TIL my resettlement papers don't protect me from a shady landlord in Berlin

Got my official refugee status last March, thought that was the hard part. Then I tried to rent a flat in Neukölln, and the landlord wanted a 'deposit' of 2,400 euros in cash, no receipt. I almost paid it until a neighbor told me that's illegal here, and real deposits go into a separate bank account. Three other refugees I met in my German class had the same thing happen from the same guy. Has anyone else run into this, and how do you report it without losing your chance at the flat?

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maxmurphy11d ago

I used to think a handshake and cash deposit was normal, but this changed my mind.