The rent brake in Thuringia: Erfurt and Jena
Thuringia only protects tenants in its two largest university cities, and its two ordinances run for different lengths of time.
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 calculateIn Thuringia the rent brake (Mietpreisbremse) and the lowered cap only apply in Erfurt and Jena. The Thuringian rent ordinance of 2021 was extended in December 2025 until 31 December 2027; the 2019 cap ordinance runs until 30 September 2029 after an extension in 2024. The 15 per cent cap has applied in Erfurt since October 2019 and in Jena since January 2020. Weimar, Gera and every other municipality are not covered. Anyone signing a lease in Erfurt or Jena after the end of 2027 will no longer be protected by the rent brake unless it is extended again, but the 15 per cent cap on increases remains until 2029. Take Jena: with an assumed reference rent of €9.20 for a 55 m² flat, the ceiling is €556.60; at €640, €83.40 a month would be too much. An increase from €430 to €506 is capped at €494.50.
Two ordinances with different terms
The Thuringian rent ordinance (GVBl. 2021 p. 13) rests on Section 556d(2) of the Civil Code; an amendment of 9 December 2025 extended it to the end of 2027. The Thuringian cap ordinance (GVBl. 2019 p. 366) rests on Section 558(3) and was extended in August 2024 to September 2029. Both name only Erfurt and Jena.
| Rule | Erfurt | Jena | rest of Thuringia |
|---|---|---|---|
| rent brake | until 31 December 2027 | until 31 December 2027 | no |
| 15% cap | since October 2019, until 30 September 2029 | since January 2020, until 30 September 2029 | no, 20% |
What the rent check shows for Jena
Enter Jena or Erfurt as your municipality and the rent check tests the date of your lease or increase letter against both terms. For a lease signed in 2026 the ceiling is ten per cent above the reference rent. Bring the reference rent from the city's rent index; for an increase, also enter the day the letter arrived and the date of the last increase. How the neighbouring state handles the rent brake is on the rent brake in Saxony page.