Rent Index OberfrankenRents by Town, Location and Type of Flat
A realistic overview of rents is the basis for every letting and investment decision. This page summarises current rent levels in the most important towns of Oberfranken (Upper Franconia) – broken down by location, fittings and type of flat.
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The key points of this guide as a short video. All details and worked examples are in the text below.
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Inhalt dieser Seite (15)
- Net Cold Rents by Town
- What Influences the Achievable Rent
- Service Charges in Oberfranken
- Qualified Rent Index vs. Guide Values
- Rent Trends
- Other Towns and Municipalities
- Student Housing
- Commercial Rents: Guide Values
- Total Rent: What Counts for Tenants
- How to Set the Right Rent
- Rent Trends in Detail
- Service Charges in Focus: Differences between Buildings
- Rents in Relation to Purchase Prices
- Rental Market for Senior Citizens and Accessible Living
- Rural Municipalities: Rents and Vacancy
Key points at a glance
- Net cold rents in Oberfranken range from around €4.50/m² in rural locations to over €13/m² in good locations in Bamberg.
- Bamberg and Bayreuth are the most expensive rental markets; Hof, Kulmbach and the Fichtelgebirge are the most affordable.
- Energy-efficient flats achieve noticeably higher cold rents because tenants look at the total rent including heating.
- Many municipalities have no qualified rent index; rent increases are then usually justified with comparable flats.
- The figures are guide values based on listing data and our own letting experience.
Net Cold Rents by Town
Existing flats (60–80 m², average fittings)
| Town | Basic location | Average location | Good location | New build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamberg | €8.00–9.50 | €9.50–11.00 | €11.00–13.00 | €12.00–15.00 |
| Bayreuth | €7.50–8.50 | €8.50–9.50 | €9.50–11.00 | €10.00–12.50 |
| Coburg | €6.50–7.50 | €7.50–8.50 | €8.50–10.00 | €9.00–11.50 |
| Hof | €5.50–6.50 | €6.50–7.50 | €7.50–8.50 | €7.50–9.00 |
| Kulmbach | €5.00–6.00 | €6.00–7.00 | €7.00–8.00 | €7.00–8.50 |
| Marktredwitz | €5.00–5.80 | €5.80–6.50 | €6.50–7.50 | €7.00–8.00 |
| Wunsiedel | €4.50–5.50 | €5.50–6.50 | €6.50–7.00 | €6.50–8.00 |
All figures in €/m² net cold rent (Kaltmiete, excluding service charges). Sources: Immowelt, ImmoScout24, our own letting data.
What Influences the Achievable Rent
Location within the town: The difference between a basic and a good location is up to €3/m² in Bayreuth and approx. €2/m² in Hof. Centrality, public transport links, schools and shopping facilities are the decisive factors.
Energy efficiency: Flats with a good energy rating (class A–C) now achieve €0.50–1.00/m² more than comparable properties with poor efficiency (class E–H). Tenants calculate the total rent including heating (Warmmiete) – and a poorly insulated flat with a low cold rent can be more expensive overall than a renovated property.
Fittings: A fitted kitchen (+€0.50–1.00/m²), balcony/loggia (+€0.30–0.80/m²), modern bathroom (+€0.30–0.50/m²), underfloor heating, lift and cellar all have a positive effect.
Size of the flat: Smaller flats (30–50 m²) achieve disproportionately high prices per m² in university towns because demand from students and single people exceeds availability.
Service Charges in Oberfranken
Service charges (including heating costs) in Oberfranken are typically €2.50–3.50/m² per month. The most important items:
| Type of cost | Typical share |
|---|---|
| Heating and hot water | €1.00–1.80/m² |
| Water and sewage | €0.30–0.50/m² |
| Waste collection | €0.15–0.25/m² |
| Property tax | €0.15–0.30/m² |
| Insurance | €0.10–0.20/m² |
| Caretaker, cleaning, garden | €0.20–0.40/m² |
Property tax (Grundsteuer) varies according to the municipality's assessment rate (Hebesatz). Information on assessment rates is available from the relevant town administration.
Qualified Rent Index vs. Guide Values
Not all towns in Oberfranken have a qualified rent index (qualifizierter Mietspiegel) within the meaning of §558d BGB. Where one exists, it is the binding basis for rent increases up to the local comparative rent.
Towns with a qualified or simple rent index: Information is available from the relevant town administrations. The figures stated on this page are guide values based on listing data and our regional market observation.
Rent Trends
Net cold rents in Oberfranken have risen moderately over the past five years (approx. 2–4% p.a.). The increase was stronger in Bayreuth and Bamberg than in Hof or Marktredwitz. The energy crisis of 2022/23 sharpened the focus on service charges and further increased the value of energy-efficient flats.
→ Letting advice: Letting a residential property
→ Yield calculation: Residential property as an investment
Other Towns and Municipalities
| Town | Existing flat, average location | Character of the rental market |
|---|---|---|
| Forchheim | €8.00–9.50 | Commuter town near Erlangen and Nuremberg, high demand |
| Lichtenfels | €6.50–7.50 | Stable market between Bamberg and Coburg |
| Kronach | €5.80–6.80 | Rural in character, demand from regional industry |
| Selb | €5.00–6.00 | Affordable, demand from the porcelain and technology industries |
| Münchberg | €5.50–6.50 | Located on the A9, commuters between Hof and Bayreuth |
| Naila | €5.00–6.00 | Frankenwald, quiet market |
| Pegnitz | €6.50–7.50 | Connections to the A9 and by rail to Nuremberg |
Guide values in €/m² net cold rent for existing flats of 60–80 m²; in individual cases heavily dependent on condition and micro-location.
Student Housing
The four university towns have a market of their own for small flats and rooms in shared flats:
| Town | Room in a shared flat (incl. heating, approx.) | 1-room apartment (cold rent) |
|---|---|---|
| Bamberg | €380–480 | €11.00–14.00/m² |
| Bayreuth | €350–450 | €10.50–13.50/m² |
| Coburg | €320–400 | €9.00–11.50/m² |
| Hof | €280–360 | €8.00–10.50/m² |
Demand is highest at the start of the winter semester in October. Furnished apartments achieve a furnishing surcharge but involve more effort and wear and tear. Tips for landlords can be found in the guide Finding tenants.
Commercial Rents: Guide Values
| Type of space | Regional centres (Bamberg, Bayreuth, Coburg, Hof) | Medium-sized towns |
|---|---|---|
| Office, basic to average location | €7–10/m² | €5–8/m² |
| Office, good location, modern | €10–14/m² | €8–10/m² |
| Medical practice space | €9–13/m² | €7–10/m² |
| Town-centre retail, small unit | €10–25/m² | €6–12/m² |
| Storage and logistics | €4–6/m² | €3.50–5/m² |
Commercial rents are freely negotiated, often with indexation and longer terms. More under Letting commercial property and Office and practice space.
Total Rent: What Counts for Tenants
Tenants increasingly compare the total rent including heating. An example with two 70 m² flats in Kulmbach:
| Flat A, unrenovated (class G) | Flat B, renovated (class C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Net cold rent | €6.00/m² = €420 | €7.00/m² = €490 |
| Heating costs | €2.20/m² = €154 | €0.90/m² = €63 |
| Other operating costs | €1.60/m² = €112 | €1.60/m² = €112 |
| Total rent | €686 | €665 |
Despite the higher cold rent, the renovated flat is cheaper per month – and lets correspondingly faster. For landlords, this is a strong argument for energy-saving measures. → Energy-efficient renovation
How to Set the Right Rent
- Compare: Look at current listings of similar flats in the neighbourhood – location, size, condition, fittings.
- Check the rent index: Does the municipality have a qualified or simple rent index?
- Observe legal limits: In municipalities with a rent cap (Mietpreisbremse), the rent on a new letting may be no more than 10% above the comparative rent (with exceptions, for example for new builds and comprehensively modernised flats).
- Stay realistic: A rent slightly below the market level brings more applicants and therefore a better choice. One month of vacancy costs more than a few euros' difference in rent.
How to adjust rents for existing tenancies is explained in Rent increases. The basic rules of the tenancy are summarised in Tenancy law.
Rent Trends in Detail
Net cold rents in Oberfranken have risen moderately in recent years, but not equally everywhere. A simplified overview of the trend in asking rents for existing flats:
| Town | Change over the last five years (approx.) | Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Bamberg | +15 to +20% | University, scarce housing, proximity to the metropolitan region |
| Bayreuth | +12 to +18% | University, administration, hospital |
| Coburg | +10 to +15% | Industry, university of applied sciences |
| Hof | +8 to +12% | University of applied sciences, healthcare sector |
| Kulmbach, Marktredwitz | +6 to +10% | Regional employers |
Guide values from listing data. Rents in existing contracts usually rise more slowly because they are tied to the cap on increases (Kappungsgrenze) and the comparative rent.
For landlords, this means that in existing tenancies the rent is often well below the level of new listings. With a properly justified increase up to the comparative rent, the gap can be narrowed step by step – more under Rent increases.
Service Charges in Focus: Differences between Buildings
Service charges differ less by town than by building. Three examples for a 70 m² flat:
| Building type | Heating costs per month | Other operating costs | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old building, unrenovated, gas heating per flat | €150–190 | €100–120 | €250–310 |
| 1990s, central gas heating | €90–120 | €110–130 | €200–250 |
| New build, heat pump or district heating | €45–70 | €110–140 | €155–210 |
The range shows why tenants are paying increasing attention to the total rent – and why energy-efficient flats justify higher cold rents. More about service charge statements under Service charge statement.
Rents in Relation to Purchase Prices
| Town | Purchase price, existing (€/m², average) | Net cold rent (€/m², average) | Price-to-rent multiple (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bamberg | €3,000 | €10.00 | 25 |
| Bayreuth | €2,400 | €9.00 | 22 |
| Coburg | €2,000 | €8.00 | 21 |
| Hof | €1,650 | €7.00 | 20 |
| Kulmbach | €1,550 | €6.50 | 20 |
The lower the price-to-rent multiple (Kaufpreisfaktor), the higher the gross yield. For investors, however: a low rent in a shrinking municipality is no bargain if the flat stands empty for a long time. Data on demand can be found in the market report Demographics.
Rental Market for Senior Citizens and Accessible Living
A growing share of demand comes from older people moving from a house into a smaller flat. They look for two to three rooms with a lift or on the ground floor, a walk-in shower, a balcony and short distances to doctors and shops. Such flats are scarce in all towns in Oberfranken and achieve rents at the upper end of the ranges. For owners who modernise, a low-barrier conversion is therefore often worthwhile – including with funding. → Accessible living
Rural Municipalities: Rents and Vacancy
In many smaller municipalities in the Fichtelgebirge and the Frankenwald, rents are below €6/m², and vacancy is higher than in the towns. At the same time, there is demand there too – from commuters, families with children and senior citizens who want to stay in their village. Well-maintained flats with modern heating find tenants; basic flats with high heating costs stand empty for longer. For landlords in rural areas, it is therefore especially true that condition and total rent matter more than location. More on the differences in the market report Demographics.
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Frequently asked questions
How do asking rents differ from existing rents?
Asking rents are the rents in current listings for new lettings. Existing rents are the rents in current contracts; they are usually lower because increases are limited by law. For the valuation of a let property, the actual existing rents count.
How can I find out whether my municipality has a rent index?
Ask the town or municipal administration. Larger towns usually publish their rent index online. Smaller municipalities often do not have one; in that case, comparable flats or an expert report help.
Do the figures also apply to houses?
No, the tables refer to flats. Detached houses are let less often in Oberfranken; the rent per square metre is usually somewhat below comparable flats, but a garden and more space are included. We are happy to advise you on a specific rent assessment.
How often are these figures updated?
We review the guide values regularly on the basis of current listings and our letting practice. For legally binding purposes – such as a rent increase – the local rent index, comparable flats or an expert report count.
Are there municipalities in Oberfranken with a rent cap?
Whether a municipality falls under the rent cap is determined by the Bavarian Tenant Protection Ordinance (Bayerische Mieterschutzverordnung), which is revised regularly. Check the current status with the Bavarian State Ministry for Housing before setting a rent.
How high is the rent in relation to the purchase price?
This is shown by the price-to-rent multiple: in many locations in Oberfranken, a flat costs 15 to 25 times the annual rent, more in Bamberg and Bayreuth, less in Hof and the Fichtelgebirge. How investors calculate with it is explained in Calculating rental yield.
Sources & further reading
- gesetze-im-internet.de – § 558d BGB – qualified rent index
- gesetze-im-internet.de – § 558 BGB – rent increase up to the local comparative rent
- stmb.bayern.de – Bavarian State Ministry for Housing – Tenant Protection Ordinance
- mieterbund.de – German Tenants' Association (Deutscher Mieterbund) – operating costs index
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