In short
On a €400,000 home in Hesse, transfer tax at 6%, notary and land registry fees come to €27,980, 7% of the price. At the 2022 census, rented homes there cost 8.21 € per m² a month net of charges and 46.6% of homes were owner-occupied.
The questions, answered
How much transfer tax on a €400,000 home in Hesse?
Hesse charges 6% real estate transfer tax: €24,000 on €400,000. With the notary (€2,802, VAT included) and the land registry (€1,178), the buyer pays €27,980 before any agent's commission or loan.
Is there first-buyer relief on transfer tax in Hesse?
Hesse refunds transfer tax on a first home (Hessengeld): €10,000 per buyer (at most €20,000) plus €5,000 per child under 18, capped at the transfer tax paid, paid in 10 equal yearly instalments.
What does renting a home cost per m² in Hesse?
At the 2022 census, rented homes in Hesse cost 8.21 € per m² a month net of heating and service charges on average, above the national 7.28 €. New lettings can cost more: the census averages every current tenancy.
How many homes in Hesse are lived in by their owners?
46.6% of the occupied homes in Hesse were lived in by their owners at the 2022 census (Germany: 44.3%); 3.8% of all homes stood empty.
How is property tax assessed in Hesse?
Hesse levies the property tax under its own law since 1 January 2025: hessisches Grundsteuergesetz.
The figures
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax rate, Hesse | 6% | Hessisches Ministerium der Finanzen |
| Transfer tax on €400,000 | €24,000 | GrEStG § 11 |
| Notary on €400,000, VAT included | €2,802 | GNotKG, Tabelle B |
| Land registry on €400,000 | €1,178 | GNotKG, Tabelle B |
| Net cold rent per m², 2022 | 8.21 € | Census 2022 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 46.6% | Census 2022 |
| Vacant homes | 3.8% | Census 2022 |
| Homes (dwellings) | 3,131,701 | Census 2022 |
| Population | 6,278,594 | Destatis, 2025-12-31 |
| Germany, net cold rent per m² | 7.28 € | Census 2022 |
Buying from abroad
What differs for a foreign buyer: Buying as a foreigner · the notary's role · purchase costs in every state.
Cities of Hesse on Payotte
Sources
- Transfer tax: Hessisches Ministerium der Finanzen: Hessengeld, Fragen und Antworten (August 2025); notary and land registry: GNotKG, Anlage 2; calculator sources.
- Rents, owner-occupation and vacancy: Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder, Zensus 2022, Zensusdatenbank, table 4000W (Wohnungen, Gebietsstand 15.05.2022): 4000W-0004 average net cold rent, 4000W-0001 ownership and vacancy rates, 4000W-1001 dwellings (© Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder, Deutschland, 2026. Lizenziert unter der Datenlizenz Deutschland - Namensnennung - Version 2.0 (dl-de/by-2-0, https://www.govdata.de/dl-de/by-2-0)).
- Population: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), Gemeindeverzeichnis GV-ISys, « Alle politisch selbständigen Gemeinden », population based on the 2022 Census (Datenlizenz Deutschland - Namensnennung - Version 2.0 (dl-de/by-2-0). File footer: "© Daten (im Auftrag der Herausgebergemeinschaft Statistische Ämter des Bundes und der Länder) Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), 2026 Vervielfältigung und Verbreitung, auch auszugsweise, mit Quellenangabe gestattet.").