Home finding in Germany
Home finding in Germany
It is not that all landlords cause problems and may be unfair but it is generally a good idea to protect yourself
as a tenant against potential legal problems in tenancy law.
Here, the Mieterschutzbund or a legal expenses insurance for tenancy law would be possible options.
1. tenant protection association:
The Mieterschutzbund is an important contact point for tenants who need legal support and advice on tenancy law.
Homepage
2. legal expenses insurance for tenancy law:
Legal expenses insurance for tenancy law can help you cover the costs associated with legal disputes in tenancy law.
Home finding in Germany
Housing is usually one of the most important and stressful issues to take care of when you relocate. As in any location, the closer you want to be to the city center and convenient transportation, the more you can expect to pay.
Please also be aware that the housing market in the large cities (especially in Munich, Duesseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin) is very fast moving, so quick decisions are necessary. The supply by far does not meet the demand, which results in a high number of applicants, less choice and relatively high prices.
Home search
When you are looking for accommodation, the square meters will be listed as well as the number of rooms. This number will include living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms are not counted. For example, a 4-room house/apartment could have either one living room and three bedrooms or two bedrooms with a living room and dining room.
If you are not planning to move your furniture to Germany, but have difficulty finding a furnished apartment, renting furniture might be a good option for you. Unfortunately, furnished homes are sometimes more difficult to find than unfurnished homes. Please be aware that “unfurnished” (unmöbliert) means the apartment/house may have absolutely nothing in the kitchen – no sink, no cabinets and no appliances.
There probably will not be light fixtures, only wiring, in all the rooms and no wardrobes or closets. If you view a property before the current tenants vacate, and they have a kitchen you can live with, you may be able to purchase it from them, which will avoid the issue of having one installed.
Inner-city apartments often do not include parking facilities. Sometimes you will be able to rent a parking space separately.
Home Finding Challenges
Available homes are mostly advertised online via the portal immoscout24.de, however, we are faced with the following challenges:
Please be aware that viewings can be scattered across various days or weeks. The more flexible you are the more likely it is to find an apartment as soon as possible.
Aspects that lower the chances of being given an appointment / of being chosen as a new tenant:
Aspects that increase the chances of being given an appointment / of being chosen as a new tenant:
Documents to have ready before home search can be started:
Initial costs to commence lease:
Home finding in Germany
Housing is usually one of the most important and stressful issues to take care of when you relocate. As in any location, the closer you want to be to the city center and convenient transportation, the more you can expect to pay.
Please also be aware that the housing market in the large cities (especially in Munich, Duesseldorf, Cologne, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Berlin) is very fast moving, so quick decisions are necessary. The supply by far does not meet the demand, which results in a high number of applicants, less choice and relatively high prices.
Home search
When you are looking for accommodation, the square meters will be listed as well as the number of rooms. This number will include living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms are not counted. For example, a 4-room house/apartment could have either one living room and three bedrooms or two bedrooms with a living room and dining room.
If you are not planning to move your furniture to Germany, but have difficulty finding a furnished apartment, renting furniture might be a good option for you. Unfortunately, furnished homes are sometimes more difficult to find than unfurnished homes. Please be aware that “unfurnished” (unmöbliert) means the apartment/house may have absolutely nothing in the kitchen – no sink, no cabinets and no appliances.
There probably will not be light fixtures, only wiring, in all the rooms and no wardrobes or closets. If you view a property before the current tenants vacate, and they have a kitchen you can live with, you may be able to purchase it from them, which will avoid the issue of having one installed.
Inner-city apartments often do not include parking facilities. Sometimes you will be able to rent a parking space separately.
Home Finding Challenges
Available homes are mostly advertised online via the portal immoscout24.de, however, we are faced with the following challenges:
Please be aware that viewings can be scattered across various days or weeks. The more flexible you are the more likely it is to find an apartment as soon as possible.
Aspects that lower the chances of being given an appointment / of being chosen as a new tenant:
Aspects that increase the chances of being given an appointment / of being chosen as a new tenant:
Documents to have ready before home search can be started:
Initial costs to commence lease:
Standard tenancy
A standard lease contract in Germany is of unlimited duration with a 3 months’ notice option. However, it is becoming more and more common that landlords only agree to minimum lease periods with no cancellation options for the first 12 months. Whether a diplomatic clause can be included depends on each individual landlord.
Selbstauskunft – Disclosure of personal information
Before signing a rental contract, the landlord is permitted to request information on your financial situation. Often this can be written confirmation from your employer (Arbeitgeberschreiben) or previous pay slips.
Miete – Rent
Rent is generally paid one month in advance by standing order from your bank account. Make sure to find out if the rent amount includes the running costs (Warmmiete) or if they are added as additional charges (Nebenkosten). It may seem odd to have two separate amounts, but rental amounts and tenancy costs are highly regulated and these amounts are separated because they may be regulated differently. At the end of the year, your landlord will calculate the actually incurred Nebenkosten (Nebenkostenabrechnung) and you may receive a refund or must make an additional payment.
The Nebenkosten generally include charges for water, sewage, garbage collection, caretaker, heating and maybe even hot water. If heating and/or hot water are not included, you will receive a separate bill from the supplier.
Kaltmiete may also be referred to as Nettomiete, Warmmiete as Bruttomiete.
Kaution – Deposit
Deposits on rental properties are usually 2-3 months’ rent, but must never be more than 3 months’ Kaltmiete (rent excl. additional charges for running costs, the so-called Nebenkosten).
The deposit is paid into a separate savings account (Mietkautionskonto) and will be returned to the tenant at the end of the tenancy, unless the landlord needs it for any damage repairs or unbalanced costs (e.g. open claims for Nebenkosten).
Please be aware that the landlord is permitted to keep the deposit for up to 6 months after termination of the rental contract.
Maklercourtage – Realtor fee
The person commissioning the real estate agent has to pay for the service, i.e. if the house/apartment is being advertised via an agent, then the landlord has commissioned this and he is the one who has to pay the commission fee. If, however, you decide to approach a real estate agent and ask for help in finding a new home, then you will have to pay the commission fee – the home(s) shown to you must be exclusively offered to you and not publicly advertised. Due to these regulations, many landlords now deal with finding a new tenant themselves.
The advantage is that there is no commission payment, the disadvantage is that communication has become more difficult.
Mietvertrag – Your rental contract
Some typical information that will normally be included in your rental contract:
Renovation and repair work:
Standard tenancy
A standard lease contract in Germany is of unlimited duration with a 3 months’ notice option. However, it is becoming more and more common that landlords only agree to minimum lease periods with no cancellation options for the first 12 months. Whether a diplomatic clause can be included depends on each individual landlord.
Selbstauskunft – Disclosure of personal information
Before signing a rental contract, the landlord is permitted to request information on your financial situation. Often this can be written confirmation from your employer (Arbeitgeberschreiben) or previous pay slips.
Miete – Rent
Rent is generally paid one month in advance by standing order from your bank account. Make sure to find out if the rent amount includes the running costs (Warmmiete) or if they are added as additional charges (Nebenkosten). It may seem odd to have two separate amounts, but rental amounts and tenancy costs are highly regulated and these amounts are separated because they may be regulated differently. At the end of the year, your landlord will calculate the actually incurred Nebenkosten (Nebenkostenabrechnung) and you may receive a refund or must make an additional payment.
The Nebenkosten generally include charges for water, sewage, garbage collection, caretaker, heating and maybe even hot water. If heating and/or hot water are not included, you will receive a separate bill from the supplier.
Kaltmiete may also be referred to as Nettomiete, Warmmiete as Bruttomiete.
Kaution – Deposit
Deposits on rental properties are usually 2-3 months’ rent, but must never be more than 3 months’ Kaltmiete (rent excl. additional charges for running costs, the so-called Nebenkosten).
The deposit is paid into a separate savings account (Mietkautionskonto) and will be returned to the tenant at the end of the tenancy, unless the landlord needs it for any damage repairs or unbalanced costs (e.g. open claims for Nebenkosten).
Please be aware that the landlord is permitted to keep the deposit for up to 6 months after termination of the rental contract.
Maklercourtage – Realtor fee
The person commissioning the real estate agent has to pay for the service, i.e. if the house/apartment is being advertised via an agent, then the landlord has commissioned this and he is the one who has to pay the commission fee. If, however, you decide to approach a real estate agent and ask for help in finding a new home, then you will have to pay the commission fee – the home(s) shown to you must be exclusively offered to you and not publicly advertised. Due to these regulations, many landlords now deal with finding a new tenant themselves.
The advantage is that there is no commission payment, the disadvantage is that communication has become more difficult.
Mietvertrag – Your rental contract
Some typical information that will normally be included in your rental contract:
Renovation and repair work:
Taking care of the place you rented:
How to air your apartment:
As houses/apartments in Germany normally are not equipped with any air conditioning or airing system, it is important to air all your rooms regularly:
General rules:
Please note that wrong airing during the heating period will affect your heating costs!
How to heat correctly:
Have the radiators on moderate heat day and night. Do not turn the radiators off completely at night, but instead only turn them down a little.
Please also remember:
Mold can easily form behind large wardrobes/cabinets on outside walls. For this reason, it is advisable to leave around 5-10 cm space between large items of furniture and the wall.
Taking care of the place you rented:
How to air your apartment:
As houses/apartments in Germany normally are not equipped with any air conditioning or airing system, it is important to air all your rooms regularly:
General rules:
Please note that wrong airing during the heating period will affect your heating costs!
How to heat correctly:
Have the radiators on moderate heat day and night. Do not turn the radiators off completely at night, but instead only turn them down a little.
Please also remember:
Mold can easily form behind large wardrobes/cabinets on outside walls. For this reason, it is advisable to leave around 5-10 cm space between large items of furniture and the wall.
Nebenkosten – ancillary/running costs
Your monthly rental payment consists of:
The Nebenkosten typically include charges for water, sewage, garbage collection, lift, care taker, heating and maybe even hot water. If heating and/or hot water are not included, you will receive a separate bill from the supplier. At the end of the year, your landlord will calculate the actually incurred Nebenkosten (Nebenkostenabrechnung) and you may receive a refund or have to make an additional payment.
Electricity / gas
There is normally a selection of different suppliers to choose from, and it is definitely worth comparing prices and selecting the tariff that best suits your needs.
One company, usually the local one (often Stadtwerke), ensures basic coverage, the so-called Grundversorgung. If you do not actively sign a contract with the supplier of your choice, you are automatically supplied with electricity by the Grundversorger company at their basic tariff (Grundversorgungsvertrag). This is generally the most expensive tariff, so it is wise to check out other options soon. It is possible to terminate the Grundversorgungsvertrag with a 2week notice period. Often, when you sign new contract with a utilities supplier, they will cancel your old contract for you.
When you move out you must inform your supplier and cancel your contract. When moving to an address that is outside their supply area, it is normally no problem to terminate the contract with a short notice period. However, please check the small print in your contract to make sure. In some cases, e.g. if you signed a long-term contract, a longer notice period might apply.
Please remember to note down the meter reading, both when you move in and when you move out.
Payment
You are required to pay a certain amount per month or quarter in advance, which the supplier establishes according to previous/estimated consumption. You can either wire-transfer the payments regularly or, what the suppliers prefer, give them authorization to draw the money from your account on the due date (Einzugsermächtigung). At the end of the year, your pre-payments are balanced with your actual consumption and the amount due for monthly/quarterly pre-payment the following year is calculated. Normally, the amount will always increase a little, at least to compensate for price increases. This is annual invoice is called Jahresabschlussrechnung. Please make sure you transfer the correct amount when the next payment is due.
Mobile Telephone
There is several provider choices for mobile phone contracts, either prepaid or with monthly contracts. It is worth comparing the services and prices to find the offer/provider that best suits your needs.
The contract duration is usually for a minimum period of 24 months, especially when a mobile/smart phone is included; contracts automatically renew for another 12 months when they are not notified with 3 months’ notice period.
Some of the providers have worldwide coverage and they do not allow their clients to get out of their contract before the expiry date because clients can use the services worldwide. This often ends in lump sum payments to close the contract when leaving the country earlier or monthly payments until the contract is fulfilled. Especially Vodafone is very strict in applying this regulation which brings a lot of concern upon departure.
Telephone / Internet
Phone service for residential landlines is offered by Deutsche Telekom (www.telekom.de).
Deutsche Telekom owns all landlines in Germany, so they are the only option to activate and/or install your physical land telephone line. However, you have several choices for monthly service, and it is worth comparing services and prices to find the offer/provider that best suits your needs.
Internet service is also provided by many suppliers. You will need to check with your landlord or letting agent to see if broadband or cable services are available at your new address.
Consider bundling your satellite/cable, phone service and broadband, as there can be discounts to take advantage of by doing so.
Please note that it can take up to 6 weeks after signing the apartment contract for the internet to be connected in your new home.
Television
Every household in Germany must register with the broadcasting fee agency (ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice). The monthly fee is EUR 18,36 per month; it is mandatory and must be paid per household, regardless of the number of persons living in it. Where several people share a flat, one person must pay the fee and be registered as living at that address.
This letter is a reminder asking you to fill in and return the attached form within four weeks. If you have already done this or if somebody else is paying the broadcasting fee in your household please state on the form accordingly and return it. Alternatively, you can also submit the information online if you go to antworten.beitragsservice.de and log in with your Aktenzeichen (see top of the letter) and post code.
For more questions and information, please check the website
http://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/informationen/buergerinnen_und_buerger/ where you can download the pdf “License Fee for Citizens in English”.
Nebenkosten – ancillary/running costs
Your monthly rental payment consists of:
The Nebenkosten typically include charges for water, sewage, garbage collection, lift, care taker, heating and maybe even hot water. If heating and/or hot water are not included, you will receive a separate bill from the supplier. At the end of the year, your landlord will calculate the actually incurred Nebenkosten (Nebenkostenabrechnung) and you may receive a refund or have to make an additional payment.
Electricity / gas
There is normally a selection of different suppliers to choose from, and it is definitely worth comparing prices and selecting the tariff that best suits your needs.
One company, usually the local one (often Stadtwerke), ensures basic coverage, the so-called Grundversorgung. If you do not actively sign a contract with the supplier of your choice, you are automatically supplied with electricity by the Grundversorger company at their basic tariff (Grundversorgungsvertrag). This is generally the most expensive tariff, so it is wise to check out other options soon. It is possible to terminate the Grundversorgungsvertrag with a 2week notice period. Often, when you sign new contract with a utilities supplier, they will cancel your old contract for you.
When you move out you must inform your supplier and cancel your contract. When moving to an address that is outside their supply area, it is normally no problem to terminate the contract with a short notice period. However, please check the small print in your contract to make sure. In some cases, e.g. if you signed a long-term contract, a longer notice period might apply.
Please remember to note down the meter reading, both when you move in and when you move out.
Payment
You are required to pay a certain amount per month or quarter in advance, which the supplier establishes according to previous/estimated consumption. You can either wire-transfer the payments regularly or, what the suppliers prefer, give them authorization to draw the money from your account on the due date (Einzugsermächtigung). At the end of the year, your pre-payments are balanced with your actual consumption and the amount due for monthly/quarterly pre-payment the following year is calculated. Normally, the amount will always increase a little, at least to compensate for price increases. This is annual invoice is called Jahresabschlussrechnung. Please make sure you transfer the correct amount when the next payment is due.
Mobile Telephone
There is several provider choices for mobile phone contracts, either prepaid or with monthly contracts. It is worth comparing the services and prices to find the offer/provider that best suits your needs.
The contract duration is usually for a minimum period of 24 months, especially when a mobile/smart phone is included; contracts automatically renew for another 12 months when they are not notified with 3 months’ notice period.
Some of the providers have worldwide coverage and they do not allow their clients to get out of their contract before the expiry date because clients can use the services worldwide. This often ends in lump sum payments to close the contract when leaving the country earlier or monthly payments until the contract is fulfilled. Especially Vodafone is very strict in applying this regulation which brings a lot of concern upon departure.
Telephone / Internet
Phone service for residential landlines is offered by Deutsche Telekom (www.telekom.de).
Deutsche Telekom owns all landlines in Germany, so they are the only option to activate and/or install your physical land telephone line. However, you have several choices for monthly service, and it is worth comparing services and prices to find the offer/provider that best suits your needs.
Internet service is also provided by many suppliers. You will need to check with your landlord or letting agent to see if broadband or cable services are available at your new address.
Consider bundling your satellite/cable, phone service and broadband, as there can be discounts to take advantage of by doing so.
Please note that it can take up to 6 weeks after signing the apartment contract for the internet to be connected in your new home.
Television
Every household in Germany must register with the broadcasting fee agency (ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice). The monthly fee is EUR 18,36 per month; it is mandatory and must be paid per household, regardless of the number of persons living in it. Where several people share a flat, one person must pay the fee and be registered as living at that address.
This letter is a reminder asking you to fill in and return the attached form within four weeks. If you have already done this or if somebody else is paying the broadcasting fee in your household please state on the form accordingly and return it. Alternatively, you can also submit the information online if you go to antworten.beitragsservice.de and log in with your Aktenzeichen (see top of the letter) and post code.
For more questions and information, please check the website
http://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/informationen/buergerinnen_und_buerger/ where you can download the pdf “License Fee for Citizens in English”.
