kautionsfrei.de review 2026

According to its own website, kautionsfrei.de charges 4.7% of the deposit amount per year – on a standard deposit of €900 that is €42.30 a year, and thus around €4.50 more than at DepositDirect (€37.80/year). In return, after purchase, as part of a limited-time promotion, you get a voucher for an initial telephone consultation with a kautionsfrei.de lawyer. If you set this against the cost of independent legal advice in rental disputes (from €200), the extra cost quickly puts into perspective. For tenants who already have legal expenses insurance with a tenancy law module, the surcharge is less attractive. For everyone else, kautionsfrei.de offers a sensible all-in-one package. Scoring (18/30): Highest price in the comparison with a noticeable premium over the competition. The tenant protection added value partly, but not fully, justifies the price – especially for tenants with existing legal expenses insurance.

Online purchase at kautionsfrei.de is well structured and completed within a few minutes. After the credit check, the guarantee certificate is usually delivered within 24 hours – both digitally and by post. The process is therefore somewhat slower than at instant providers such as DepositDirect or heysafe, which provide the certificate in minutes rather than hours. For most tenant situations, 24 hours is entirely sufficient – it can only get tight with very short-notice flat handovers. The guarantee is provided by R+V Versicherung – one of the largest German insurance groups, which further increases acceptance by landlords. Scoring (14/20): Good digital process with postal and digital delivery. Deduction for the somewhat longer processing time compared with instant providers.

This is kautionsfrei.de's clear unique selling point: after purchase you receive (limited-time promotion) a voucher for a one-off initial telephone consultation with a lawyer – for example on reclaiming the deposit, the service charge statement or renovation obligations. R+V also checks the landlord's claims before paying out under the guarantee. The guarantee is provided by R+V Versicherung – one of the largest and financially strongest German insurers. That means maximum acceptance by landlords and the highest creditworthiness of the guarantor. Almost every landlord in Germany accepts an R+V guarantee without queries. Scoring (20/20): Full marks for the most comprehensive package of benefits on the market. Tenant protection, legal move-out check and R+V guarantee make an unbeatable all-in-one package.

Unlike most competitors, the guarantee at kautionsfrei.de can only be cancelled annually – this is the provider's biggest drawback. If you move out part-way through the year, you keep paying until the end of the current contract period. This restriction can be expensive with short-notice tenancy changes or transitional living situations. Anyone who moves often or needs flexible deposit solutions should prefer DepositDirect or heysafe, with cancellation at any time. Positive: the cancellation itself is straightforward and can be submitted in writing or via the customer account. After the contract period ends and the certificate is returned, the contractual relationship ends. Scoring (10/18): Significant deduction for the annual notice period. Compared with the more flexible competitors, that is a noticeable disadvantage, especially for mobile tenants.

kautionsfrei.de offers both telephone and email support – an advantage over pure online providers. The staff are competent and can also give initial information on tenancy law questions. As an established brand with more than 10 years on the market and a strong partner (R+V Versicherung), kautionsfrei.de enjoys high credibility. The Trustpilot rating of 4.0 and over 1,200 reviews confirm consistent service quality. The website is informative and, besides the purchase process, also offers an extensive guide section on rent deposit topics. The legal move-out check as part of tenant protection is an additional service building block. Scoring (10/12): Very good customer service with telephone support and an established track record. The legal advice as part of tenant protection sets kautionsfrei.de clearly apart from the competition.