In short
On a €400,000 home in Hanover (Lower Saxony), transfer tax at 5%, notary and land registry fees come to €23,980, 6% of the price. At the 2022 census, rented homes there cost 7.61 € per m² a month net of charges and 23.4% of homes were owner-occupied.
The questions, answered
How much transfer tax on a €400,000 home in Hanover?
Lower Saxony charges 5% real estate transfer tax: €20,000 on €400,000. With the notary (€2,802, VAT included) and the land registry (€1,178), the buyer pays €23,980 before any agent's commission or loan.
Is there first-buyer relief on transfer tax in Lower Saxony?
Lower Saxony has no first-buyer relief on transfer tax in the official sources read: the full 5% applies.
What does renting a home cost per m² in Hanover?
At the 2022 census, rented homes in Hanover cost 7.61 € 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 Hanover are lived in by their owners?
23.4% of the occupied homes in Hanover were lived in by their owners at the 2022 census (Germany: 44.3%); 3.3% of all homes stood empty.
How is property tax assessed in Lower Saxony?
Lower Saxony levies the property tax under its own law since 1 January 2025: area-location model.
The figures
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer tax rate, Lower Saxony | 5% | Landesamt für Steuern Niedersachsen |
| Transfer tax on €400,000 | €20,000 | 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 | 7.61 € | Census 2022 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 23.4% | Census 2022 |
| Vacant homes | 3.3% | Census 2022 |
| Homes (dwellings) | 302,018 | Census 2022 |
| Population | 522,803 | 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.
Other cities on Payotte
Sources
- Transfer tax: Landesamt für Steuern Niedersachsen: häufige Fragen; 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.").