Renting in Hamburg
A new lease costs 15.47 € per m², the 5th highest of 37 cities, up 5.1% on a year ago in a tight market.
- 930€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 12.68 to 19.38 € per m².
- +29%Change over five years. +5.1% in the last 12 months.
- 18.8%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.2%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 15.91 to 16.67 € per m².
The market in brief
Hamburg’s median asking rent sits at 15.47 €/m² in June 2026, up 5.1 % year‑on‑year and 28.5 % over the last five years, placing the city fifth among the 37 most expensive German markets. The 60 m² typical apartment costs about 928 € per month, while the rent‑burden for two residents is 18.8 % of income.
The market remains tight, with a vacancy rate of just 1.0 % and listings staying on the market for an average of 23 days; 37 % are let within a week. Asking rents command a 69 % premium over existing rents (9.16 €/m² in the 2022 census), underscoring limited affordability.
A model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 16.28 €/m² in the next 12 months, ranging between 15.91 €/m² and 16.67 €/m², reflecting a further 5.2 % increase.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Hamburg",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 15.47,
"p25_eur_sqm": 12.68,
"p75_eur_sqm": 19.38,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 5,
"yoy_change_pct": 5.1,
"five_year_change_pct": 28.5,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 9.16,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 69,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 928,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 18.8,
"days_on_market": 23,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 37,
"market_balance": "tight",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 1,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 3.6,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 16.28,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 15.91,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 16.67,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5.2,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2024-02",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -3.5
},
{
"month": "2016-06",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -2.2
}
]
}How Hamburg compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Hamburg. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Hamburg are heading
Median asking rent in Hamburg, € 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 February 2024 asking rents fell 3.5% in a single month, while the typical city moved -0.3%.
- In June 2016 asking rents fell 2.2% in a single month, while the typical city moved 0.0%.
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, Hamburg
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.
By borough (Bezirk)
Average rent on existing leases, 2022. Red is above the Hamburg average, blue below.
How fast flats are let
A listing in Hamburg stays online for about 23 days, and 37% flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 1.0% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +3.6% in five years. That makes the market tight on our .
Days a listing stays online
Rolling average over four quarters. Lower means a faster, tighter market.
What would a flat in Hamburg cost you?
Half of all listings: 760 € to 1,160 €. 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 980 € a year from now (likely between 950 € and 1,000 €).
On this income, a flat this size stays within 30% in all 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €), (450 €) and (490 €).