't get delivered either. A phone number listed on there did work however and I contacted him via phone to schedule a handover of keys, which was about an hour ago.
So I went to come and pick up the keys at his personal place of residence, not the flat itself, so we didn't do a formal handover of the flat with a protocol. He told me that the locks of the property will be changed on Thursday. Until then, I have no way of knowing whether the keys to the apartment actually do work.
I'm usually a very naive person but I can't shake off the feeling that something doesn't feel right. I have read a lot of horror stories on this sub and I just want to make sure I'm not being scammed while also not being overly distrusting.
So far I have not transferred the money for the first rent, as well as the security payment. My landlord was adamant however that I transfer the money until the end of the week, which would mean I'd have to transfer the money either today or tomorrow.
So, what do you make of this? Am I being too cautious or justified in my suspicion? Thank you very much for your thoughts, it's highly appreciated!
honestly the email addresses vanishing is weird but i think the bigger red flag is him handing over keys before the locks are changed. that makes zero sense. if he's legit and owns the place why wouldnt he just give you working keys now and change the locks on his own schedule later
also the whole "only you showed up to the viewing" thing in prenzlberg for a newly renovated flat is sus af. even with high rents that area gets snapped up fast. i lived on kollwitzplatz for two years and viewings there were always packed
dont transfer anything until you've actually opened the door with your keys and seen the flat matches what you remember. if he pressures you just say you'll pay after thursday when you can confirm everything. any legit landlord would be fine with that
ngl the whole thing about getting keys at his personal place instead of the flat is weird. normally you do the handover at the apartment so you can check everything together. also if he owns a company with multiple properties why is he doing key handovers from his home that's a bit odd
you should def check if his company is actually registered in the Handelsregister, that's public info and easy to look up online. if the company doesn't exist or the details don't match what he told you then you got your answer
and honestly don't let him rush you on the payment
You're right to be suspicious, the email addresses vanishing is the biggest red flag here. I've seen this scam before in Berlin where someone shows a real flat, gets your documents, then ghosts on the key handover. The fact that he wants the full deposit and first rent before you can even test the keys on Thursday is a classic pressure move.
Don't transfer a single cent until you've actually opened the door of that apartment with your keys. Even then, make sure the locks actually work and the flat matches what you saw. If he pushes back hard on waiting until Thursday, that's your answer.
You can also check the property owner through the official Berliner Grundbuchamt if you really want to be sure, but that costs a bit and takes time. Your gut feeling is serving you well here, trust it.
What is the correct spelling for a street name that appears differently on multiple signs in Charlottenburg?
Worth noting that Berlin street names have official umlaut and ß rules that trip people up, so a sign showing "Strasse" versus "Straße" is not actually a spelling error, just an older transcription. Same with "ue" versus "ü" (e.g. "Kantstrasse" vs "Kantstraße"), both are considered valid renderings and you'll see the ß version on the blue Schilder and the ss version on older plaques or in databases that predate Unicode. If the difference you're seeing is between those two forms, there's nothing to fix and both are technically correct.
if the signs u mean are the old enamel ones on the house facades those are often protected as Baudenkmal so nobody's allowed to correct them even if the spelling is outdated. the binding version is whatever is in the Berliner Strassenverzeichnis plus the entry in the Liegenschaftskataster, so if u tell me the street i can point u to the right Bezirksamt Mitte or Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf page. tbh the merged district thing is real but the facade signs are a separate story, theyre basically museum pieces at this point
honestly thats super common in Charlottenburg, the district offices were merged from older Bezirke and nobody ever fixed all the Schilder. if its a real street you can check the official strassenverzeichnis on berlin.de, that list is what the Burgeramt actually goes by. which street is it? some of the Kaiserdamm / Kantstrasse signs are notorious for this.
load 1 more reply