FAQ for tenants – Frequently asked questions

FARAWAYHOME is a curated platform for premium and luxury furnished apartments and serviced apartments in Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Stuttgart and London.

We don't list holiday rentals — we list apartments you make your home for a few months or longer. Every provider on FARAWAYHOME is verified. Inquiry, verification, chat with the provider and contract all happen online in FARAWAYHOME OS — and a person from our team is reachable at any time if you need one.

The provider of the apartment — not FARAWAYHOME. We verify both sides and run the platform on which you coordinate, exchange documents and conclude the contract. The rental contract itself is concluded directly between you and the provider; you transfer rent and deposit directly to them, never to us.

Yes. FARAWAYHOME is completely free for you as a tenant — no commission, no service fee, no hidden costs. You only pay the rent stated in the listing, directly to the provider. Our commission is paid by the provider, and only once a rental contract is signed.

A furnished apartment is rented for months, with a monthly rent and a standard rental contract. A serviced apartment is run by a professional operator, can be booked from a few nights and is charged per night; services such as regular cleaning are usually included, and you receive an invoice with VAT.

Each listing tells you which type it is and the minimum stay.

Each provider sets it — usually 3 months for furnished apartments, often just a few nights for serviced apartments. The minimum stay is stated in every listing.

Tip: enter your move-in and move-out dates when searching and you'll only see apartments that fit your period.

For most apartments, yes. Every listing spells out what the rent includes — furniture, internet, electricity, water, heating, operating costs — and what comes extra, such as the final cleaning or a parking space. Use the "all-inclusive" filter to see only apartments where everything is included.

Not for searching. For an inquiry, yes — but that's the first step of the inquiry form and takes half a minute: your email address and a code, or sign in with Google or Microsoft. Your FARAWAYHOME OS account is free; everything that follows runs through it.

FARAWAYHOME OS is your free account at app.farawayhome.com. There you manage your inquiries and chat with providers, verify once (Tenant Passport), store your application documents once and share them per inquiry, save searches with email alerts and favourite lists, see appointments and bookings — and have Luca, our AI concierge, with you throughout.

Start on farawayhome.com with city, move-in and move-out dates and number of bedrooms. Then filter by district, rooms, size, rent, amenities, pets, parking, all-inclusive and "registration possible", and sort by price, size, availability or newest.

Nothing quite right? Set up an email alert or tell Luca, our concierge in the bottom right corner, what you're looking for.

Luca is our AI concierge — the chat in the bottom right corner of every page and in FARAWAYHOME OS. Tell him what you're looking for (for example "Berlin, 2 bedrooms, max. €2,500") and he puts the search together, sets up an email alert if you like and answers questions about how renting works.

Luca is an AI assistant, not a person. A person from our team is always one click away, though: "Talk to a person" in the chat.

Move-in ready — all you need is your suitcase. That typically means a fully equipped kitchen with dishes, cutlery and appliances, bed linen and towels, washing machine, TV, Wi-Fi and a workspace. Every listing lists exactly what's there under amenities — and you can filter by them.

Many listings have a video tour or a 3D walkthrough alongside the photos; you'll find them in the gallery. Photos and videos are supplied by the provider. If that's not enough, ask in the chat for a video viewing — appointments can be in person, by video or by phone.

Listings show street, postcode and district; a provider shows the house number only if they explicitly opt in. In FARAWAYHOME OS you see the full address as soon as an in-person viewing is confirmed or the rental contract is signed by both sides.

Yes. Use "Currency & Units" in the navigation to display rents in USD, GBP, CHF and other currencies and to switch between square metres and square feet. Converted amounts are indicative, at today's exchange rates — the rental contract is always concluded in the listing's currency.

Yes. Save your search with an email alert and you'll get a message as soon as a new apartment matches your criteria. You manage all saved searches in FARAWAYHOME OS; you can unsubscribe at any time via the link in the email.

Yes. On every listing page you can share the apartment or download and print it as a PDF exposé. In FARAWAYHOME OS you can create favourite lists and share them with others. Every apartment also has a listing ID you can use to find it again via the search.

1. Find an apartment and send an inquiry — your account is created along the way
2. Verify once; only then does your inquiry reach the provider
3. The provider confirms availability and requests your documents
4. You share your application documents — the provider reviews them
5. The provider sends you the rental contract in the chat; you can request changes
6. You sign and upload the contract, the provider countersigns
7. Transfer the first month's rent and the deposit directly to the provider, get the keys, move in

All of it happens online in FARAWAYHOME OS — you don't need to be on site.

Click "Inquire" on the listing page. The first step is your account (email and code, or Google/Microsoft); then you enter your period, co-residents, pets and a message to the provider and send the inquiry.

If you're not verified yet, the inquiry is held until you've completed verification. After that it reaches the provider immediately and you chat directly.

Once in FARAWAYHOME OS, and it then applies to all your inquiries. You have three options:

1. Fastest: with your work or university email — one click on the confirmation link and you're done
2. Someone confirms you: HR, your manager or a colleague via their organisation's address
3. With a document for your situation — employment contract, bank statement, enrollment certificate, pension notice or similar; our verification team gets back to you within 24 hours

Providers answer verified tenants first.

They're used for verification only. They're stored encrypted on servers in the EU, only our verification team can access them, and they're deleted automatically 30 days after your verification. Providers never see your documents — only the verified badge on your profile.

The application documents you later share for a specific apartment are different: the provider of that inquiry sees them, because that's exactly what you share them for.

Once the provider confirms availability, they request your application documents. Always: ID card or passport. Plus, depending on your situation:

- Employed: employment contract and payslips
- New job: employment contract
- Self-employed: tax assessment and bank statements
- Student: enrollment certificate and bank statements
- Retired: pension notice and bank statements
- Company renting: commercial register extract and cost coverage
- Diplomatic service: note verbale

You upload the documents once in FARAWAYHOME OS and share them per inquiry. A SCHUFA credit report is optional.

No. You prove your financial standing with your income documents — payslips, employment contract, bank statements or similar. You can upload a SCHUFA report in addition, but you don't have to. That's especially handy if you're new to Germany and don't have a SCHUFA history yet.

Verified inquiries are usually answered within a day or two. If no reply comes, FARAWAYHOME reminds the provider automatically after 24 business hours; after 72 business hours without a reply you get an email with matching alternatives. Your inquiry stays open regardless — and you can inquire about several apartments in parallel at any time.

It works the other way round too: if you don't reply to the provider for two days, we remind you.

In the chat with the provider in FARAWAYHOME OS. The provider proposes a time via the appointment function — in person, by video or by phone; you accept, and around the appointment your mobile numbers and, for an in-person viewing, the house number are unlocked. After the appointment we ask you whether you'd like to rent.

You can also rent without a viewing — many tenants do, because they're moving from abroad.

Yes, at any time in FARAWAYHOME OS as long as no contract has been signed by both sides — even in the middle of the documents or contract step. It costs nothing and is never held against you. A quick "I've found something else" helps the provider more than silence.

The provider sends you the rental contract as a PDF in the chat. You review it and can request changes right there — move-in date, rent, names or anything else. If everything fits, you sign, upload the signed version, and the provider countersigns. Once both signatures are in, the booking appears in FARAWAYHOME OS and you see the full address.

That depends on the provider — many work with bilingual contracts because their tenants come from abroad. For apartments in Germany the German version is legally binding. Ask in the chat before the contract arrives; you can get a translation for orientation before signing.

Yes, both are common. If your employer rents, you choose "company" in the documents step and add the commercial register extract and cost coverage; the provider then sets up the contract in the company's name. If your employer only covers the costs, the rental contract serves as the receipt. Best mention it in your inquiry.

If your company needs several apartments, place a group inquiry in FARAWAYHOME OS — suitable providers respond directly with an offer.

As long as the contract isn't signed by both sides, you can withdraw your inquiry at any time, free of charge.

After that the rental contract is binding for the agreed period. Fixed-term furnished tenancies usually carry no ordinary right of termination, and whether a statutory right of withdrawal applies depends on the individual case — for example on whether the provider lets professionally and whether you viewed the apartment beforehand. What applies to you is stated in the contract.

If your situation changes, talk to the provider as early as possible — a solution can often be found, such as a replacement tenant.

You arrange the date via the appointment function in the chat, usually on the move-in date. A handover protocol recording the apartment's condition and inventory, signed by both sides, is standard practice — insist on it, it protects you at move-out. Prerequisite: the first month's rent and the deposit have reached the provider.

For many apartments, yes — the provider states it in the listing, often with a minimum stay from which it's possible. Use the "registration possible" filter to see only those apartments. The provider then issues the confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) you need for the Bürgeramt; it's required by law and must be given to you within two weeks of moving in.

Registration itself is mandatory, free of charge and must be completed within 14 days of moving in.

Yes. The provider sets the amount — usually one to three months' rent; it's stated in the listing and in the contract. It's due together with the first month's rent after signing the contract and before the key handover.

After you move out, the provider returns the deposit minus any costs for damage or cleaning. Under German law they may hold it for up to six months to check the apartment; since all-inclusive rents involve no utility settlement, in practice it's usually much faster.

Monthly by bank transfer, directly to the provider — the bank details are in the rental contract. FARAWAYHOME itself never takes or processes payments. Be suspicious if anyone pushes you towards a different payment method or a different account (see "Safety & trust").

The rental contract lists all costs in detail and serves as your receipt — for your employer or your tax return, for example. For serviced apartments the operator issues an invoice with VAT shown. If you need a specific receipt, ask the provider in the chat.

You hand the apartment back broom-clean: personal items removed, no major dirt, kitchen and bathroom clean. The provider arranges the professional final cleaning; whether and what it costs is stated in the listing's cost section and in the rental contract. The better the condition at handover, the less is deducted from the deposit.

The provider — in the chat in FARAWAYHOME OS so everything is documented, or directly via the contact details in the rental contract. That goes for the apartment itself (furnishings, appliances, repairs) as well as contract questions and extensions. If you get stuck, a person from our team is reachable at hello@farawayhome.com.

Document any damage with photos and report it to the provider in the chat. Anything you damage accidentally is repaired or replaced after mutual agreement and, unless agreed otherwise, deducted from the deposit.

Personal liability insurance is therefore strongly recommended — it covers exactly this kind of damage and can be taken out online in Germany within minutes. Some providers require it in the contract; you can add it as proof to your Tenant Passport. Contents insurance for your own belongings is optional.

That's up to the provider for each apartment, and it's stated in the listing. In your search you can filter separately for "dogs allowed" and "cats allowed". Also mention your pet in the inquiry — then it's part of the conversation from the start and of the contract later.

If the apartment is available, yes. Ask the provider in the chat as early as possible — the sooner, the better the chance the apartment isn't let for the period after yours yet. The extension is recorded as an addendum to the contract or as a new contract.

Usually not. The apartments on FARAWAYHOME are meant for you to live in — not to re-let; most rental contracts explicitly exclude subletting. If you need a replacement tenant at short notice, talk to the provider.

In short: less risk, less effort.

1. Verified providers only — every provider is checked before going live, every listing for completeness
2. No tenant commission, no SCHUFA needed
3. Verify once, then inquire anywhere with one click — verified tenants are answered first
4. Everything online in one place: chat, appointments, documents, contract, booking
5. Automatic reminders and alternatives if a provider doesn't reply
6. The largest curated selection of premium and luxury furnished apartments in Germany

Questions? Email us at hello@farawayhome.com.

1. Every provider is verified — identity, mobile number and bank account — before a listing goes live
2. Every tenant is verified before an inquiry reaches the provider
3. Money flows directly between you and the provider — never through us
4. House number and mobile numbers are only unlocked once an appointment is confirmed or the contract is signed
5. Every message, document and contract lives in FARAWAYHOME OS — traceable for both sides, and a person from our team is reachable if something is wrong

With these standards, FARAWAYHOME has been fraud-free since our founding in 2012.

Don't pay, don't sign anything, and email us immediately: hello@farawayhome.com. Outside the platform we can protect neither the provider, nor the contract, nor your money.

Red flags are requests to pay via Western Union, MoneyGram or cryptocurrency, to an account not named in the rental contract, or to leave the FARAWAYHOME OS chat before an appointment is confirmed. Genuine providers on FARAWAYHOME communicate through the platform and have rent and deposit transferred to the account stated in the contract.