Mannheim 2025/2026 rent index: calculating lawful re‑letting rent with the §558d BGB qualified Mietspiegel and what the 2026 rent‑brake means

What Mannheim’s 2025/2026 Mietspiegel is and the dates that matter

Mannheim’s current rent index (Mietspiegel) is a qualified Mietspiegel under §558d BGB. The city council recognised it on 19 November 2024; it has applied since 16 December 2024 and is designed for the years 2025/2026. The survey reference date is 1 July 2024. A qualified Mietspiegel must be updated every two years and newly prepared every four years. For landlords and tenants in court, a qualified index enjoys a rebuttable presumption of accuracy. The 2025/2026 index was prepared for the city by ALP Institut using a regression model. The city also provides an online calculator. The published city press note gives an average local reference rent of €9.19/m² and states that this is an 8.4% rise versus 2022. These dates and figures shape all calculations you will make for re‑letting and in‑tenancy adjustments. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Scope. The Mannheim Mietspiegel applies to privately financed housing (nett cold rent, without heating and other operating charges). It does not directly cover dwellings under 20 m² or over 150 m², social housing, student and youth halls, temporary lets, certain owner‑occupied shared situations, and some special cases; in these, the index may still be used as guidance. If you let furnished, split out the rent and the furniture surcharge; the rent index is based on unfurnished net rent. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Why this matters for re‑letting. Even though re‑letting rents are not governed by §558 BGB (that section covers in‑tenancy increases), Mannheim’s Mietspiegel provides the local reference rent used by the federal rent‑brake, by overpricing rules in the economic offences act, and by courts when assessing whether a rent level is typical for the city. Using it correctly is therefore central to setting a lawful and defensible re‑letting rent. ([gesetze-im-internet.de](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wistrg_1954/__5.html?utm_source=openai))

Step‑by‑step: compute Mannheim’s local reference rent for a dwelling

The Mannheim 2025/2026 index uses a two‑stage method: a base rent by size (Table 1), then percentage surcharges or deductions for year built, bathroom, kitchen, other fittings, modernisation, and location (Tables 2–7). The result is the average local reference rent for that dwelling. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

1) Base rent by size. Table 1 lists a Basismiete in €/m² for every whole square metre from 20 m² to 150 m². Examples: 70 m² = €8.82/m²; 100 m² = €9.17/m²; 130 m² = €9.72/m². Round to whole square metres per the Mietspiegel. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

2) Year built (Table 2). Apply one percentage once. Selected bands: up to 1948: −11%; 1949–1957: −14%; 1958–1983: −12%; 1984–1994: −9%; 1995–2001: −6%; 2002–2009: 0%; 2010–2017: +7%; 2018–2022: +10%; 2023–2024: +26%. Use the year the unit became usable; for conversions (e.g., attic build‑out) use the year of conversion. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

3) Bathroom (Tables 3.1–3.2). Count qualifying features provided by the landlord (e.g., towel radiator, bath and shower, level‑access shower, underfloor heat, second basin, bidet). One feature = +2%; two = +4%; three or more = +6%. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

4) Kitchen (Table 4.2). Landlord‑provided only. Pantry/mini‑kitchen: +9%. Standard kitchen (hob, cupboards, oven) ≤10 years: +17%; 11–20 years: +10%; ≥21 years: 0%. High‑spec (adds extractor, dishwasher, fridge/freezer) ≤10 years: +21%; 11–20 years: +16%; ≥21 years: +11%. No mixing between kitchen categories. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

5) Other fittings (Table 5). Selected items: no landlord‑provided heating: −10%; underfloor heating in at least half the rooms: +10%; marble/stone or parquet predominant: +8%; tiles/board floors predominant: +2%; no landlord‑provided floor covering or only PVC/linoleum: −7%; video intercom with door release: +5%; lift in buildings with fewer than 6 floors: +3%; no landlord‑provided hot water in kitchen or bath: −7%; mainly small boilers/under‑sink heaters: −4%. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

6) Modernisation since 2012 (Table 6). Pre‑2002 buildings only. Either: full refurbishment since 2012 comparable to new build: +14%; or at least three listed measures (e.g., new sanitary fit‑out, majority new floors, comprehensive electrical upgrade incl. RCD, mostly new windows, thermal insulation measures, new boiler): +6%. Not cumulative with the full refurbishment add‑on. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

7) Location (Table 7). Within 600 m walking distance of the central shopping area entrances: +12%. Within 300 m of a district‑centre entrance: +7%. More than 600 m to the nearest tram stop: −4%. The city’s centres framework (Zentrenkonzept 2018) defines the mapped areas; use the city’s calculator for address‑level results. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Example from the city booklet. 70 m² base €8.82/m²; 1965 build: −12%; one bathroom feature: +2%; standard kitchen 11–20 years: +10%; vinyl floors: 0%; full refurbishment since 2012: +14%; >600 m to tram: −4%. Net effect +10% → €9.70/m² (€679.14 for 70 m²). ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Banding (Spanneneinordnung). Mannheim allows a statistical band of −15% to +17% around the calculated average, to account for unmodelled features. Deviations must be justified; flat “+17%” or “−15%” without reason is not permitted. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Tip. The city hosts a free online calculator at mietspiegel‑berechnen.de/mannheim2025, linked from the official page. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/de/service-bieten/bauen-und-wohnen/mietspiegel))

The 2026 rent‑brake in Baden‑Württemberg: not in force in Mannheim

Germany extended the legal basis for the rent‑brake (Mietpreisbremse, §556d BGB) to 31 December 2029. Each state decides where it applies. Baden‑Württemberg extended its state ordinance for one year to 31 December 2026 and updated the covered municipalities. In that 2026 map, Mannheim is explicitly listed as “no longer in the area of application”. Practically, this means that for new leases starting in 2026 in Mannheim, the federal 10% cap over the local reference rent does not apply. If you let in other Baden‑Württemberg municipalities, check the state list; many remain covered. ([bundestag.de](https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2025/kw26-de-mietpreisbremse-1084786?utm_source=openai))

For completeness, §556f BGB always exempts first lets of new builds first used and let after 1 October 2014 and the first let after comprehensive modernisation, even where the rent‑brake applies. In Mannheim in 2026 the rent‑brake itself does not apply, so these statutory exceptions are not needed for compliance there. ([gesetze-im-internet.de](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/__556f.html))

Two other federal constraints still bind you at re‑letting in Mannheim in 2026. First, §5 of the Economic Offences Act (WiStG) treats as an administrative offence exploiting tight supply to demand more than 20% above the usual local rent. Second, §291 of the Criminal Code (StGB) punishes rent usury where an excessive price is combined with exploitation of a tenant’s predicament. These sit outside the rent‑brake and remain relevant market‑wide. ([gesetze-im-internet.de](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wistrg_1954/__5.html?utm_source=openai))

Bottom line: in Mannheim in 2026 you may set any re‑letting rent that respects general law. To manage risk, anchor your ask to the Mannheim Mietspiegel result (including its −15%/+17% band) and document your feature inputs and any unusual quality that justifies a band deviation. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Compliance tips, red flags and who to ask

Documentation. Keep a file note of how you read Table 1 (size), which percentage items you applied from Tables 2–7, and your address‑based location assessment (central area, district centre, tram distance). If you use the city‑linked calculator, keep a PDF of the result. These items come straight from the city’s booklet and website. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Bandwidth discipline. The −15% to +17% band is not a free add‑on; it permits justified deviation for unmodelled, material differences. Mannheim lists examples that do not justify band moves (e.g., storey level, guest WC, balcony, parking, garden use). Deviations must be explained. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Do not confuse advertised rents with the local reference rent. The Mietspiegel is built from actual agreed or changed rents in the six years to 1 July 2024; it is not a snapshot of asking prices. The city confirms regression‑based modelling and a 2,864‑dwelling sample after screening. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/sites/default/files/2024-12/Mannheimer_Mietspiegel_2025-2026.pdf))

Red flags at re‑letting in Mannheim in 2026. Setting a rent far above the computed Mietspiegel band without evidence of superior quality risks a §5 WiStG investigation; at about +20% over the local rent coupled with scarcity, an offence may be made out. At larger excesses with exploitation, §291 StGB can arise. ([gesetze-im-internet.de](https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/wistrg_1954/__5.html?utm_source=openai))

Ask a professional. For case‑specific questions, instruct a Fachanwalt für Miet‑ und Wohnungseigentumsrecht in Baden‑Württemberg. The city’s mapping and rent‑index team answers application questions but does not give legal advice; contact details are on the Mietspiegel page. ([mannheim.de](https://www.mannheim.de/de/service-bieten/bauen-und-wohnen/mietspiegel))