Essen rent index: what applies when there is no rent brake
Essen is not in North Rhine-Westphalia’s tenant-protection ordinance; the rent index still sets the limit for every increase.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Maximum rent at the start of the tenancy
no cap
The municipality is in no ordinance on this date.
| Local reference rent | €11.00/m² |
| Reference rent for your floor area | €682 |
| Rent brake | does not apply here |
| Increase cap | 20 % in three years |
Without the rent brake, Sections 556d ff. BGB set no limit at signing. Later increases still follow Section 558 BGB, with the reference rent and the cap.
How we calculateEssen's qualified 2026 rent index for non-subsidised flats applies from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2028. It updates the 2024 index with the consumer price index and is published by the city's property management and housing promotion office; a Hamburg consultancy analysed the data with a regression method. The reference rent comes from a base rent by floor-area band with percentage premiums and deductions for age, type of flat, fittings, heating, modernisation and location. The city reserves all rights, including electronic storage, so this calculator gives no Essen figures. Unlike Dortmund, Düsseldorf or Cologne, Essen is not listed in North Rhine-Westphalia's tenant-protection ordinance. No rent brake applies at signing, and for increases the nationwide cap of 20 per cent over three years applies.
A rent index without a rent brake
The Ruhr area is only partly represented in North Rhine-Westphalia's ordinance. Dortmund is on the list, Essen is not. For Essen tenants that means the starting rent of a new lease is free, and increases are only checked by the reference rent and the 20 per cent cap. That makes the index all the more important, because it is the upper limit for every increase under Section 558 of the Civil Code. The 2026 update raised the 2024 values with the consumer price index; the city plans a new survey for 2028.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Qualifizierter Mietspiegel 2026 für nicht preisgebundene Wohnungen in Essen (Fortschreibung des Mietspiegels 2024 per Verbraucherpreisindex, +4,42 %) |
| Type | qualified, Section 558d BGB |
| Valid from | 1 August 2026 |
| Valid until | 31 July 2028 |
| Publisher | Stadt Essen, Amt für Grundstücksmanagement und Wohnraumförderung |
| Figures on this site | none: rights are reserved |
| Rent brake | no |
| Increase cap | 20 % |
Calculating with the Essen figure
The index is available via the City of Essen rent index page. Enter the reference rent above and choose “rent increase received”. The rent check applies the 20 % cap: with a current rent of €420, at most €494.00 is lawful when the reference rent is €494. For a new lease it shows “no cap” but still gives the reference rent as the yardstick.
For comparison with the neighbouring city whose index this calculator works out itself: Dortmund rent index. Which NRW municipalities the ordinance covers is on the rent brake in North Rhine-Westphalia page.