Renting in Essen
A new lease costs 9.70 € per m², the 29th highest of 37 cities, up 4.2% on a year ago in a balanced market.
- 580€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 8.50 to 11.15 € per m².
- +26%Change over five years. +4.2% in the last 12 months.
- 13.5%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.5%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 9.97 to 10.38 € per m².
The market in brief
Essen’s median asking rent stands at 9.7 €/m² in June 2026, up 4.2 % year‑on‑year and 26.1 % over the last five years, placing the city 29th of the 37 most expensive German markets. The 25th‑percentile level is 8.5 €/m² and the 75th‑percentile 11.15 €/m², while a typical 60 m² unit costs 582 € per month, representing a rent‑burden of 13.5 % for two residents.
The market remains balanced with a vacancy rate of 2.6 % and an average of 32 days on market; 21 % of listings are let within a week, indicating moderate tightness. Asking rents sit 44 % above the 2022 census existing rent of 6.72 €/m².
A model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 10.24 €/m² in the next 12 months, within a range of 9.97 – 10.38 €/m², implying a further 5.5 % rise.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Essen",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 9.7,
"p25_eur_sqm": 8.5,
"p75_eur_sqm": 11.15,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 29,
"yoy_change_pct": 4.2,
"five_year_change_pct": 26.1,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 6.72,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 44,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 582,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 13.5,
"days_on_market": 32,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 21,
"market_balance": "balanced",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 2.6,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 0.4,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 10.24,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 9.97,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 10.38,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5.5,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2018-01",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -2.1
}
]
}How Essen compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Essen. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Essen are heading
Median asking rent in Essen, € per m²
Monthly, with the 3, 6 and 12-month forecast and its 80% range. Use the menu to compare another city.
How to read this chart
The band widens further into the future because uncertainty grows with time. In back-tests, about 8 out of 10 real outcomes fell inside bands like this one.
Dashed circles mark : moves much larger than in the other cities that month.
Unusual months, in plain words
- In January 2018 asking rents fell 2.1% in a single month, while the typical city moved +0.3%.
One month is a small sample, so a flag like this is a prompt to look closer rather than proof of a price change. The longer trend is the better guide.
Not every street costs the same
Rent per 100 m square, Essen
Average net cold rent on existing contracts, May 2022, on a street map. Hover for values; drag to move.
How to read this chart
The colour scale runs from the cheapest 2% to the most expensive 2% of squares, so a few extreme squares don't wash out the rest. A blank area means no or too few rented flats there (parks, industry, water) or the census suppressed the value.
How fast flats are let
A listing in Essen stays online for about 32 days, and 1 in 5 flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 2.6% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +0.4% in five years. That makes the market balanced on our .
Days a listing stays online
Rolling average over four quarters. Lower means a faster, tighter market.
What would a flat in Essen cost you?
Half of all listings: 510 € to 670 €. Heating and running costs come on top.
That is within the common rule of thumb that rent should take no more than 30% of net income.[1] If the trend holds, the same flat would be listed at about 610 € a year from now (likely between 600 € and 620 €).
It stays within 30% of your income in 36 of 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €) and (450 €).