Renting in Potsdam
A new lease costs 14.55 € per m², the 7th highest of 37 cities, up 8.0% on a year ago in a tight market.
- 870€/moA 60 m² flat, cold. Half of listings: 11.56 to 17.44 € per m².
- +30%Change over five years. +8.0% in the last 12 months.
- 19.2%Rent burden. Share of what two average residents earn after tax (2023).
- +5.5%Forecast, next 12 months. Likely 14.64 to 15.72 € per m².
The market in brief
Potsdam’s median asking rent stands at 14.55 €/m² in June 2026, up 8.0 % year‑on‑year and 30.2 % over the past five years, placing the city seventh among the 37 most expensive German markets. The 60 m² typical apartment costs about 873 € per month, while the asking premium over existing rents is 85 % (existing rent 7.85 €/m²).
The market is tight, with a vacancy rate of 1.3 % and listings staying on the market only 22 days; 40 % are let within a week. Rent‑burden for a two‑person household is 19.2 %, reflecting limited affordability.
A model estimate forecasts the median asking rent to reach 15.35 €/m² in the next 12 months, within a range of 14.64 – 15.72 €/m², implying a further 5.5 % rise.
The facts this summary was allowed to use
{
"city": "Potsdam",
"latest_month": "2026-06",
"median_asking_rent_eur_sqm": 14.55,
"p25_eur_sqm": 11.56,
"p75_eur_sqm": 17.44,
"rank_of_37_cities_most_expensive": 7,
"yoy_change_pct": 8,
"five_year_change_pct": 30.2,
"zensus_2022_existing_rent_eur_sqm": 7.85,
"asking_premium_vs_existing_pct": 85,
"rent_60sqm_eur_month": 873,
"rent_burden_pct_two_residents": 19.2,
"days_on_market": 22,
"share_let_within_week_pct": 40,
"market_balance": "tight",
"vacancy_rate_pct": 1.3,
"population_growth_5y_pct": 5.4,
"forecast_12m_median_eur_sqm": 15.35,
"forecast_12m_low_eur_sqm": 14.64,
"forecast_12m_high_eur_sqm": 15.72,
"forecast_12m_change_pct": 5.5,
"mortgage_rate_pct": 4.09,
"recent_anomalies": [
{
"month": "2020-12",
"direction": "drop",
"mom_pct": -4.8
},
{
"month": "2020-11",
"direction": "spike",
"mom_pct": 7.6
},
{
"month": "2020-08",
"direction": "spike",
"mom_pct": 5.2
}
]
}How Potsdam compares
Each dot is one of the 37 cities; blue is Potsdam. Hover a grey dot to see which.
Where rents in Potsdam are heading
Median asking rent in Potsdam, € 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 December 2020 asking rents fell 4.8% in a single month, while the typical city moved +0.5%.
- In November 2020 asking rents jumped 7.6% in a single month, while the typical city moved +0.4%.
- In August 2020 asking rents jumped 5.2% in a single month, while the typical city moved +0.4%.
- In July 2020 asking rents fell 8.7% in a single month, while the typical city moved -0.2%.
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, Potsdam
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 Potsdam stays online for about 22 days, and 2 in 5 flats are gone within a week. Fewer means more competition: have your documents (SCHUFA, payslips) ready before you view.
The census found 1.3% of flats empty and available (), while the population grew +5.4% 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 Potsdam cost you?
Half of all listings: 690 € to 1,050 €. 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 920 € a year from now (likely between 880 € and 940 €).
It stays within 30% of your income in 36 of 37 cities. Noticeably cheaper options: (370 €), (450 €) and (490 €).