The rent brake in Saxony: two cities, a short deadline
Saxony applies the rent brake and the cap only to Dresden and Leipzig, both limited to mid-2027.
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 calculateSaxony limits its tenant protection to two cities. The Saxon rent ordinance of December 2025 has applied since 1 January 2026, the cap ordinance since 1 July 2025, and both end on 30 June 2027. Only the state capital Dresden and the city of Leipzig are covered. There the rent brake (Mietpreisbremse) applies to new leases, at most the reference rent plus ten per cent, and the 15 per cent cap over three years to increases. Chemnitz, Zwickau and all other municipalities are not covered. The short term to mid-2027 is unusual: federal law allows until the end of 2029. Whether Saxony will extend had not been decided in October 2026. For Dresden, an assumed reference rent of €7.90 for 70 m² gives a ceiling of €608.30; a lease at €680 would be €71.70 above it. A Leipzig lease of 15 July 2027 would on current law no longer be covered.
Two ordinances for two cities
The Saxon rent ordinance (SächsGVBl. 2025 No. 17) rests on Section 556d(2) of the Civil Code, the cap ordinance (SächsGVBl. 2025 No. 8) on Section 558(3). Both name the same two cities and expire together. We have not reviewed a Saxon ordinance on a longer notice ban after conversion. For the reference rent itself, both cities have qualified rent indexes explained on their own pages: Dresden rent index and Leipzig rent index.
| Rule | Dresden | Leipzig | rest of Saxony |
|---|---|---|---|
| rent brake | until 30 June 2027 | until 30 June 2027 | no |
| increase cap | 15% until 30 June 2027 | 15% until 30 June 2027 | 20% |
Dresden as an example
For an increase from €470 to €553 on 70 m², the cap allows only €540.50 if the letter arrives before expiry. If it arrives after 30 June 2027 and Saxony has not extended, the rent check uses 20 per cent. Overpaid starting rent is reclaimed with a complaint, even after the ordinance has expired.