Life in Germany - Ep. 52: ROOM (four things you need to know)
In Germany, domestic happiness quest begins to find the right house or apartment, but it doesn t end there.
It is important to know the German practices and terminology when you set out to find a house or apartment here if you want two rooms with lounge and dining room, you are actually looking for a vier Zimmer four-room house in Germany bathroom, literally toilets, closets, kitchens and rooms aren t included in the number of rooms furnished apartments are rare, and will cost much an unfurnished place.
Unfurnished apartments here are just completely unfurnished They do not have built-in cabinets, closets or even lighting You will often buy everything, maybe even the proverbial kitchen sink stoves, refrigerators, cabinets kitchen, cupboards, shelves, tables, beds, chairs, curtains, curtain rods, lights and everything else are your problem.
It is recommended to use the services of a lawyer or legal counsel before signing a lease Even if you speak excellent German, the lease may be too long and made in legalese for a layperson to understand that might even contain a trap as an annual rent increase.
On the other hand, you may be responsible for certain things that aren t spelled out in the lease The main parts of landlord-tenant relationship are codified in legislation There may be nothing in the lease dealing notice periods, necessary renovations or actions in case of non-payment of rent, but these things are still covered because of the law.
An agreement to rent an apartment or house for a fixed term may be terminated at t the beginning, except in extraordinary circumstances a transfer is generally not an extraordinary circumstance.
Your payment to the owner, which is usually made monthly, is in two parts of rent, which can not be changed for the duration of the lease; and Umlagen - or Nebenkosten - that can the latter can include such things as the part of the owner of property taxes, heat, cleaning the stairwell, garbage collection and water If the price of one of these is raised during the period covered by the lease, your Umlagen can be increased accordingly you generally pay separately for your electricity and gas, although these can be included and you Umlagen can also pay separately for some of the things we talked about as the Umlagen especially heat.
Some other questions about life in rented premises German.
It is a good idea to have an inventory of everything in your new place and gaps that we see Note This is simply a protection for you and your landlord.
Avoid loud noises between 1 m and 3 m p and 10 p m to 7 m is from Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday.
Most cities now require that waste be separated in a number of ways, there are usually separate containers primarily on the owner's property but sometimes Community Ones on a sidewalk nearby - one for metal and plastic, for paper, one for each green, brown and white glass, and one for all other If you want to get rid of something like a piece of furniture that is too big for the trash, you can call the sanitation office and It will request its removal is usually a big day Sperrm'll trash in most cities, they will even haul away a car abandoned by appointment.
Wash and dry cloth in areas or rooms provided by the owner.
Let the cars, bicycles, strollers, etc. Only in areas provided by the owner The cleaning of carpets, blankets and other must be done in designated areas.
Get written permission from the owner for keeping a pet.
Close the front doors by 9 percent to 7 m of if more than one family lives in the building.
Close and lock all doors and windows of your apartment during periods of extended absence.
Install satellite dishes and TV antennas or radio without the authorization of the owner and in compliance with local laws.
Inform the owner immediately of any damage to gas, water or power lines.
Check with the rental agreement which is responsible for cleaning the rooms, stairs, forward, etc. It could be you.
Never grill, barbecue or to open fire on a balcony.
Never pour anything or shake windows or balconies Make sure flower pots or boxes on the windows or balconies are secure and water doesn t create a nuisance to neighbors below.
There are several approaches to find a place to live in Germany The first and fastest is probably a Immobilienh ndler a realtor Laws change as regards the payment of fees to real estate agents Previously, the person who was moving in a rental property was responsible for paying the sometimes hefty fees to the estate agent now, these costs are the responsibility of the owner this is a new change and its effects are difficult to predict for agents and landlords sure to verify how the fees of the agent are to be paid before signing any agreement.
Another method is to find a place in the newspaper The downside is that a good place may well be snapped up before your call goes through it may also be a language problem See box.
A third method, the oldest and sometimes better, is to find a place by word of mouth Friends and colleagues often familiar places in their own region, or be vacated by a departure coworker network is useful in your professional life, and no less so in trying to find a place to live in Germany.
You may also be interested in finding a place in a number of real estate websites dedicated You can even find some that have information and announcements in English Most real estate sites allow you to browse the ads selected by price, location, size and other criteria most ads have many photos that allow you to take a virtual tour.
As we said, the deposits are usually two to three months rent, which is in addition to your first month's rent However, the deposit will be returned with interest when you leave, provided your quarters are in good condition This usually means a renovation, and sometimes it is necessary that this is the work of a professional.
Find apartments in Germany these days is normally done by searching the Internet or through newspaper ads Even if you speak German well, the terms used to describe the house and renting the apartment can throw you for a loop this is especially true with the abbreviations used in press releases what if you saw an ad in a newspaper offering a 80sqm apartment 3Zi BJ 96 DG BAD WC It might not be as unfathomable as you think.
Here are some key words, abbreviations and their meanings.
Quadratmeter QM and M2 - this is accompanied by a number and indicates the size of the apartment in square meters Zimmer Zi accompanied by a number indicates how many rooms the place has.
The term Baujahr BJ followed by a number means built in the Closet water under toilet Bath and Bad Dusche From tell you about sanitation bath just mean a bathtub and a toilet is a room with toilet but no facilities words bath EG Erdgeschoss, Obergeschoss OG and DG Dachgeschoss tell you how high the building, you will; respectively the ground floor, upper floor and attic floor.
Kaution Ka and Kt Kaut is the deposit you must establish beyond your rent This is usually followed by a number, which indicates that the deposit is Euro Gepflegt gepfl means well maintained and Ruhig Ruh means Nebenkosten NK peaceful means incidental expenses that may not be included in your rent; such as garbage collection, cleaning the stairwell and water If you happen to be looking for a fully furnished apartment, keep an eye peeled for the duration bliert M M bl, and if you are looking for comfortable amenities such as central heating, a balcony, a garden or a garage to look ZH Zentralheizung, Balk Balkon, Garten Gart or parking Gge.
There are experts in moving and relocation nowadays; people in place to alleviate employee acclimatization problems and acculturation They offer a wide range of services and continually increasing the breadth and depth of their services.
Small and large companies, as well as people who travel to foreign countries, seeking the services of these professionals without specialist help the task of moving and setting can be intimidating The most common responsibilities taken by the relocation specialists find housing and schools; recording address; Assistance residence permit; help with work permits and bank connections and organization of public services and telephone service In addition to these basics, other services may involve help get driving licenses, insurance, the career counseling for spouses, vocational training, language and cultural training and to find doctors and dentists There is also increased attention to the improvement of life services.
The industry relocation and resettlement has evolved and many companies have established cooperative relations and partnerships with other companies in Germany, Europe and worldwide Most international relocation companies have increased the number of offices around the world to meet the new requirements of a growing number of expatriate employees.
Move without assistance is an invitation to frustration and lost productivity Discover the different companies and sign with one that meets your needs, it will be worth it.
Visit our investment Relocation employment for Storefronts professionals.
Visit our residence permit Legal Services Storefronts.
Visit our Home Mortgage Financing Services Storefronts.
Visit our Real Estate Agents Property Management Storefronts.
How Germany Accommodation in Germany What you should know, Germany, housing, need to know.