Calculate rental yield
Enter the price, size and rent to instantly see the real return on a German property — including all purchase costs.
The four numbers that define a property. Every other assumption runs on our defaults.
Non-binding estimate, no warranty. Not an offer of financial or investment advice.
Enter price, area, rent and state — your result appears instantly.
This free calculator works out the return on a German investment property in seconds. It accounts for the property transfer tax (Grunderwerbsteuer) of the state, notary and land-registry fees and the agent commission, and shows you the gross and net rental yield at a glance. See straight away whether a property works as an investment — based on data, not gut feeling.
Price-to-rent factor — rough guide
| under 20 | very cheap |
| 20–25 | cheap |
| 25–30 | average |
| over 30 | expensive |
How rental yield is calculated
Every figure below comes from the same example: a 75 m² flat at € 300,000 with € 950 net rent a month, bought in North Rhine-Westphalia. Knowing the formulas lets you check any result this calculator produces — and spot immediately when a listing advertises the wrong one.
Gross rental yield
annual net rent ÷ purchase price × 100
€ 11,400 ÷ € 300,000 × 100 = 3.80 %. The figure in almost every listing — and it stops at the purchase price. It ignores the transaction costs due on day one and every running expense. Useful as a filter, useless as a basis for deciding.
Net rental yield
(annual net rent − running costs) ÷ (price + transaction costs) × 100
With around 18 % non-recoverable costs and 12.07 % transaction costs in NRW: € 9,348 ÷ € 336,210 × 100 = 2.78 %. A full percentage point below gross — and that point is the difference between a flat that carries itself and one you feed every month.
Price-to-rent factor
purchase price ÷ annual net rent
€ 300,000 ÷ € 11,400 = 26.3. The number of years the rent needs to earn back the price — the fastest comparison between two properties, because it requires no assumptions. The reciprocal of the gross yield.
Pre-tax cash flow
net rent − running costs − interest − principal
The only figure you feel monthly. It can be negative while the yield looks fine: repayment of principal is not an expense but wealth building — it is missing from the account all the same.
Land transfer tax by federal state
The single largest transaction cost, and the only one that more than doubles depending purely on location. The calculator above applies your state's rate automatically.
| Federal state | Rate | on € 300,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Bayern | 3.5 % | 10,500 € |
| Baden-Württemberg | 5.0 % | 15,000 € |
| Niedersachsen | 5.0 % | 15,000 € |
| Rheinland-Pfalz | 5.0 % | 15,000 € |
| Sachsen-Anhalt | 5.0 % | 15,000 € |
| Thüringen | 5.0 % | 15,000 € |
| Bremen | 5.5 % | 16,500 € |
| Hamburg | 5.5 % | 16,500 € |
| Sachsen | 5.5 % | 16,500 € |
| Berlin | 6.0 % | 18,000 € |
| Hessen | 6.0 % | 18,000 € |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 6.0 % | 18,000 € |
| Brandenburg | 6.5 % | 19,500 € |
| Nordrhein-Westfalen | 6.5 % | 19,500 € |
| Saarland | 6.5 % | 19,500 € |
| Schleswig-Holstein | 6.5 % | 19,500 € |
Notary and land registry add around 2 %, plus an agent's commission where one is involved (usually 3.57 % incl. VAT when split equally). Together those make the 10–12 % due on day one that earns no return at all.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate net rental yield?
Net rental yield = (annual cold rent − running costs) ÷ (purchase price + purchase costs) × 100. It shows the real yield after all costs — not the flattering gross figure.
What does the price-to-rent factor tell you?
The price-to-rent factor is purchase price ÷ annual cold rent. It shows after how many annual rents the price is earned back. Under 25 is considered cheap, over 30 expensive.
What purchase costs apply when buying property?
Property transfer tax (3.5–6.5% by federal state), notary & land registry (~2%) and usually agent commission (~3.57%). Together roughly 8–12% of the price.
How high is depreciation (AfA) for a property?
For residential buildings 2%/year (50 years), new builds from 2023 3% (33 years), pre-1925 2.5% (40 years) — always on the building share, not the land.
Is the rental-yield calculator free?
Yes — no sign-up and no storage of your data. For the full analysis with cashflow and bank score, just your email is enough.
What's next?
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