Deposit protection for rooms in Germany
The deposit moves only when the keys do.
Keysfirst holds a rental deposit in a lock until the key handover. The tenant scans the landlord's code at the door and the landlord is paid in seconds. No handover? The money goes back to the tenant.
How your €600.00 moves
Example- Today
Now: You pay €600.00 into the lock
From here it can only go one of two ways. - Move-in
Next: You scan the landlord's code at the door
€600.00 goes to the landlord, in seconds. - Deadline
Later: No handover by then?
Take the €600.00 back with one tap.
- Works with any listing: WG-Gesucht, Facebook, a friend's sublet
- Money only goes to the tenant or the landlord
- After the deadline it can only go back to the tenant
The problem
Fake landlords look for tenants who can't visit.
Students often rent a room in Germany before they arrive. That is exactly who the fake-landlord scam targets.
1A room appears online
A nice room at a fair price, in a Facebook group or on WG-Gesucht.
2The "landlord" is abroad
They can't show you the room, but want the deposit now to "hold" it.
3You pay. They disappear.
The money is gone, and so is the listing.
Booking platforms protect only their own listings.
German law is on your side.
How it works
Three steps on each side.
If you're renting
1Get a deposit link
Ask your landlord to create one. It takes a minute.
2Pay into the lock
You pay by card, but the deposit doesn't reach the landlord yet: it waits in the lock.
3Scan at the door
Check the room, then scan the landlord's code or tap “I have the keys”. Only then are they paid. No handover? You take it back after the deadline.
If you're letting
1Create a deposit link
Room, amount, move-in and the latest handover.
2Send it to your tenant
On WhatsApp or wherever you talk. They pay into the lock.
3Show your code at the handover
Your screen turns green in seconds: then hand over the keys.
What if…
The rules answer the hard questions.
What if the landlord is fake?
Nobody can hand you real keys, so you never scan and the fake landlord is never paid. After the deadline you can take the deposit back.
The rule: Only the tenant's approval at the handover pays the landlord.
What if the room isn't as described?
Don't scan. Ask the landlord to give the deposit back, which they can do at any time, or wait for the deadline and take it back.
The rule: No approval, no payment. The landlord can always give it back.
What if I can't travel?
The deposit stays in the lock, and after the deadline you can take it back. The landlord can also give it back earlier.
The rule: After the deadline anyone can send the deposit back to the tenant.
What if the tenant never shows up?
The deposit goes back to them after the deadline. You lose the time the room was reserved, not money.
The rule: After the deadline, anyone can send the deposit back to the tenant; nobody has to decide.
What if someone asks me to scan before I arrive?
Don't. Scanning pays the landlord. Only scan standing in the room with the keys; the handover can't even start earlier than 24 hours before move-in.
The rule: The release only works from 24 hours before move-in until the deadline.
What if I scan while logged in with the wrong account?
Nothing moves. Only the account that paid can confirm; log in with that account and scan again.
The rule: Only the tenant who paid can confirm the handover.
Why Solana
Why it runs on Solana.
Final in seconds
Payment on Solana settles in seconds and can't be charged back, so the landlord can hand over the keys the moment the screen turns green. A bank transfer can take a day.
Rules in a public program
A program on Solana holds each deposit. Its rules allow two ways out: to the landlord when the tenant approves at the handover, or back to the tenant.
The clock decides, not a person
After the deadline, anyone can send the deposit back to the tenant. No support ticket, no waiting for someone to decide.
Every step leaves a public receipt. See the program on Solana Explorer (opens in a new tab)
FAQ
Questions people ask first.
What if I never get the keys?
Then you never scan, and the landlord is never paid. After the handover deadline the deposit goes back to you. Anyone can trigger that return, including you.
Who holds the money?
A program on Solana holds it in a lock. Its rules allow exactly two ways out: to the landlord when the tenant approves at the handover, or back to the tenant (after the deadline, or earlier if the landlord gives it back). Keysfirst has no button to take it.
One honest caveat: on this test network the program can still be updated by its deploy key. Before any real money, that key would be locked or shared between several people.
What does it cost?
The tenant pays a Keysfirst fee on top of the deposit: 3.5% when paying by card, or 2% by bank transfer, and at least €12. For a €600 deposit that is €21 by card. Landlords pay nothing.
The fee is paid separately, so the deposit itself only ever goes to the tenant or the landlord. It isn't refunded if the deposit comes back. In this prototype every payment uses Stripe's test mode and test money, and only card payment is switched on.
Is this real money?
No. Everything runs on Solana devnet with test money. Never send real money to anything here.
Renting from abroad? Ask for a deposit link.
Send your landlord a short message. If someone won't use a deposit link, ask why.
Letting a room? Create a link in a minute.
Your tenant pays into the lock, and you're paid at the door.
Create a deposit link