| name | application-dossier |
| description | This skill should be used when the user asks to "prepare an application", "prepare my Bewerbungsmappe", "what documents do I need for a flat application", or wants to apply for a Berlin rental after a viewing. Covers the standard Berlin application dossier, document freshness rules, and the applicant's legal rights (Selbstauskunft limits, Kaution cap, Abstandszahlung rules). |
Berlin Rental Application Dossier
Standard Bewerbungsmappe contents (in the order landlords expect)
| # | Document | Freshness | Notes |
|---|
| 1 | Cover letter (Anschreiben) | per listing | Draft with the scribe agent, mode application |
| 2 | Mieterselbstauskunft | current | Landlord's own form if provided, else a standard one |
| 3 | SCHUFA-BonitätsAuskunft | ≤ 3 months | Consumer version is fine; landlords reject stale ones |
| 4 | Last 3 payslips | newest ≤ ~3 months | Rule of thumb: warm rent ≤ 1/3 net income |
| 5 | Employer confirmation | optional | Confirms unbefristet contract; strengthens the file |
| 6 | Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung | ≤ 6 months | From the current landlord; optional but Hausverwaltungen like it |
| 7 | ID / passport copy | current | — |
Run bun scripts/dossier.ts to check readiness against config/config.toml [documents].
Legal guardrails (protect the applicant)
- Kaution: max 3 months cold rent (§ 551 BGB), payable in 3 monthly installments. Demands above this are illegal.
- Abstandszahlung / fixture takeover: payment for furniture or fixtures (Trockenbauwand, Küche, Hochebene) may not noticeably exceed their actual value (§ 4a WoVermittG). A demand clearly above value is unenforceable — negotiate or walk.
- Deposit before viewing: never. Automatic scam signal (see skills/scam-patterns).
- Selbstauskunft — questions the landlord may NOT ask (answering falsely carries no consequence): pregnancy/family planning, religion, party or union membership, criminal record, illnesses, previous rent amount. Questions the landlord MAY ask: identity, income and employer, household size, pets, guarantors, ongoing insolvency proceedings.
Workflow
- Check readiness:
bun scripts/dossier.ts → fix missing/stale/file_not_found items first.
- Fill the landlord's Selbstauskunft (or the standard form) from
[profile] facts — flag any illegal questions to the user instead of answering them.
- Draft the cover letter with the
scribe agent in application mode.
- Assemble as ONE PDF in the table order above — Hausverwaltungen forward a single attachment more reliably than six.
The document order table is a sensible default, adapt if a landlord requests a specific format.
