Who it is for
Anyone renting in Germany who would rather keep their deposit money free
Deposit protection for expats
Move in without locking up a large cash deposit
Mietkautionsversicherung
A rent deposit surety (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) lets you sign for a German flat without handing over up to three months of rent. R+V Versicherung guarantees the deposit for a yearly fee of 5.25%, so your savings stay free for the rest of the move.
What is a rent deposit surety?
A rent deposit surety (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) lets you move into a German flat without handing over a large cash deposit.
How it works
R+V guarantees your deposit to the landlord while you pay a small yearly fee
What it costs
5.25% of the deposit a year, so a €1.200 deposit is about €63 a year
Side by side
Cash deposit vs. rent deposit surety
The same protection for your landlord, with a very different effect on your own finances.
Cash deposit
Barkaution
Rent deposit surety
Mietkautionsbürgschaft
Money upfront
Up to three months of cold rent, paid in one go
No large sum, just a small yearly fee
Your savings
Tied up with the landlord for the whole tenancy
Stay in your own account and keep earning
Ongoing cost
None, though the cash sits frozen
5.25% of the deposit a year
Approval
Immediate once you transfer the full amount
Online after a quick credit check, often in minutes
Students and new arrivals
Hard when cash is tight at the start
Open to you, since it looks at credit not salary
When you move out
You wait for the landlord to release the money
You cancel the surety and the fee stops
Good to know before you decide
A surety protects your landlord, not your own costs. If there is ever a justified claim at the end of your tenancy, R+V settles it with your landlord and you repay that amount afterwards. The yearly fee buys you the freedom of keeping your deposit money, and it is separate from any claim that might come up later.
What you get
Keep your cash. Pay a small fee.
It replaces a large cash deposit with a small yearly fee, backed by an insurer your landlord will recognise.
A recognised surety from R+V
Your deposit is backed by R+V Versicherung, and landlords accept the certificate in place of a cash deposit.
Your savings stay liquid
You keep the deposit money in your own account and pay a small yearly fee instead.
A clear yearly fee of 5.25%
5.25% of the deposit each year with no setup cost, so a €1.200 deposit is about €63 a year.
Instant online approval
Approval happens online right after a quick credit check, with no weeks of waiting.
Open to students and new arrivals
Approval looks at your credit rather than a long German salary history, so students qualify too.
No minimum term, cancel anytime
There is no binding period, so once your landlord releases the deposit you cancel and the fee stops.
Money-back guarantee, always included
If your landlord does not accept the surety, you can withdraw within 14 days and get your fee back.
Cost calculator
See what your surety would cost per year
Set the deposit your landlord is asking for, usually up to three months of cold rent, and we work out the yearly fee at 5.25%. Whatever you set here is the amount you keep in your own account instead of handing it over.
German landlords can normally ask for at most three months of cold rent, so a deposit this high is unusual. We sense-check the figure on the call.
Cash you keep free
€1.500
Stays in your account for rent, furniture, and the other costs of settling in, instead of sitting with your landlord until you move out.
Your yearly fee at 5.25%
€78,75
That is 5.25% of your €1.500 deposit, about €6,56 a month. You pay it for as long as you rent, and it stops once your landlord releases the deposit and you cancel. There is no setup cost and the money-back guarantee is always included.
From our clients
Expats who kept their deposit money
“We had just arrived and our landlord wanted three months of rent as a deposit. NEOdirect set up the surety in a couple of days, so we kept that money for furniture and the first bills, and the landlord accepted the certificate without any trouble.”
“As a student I did not have a long German salary history, so a cash deposit felt out of reach. The surety was approved online within a day, and my landlord was happy to take the R+V certificate.”
How it works
Five steps from your lease to a stress-free move
Approval is often instant online, so the certificate can reach your landlord within a few days of signing.
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Sign your lease
Once you have signed and know the deposit amount, you are ready to set up the surety.
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Apply online in minutes
You apply online and we run a quick credit check, with no salary review or lengthy paperwork.
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We issue the surety certificate
After approval, R+V issues the official certificate (Bürgschaftsurkunde) and we send it to you.
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Give it to your landlord
Your landlord accepts the certificate in place of the cash deposit.
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Move in with your savings intact
You move in with your money still in your account and pay only the small yearly fee.
Why NEOdirect
Why expats choose to do this with us
Once it is set up a surety is simple, and a broker earns their keep by getting the paperwork right and being there if a question comes up later.
We set it up end to end
We handle the application, the credit check, and the certificate, so your landlord gets a finished document.
Honest about whether it fits
If a cash deposit or a deposit account suits you better, we say so plainly.
English from start to finish
We explain each step in English and deal with the insurer in German on your behalf.
One contact for your whole move
Deposit cover sits alongside your other policies, so you have one person to call.
The insurer behind your surety
R+V VersicherungOne of Germany’s established insurers, trusted by landlords across the country. We are a broker (Versicherungsmakler) and earn the same regardless of how you handle your deposit.
FAQ
Questions Indian expats ask us most about deposit sureties
A rent deposit surety (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) is an insurer’s guarantee that stands in for your cash deposit. The insurer pays for any justified claim at the end of your tenancy, and you pay a small yearly fee for that cover.
You pay 5.25% of the deposit each year with no setup fee, so a €1.200 deposit is about €63 a year. The fee stops once your landlord releases the deposit and you cancel.
Landlords are not obliged to accept a surety, so it is worth asking first. If yours says no, the 14-day money-back guarantee returns your fee.
Yes. Approval is based on a credit check rather than a salary review, so students and people who have just moved to Germany can usually qualify.
No. You do not pay a cash deposit at all. Your money stays in your own account and you only pay the yearly fee.
When you move out and your landlord confirms there are no open claims, the surety ends and you cancel it. If a justified claim is ever made, the insurer settles it and you repay that amount.
R+V Versicherung provides the surety. As a broker we set it up and stay your contact for any questions.
Approval is usually instant online after the credit check, and the certificate follows shortly after.
Keep your deposit money. Let’s set up your surety.
No German required. Bring your lease and the deposit amount, and we will explain your options and the next step.
NEOdirect · Insurance broker for expats in Germany