German Phrase
Im Mietvertrag steht: keine Haustiere.
Meaning
The sentence tells you that the rental agreement explicitly states that pets are not allowed. It is a concise way to quote a clause from a lease.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are reading a lease, explaining the house rules to a roommate, or discussing why you cannot keep a pet in the apartment.
✦Grammar Breakdown
ImMietvertragsteht:keineHaustiere.
Im = in dem
‘Im’ is the contraction of ‘in dem’, used with masculine/neuter nouns in the dative case.
Mietvertrag (noun)
‘Mietvertrag’ means ‘rental/lease contract’; it is masculine (der Mietvertrag) and takes the dative after ‘in dem’.
steht (verb)
Third‑person singular of ‘stehen’; here it means ‘states’ or ‘says’ in written text.
keine Haustiere
‘keine’ negates a plural noun; ‘Haustiere’ = ‘pets’. Together they mean ‘no pets’.
Colon usage
A colon introduces a direct quotation or a statement that follows, similar to English.
🗨In Conversation
Im Mietvertrag steht: keine Haustiere.
The lease says: no pets.
Oh, das bedeutet, wir dürfen keine Katze mitbringen.
Oh, that means we can’t bring a cat.
✕Common Mistakes
Im Mietvertrag steht: nicht Haustiere.
‘nicht’ negates verbs or adjectives, not nouns. Use ‘keine’ to negate a plural noun.
Im Mietvertrag steht: keine Haustier.
‘Haustier’ is singular; the correct plural is ‘Haustiere’ when using ‘keine’.
Im Mietvertrag ist: keine Haustiere.
After ‘ist’ you need a clause, not a colon. Use ‘steht:’ or ‘ist festgelegt, dass…’
↔Alternatives
Im Mietvertrag ist festgelegt, dass keine Haustiere erlaubt sind.
The lease stipulates that no pets are allowed.
Laut Mietvertrag dürfen keine Tiere gehalten werden.
According to the lease, no animals may be kept.
Im Vertrag steht, dass Haustiere verboten sind.
The contract states that pets are prohibited.
Cultural Tip
In many German cities, especially in larger apartment buildings, landlords often ban pets to avoid noise or damage. However, small animals like fish or hamsters are sometimes tolerated, and you can sometimes negotiate a pet‑friendly clause by offering a higher deposit. Always check the exact wording in the Mietvertrag before moving in.