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What does "Mietkautionskonto" mean in English?

Last updated on 10 April 2024

A Mietkautionskonto, literally translated as “rental deposit account,” is a special type of bank account used in Germany to hold a tenant’s security deposit.

What is “Mietkautionskonto”?

A Mietkautionskonto is a bank account where tenants deposit their rental security deposit, known as Kaution. This deposit acts as a financial safeguard for landlords against potential damages or unpaid rent during the tenancy. The funds in a Mietkautionskonto are kept separate from the landlord’s assets and are returned to the tenant at the end of the lease, provided there are no outstanding claims[1][2][3][4].

More information about “Mietkautionskonto”

The amount deposited in a Mietkautionskonto is legally capped at a maximum of three months’ cold rent (Nettokaltmieten) for residential properties. For commercial properties, the amount is negotiable and often higher. The interest earned on the deposit belongs to the tenant and must be paid out along with the principal amount at the end of the tenancy, assuming no damages or unpaid dues[3][5][6].

Here are some additional terms that are related to Mietkautionskonto:

  • Kaution: The security deposit paid by tenants to landlords as a safeguard against damages or unpaid rent.
  • Nettokaltmieten: The basic rent excluding utility costs, which is used to calculate the maximum allowable Kaution.
  • Mietkautionssparbuch: Another term for Mietkautionskonto, essentially a savings book for rental deposits.
  • Mietkautionsversicherung: A rental deposit insurance that can serve as an alternative to a Mietkautionskonto.

Understanding the Mietkautionskonto is crucial for tenants and landlords alike, as it ensures financial security and compliance with German rental laws[2][3][4][5][6].

Sources

[1] https://allaboutberlin.com/glossary/Mietkautionskonto [2] https://www.gabler-banklexikon.de/definition/mietkautionskonto-59838 [3] https://kautionsfrei.de/kautionskonto [4] https://www.umzugcheckliste.org/blog/mietkautionskonto/ [5] https://kautionsfrei.de/mietkaution [6] https://housinganywhere.com/de/Deutschland/mietkautionskonto [7] https://www.homegate.ch/c/de/ratgeber/umziehen/mietzinskaution/mietkautionsversicherung-als-alternative-zum-depot [8] https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=838472 [9] https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/jc62zh/mietkautionskonto/ [10] https://www.ubs.com/ch/de/private/accounts-and-cards/accounts/security-deposit/rental-surety-savings-account.html [11] https://www.studysmarter.de/studium/rechtswissenschaften/zivilrecht/mietkaution/ [12] https://www.sparkasse.de/pk/ratgeber/wohnen/vermieten/mietkautionskonto.html [13] https://www.reddit.com/r/askberliners/comments/ta6y9u/mietkautionskonto_for_indians_living_in_berlin/ [14] https://www.anders-relocation.de/wiki-eintrag/kaution/ [15] https://www.hypovereinsbank.de/hvb/services/digitales-banking/hilfe/mietkaution [16] https://www.juraforum.de/lexikon/mietkaution [17] https://mietkautionskonto.info/how-does-a-rent-deposit-mietkaution-work-in-germany/ [18] https://www.helvetia.com/ch/web/de/privatkunden/zuhause/versicherung/mietkaution.html [19] https://www.kuhlen-berlin.de/en/glossary/mietkaution [20] https://expatriates.stackexchange.com/questions/24103/cheapest-kautionskonto-in-germany