Who it’s for
Renters in Germany who prefer to keep their money available instead of paying the full deposit in cash.
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.
Rent deposit explained
What is rent deposit insurance?
Rent deposit insurance (Mietkautionsbürgschaft) lets you provide the security your landlord requires without tying up a large amount of cash.
How it works
R+V provides the deposit guarantee to your landlord. Instead of paying the full deposit upfront, you pay an annual fee.
What it costs
The annual fee is 5.25% of your deposit amount. For example, a €1,200 deposit costs around €63 per year.
Deposit vs insurance
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’s included
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.
Calculate your price
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
From your lease to your deposit guarantee in three steps
Once you know your deposit amount, you can apply online in just a few minutes. Approval is often immediate, with no salary documents or lengthy paperwork.
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Apply online
Enter your rental and deposit details. R+V performs a quick credit check and, in many cases, you get a decision straight away.
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Get your deposit certificate
Once approved, R+V issues your official Bürgschaftsurkunde. You receive the certificate to provide to your landlord.
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Keep your money available
Your landlord receives the guarantee instead of a cash deposit. You keep your savings in your account and pay an annual fee for the guarantee.
Why NEOdirect
More than just a deposit guarantee
A rent deposit guarantee is simple to arrange. With NEOdirect, you also have someone who explains your options, handles the process with you and stays available afterwards.
We make the setup simple
We guide you through the application and make sure you know what is needed to get your deposit certificate.
We tell you if it makes sense
A deposit guarantee is not always the best choice. If keeping a cash deposit or using another solution makes more sense for you, we will tell you.
Everything explained in English
We explain the process in clear English and help with communication in German when needed.
One contact beyond your deposit
Your rent deposit is often just one part of getting settled in Germany. NEOdirect can also support you with your other insurance, giving you one place to turn when questions come up.
Who provides your deposit guarantee
R+V VersicherungYour rent deposit guarantee is provided by R+V Versicherung, one of Germany’s established insurance companies.
NEOdirect acts as your independent insurance broker (Versicherungsmakler). We help you understand your options and set up the guarantee, while R+V provides the actual deposit guarantee to your landlord.
FAQs
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