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When moving into a new apartment, you might find in your renting contract the term “Warmmiete”, which means the final price with all costs included. Nevertheless, in Germany normally some services, such as electricity, internet and the GEZ tax, are not included in the Warmmiete, and tenants must pay them themselves.

Some apartments, such as one-bedroom student flats, might already include all these services in the final fee, though. In case of doubts, as your landlord/lady before signing the contract, or at least before moving in.

WG normally run differently. In this case, it is normally the person in charge of the whole WG (which can be the landlord/lady or the main tenant) the one in charge of paying for these extra services, and then they are divided between all the tenants, including the fee in Warmmiete. Nevertheless, there are some cases of WGs in which the GEZ tax fee has to be paid apart, or which does not include internet in the final fee.

If your contract says that the rent includes a “pauschal” (literally translated as flat-rate) on the extra expenses and utilities, this means that no matter how much you consume, you will not pay anything extra at the end of your renting period.

On the contrary, if it doesn´t, that means that if you exceed any costs, your landlord/lady will have to send you a detailed declaration stating how much you exceeded, and you will have to pay the extra costs. If you live in a WG, this amount will be divided by all the people who lived there during said amount of time.

Normally, when moving into a new apartment you should fill out a document called “Übergabeprotokoll”. You need to include everything you see in these documents, such as scratches, holes, damages, etc. As a tenant in Germany, it is your obligation to return the apartment in the same condition you found it.

In some cases, such as WGs, it can happen that your landlord/lady does not give you this document. You can always search one by yourself or ask them to give it to you. If not, you can send a written document (such as an email or a letter) saying all the defects you find, so you are sure not to be blamed for them later.

Please also note the instructions from the IO: How to care for my apartment / flat room

Although most student apartments and WGs come furnished already, some of them might not, or might not come with enough furniture.

You can find great, used furniture on ebay kleinanzeigen, or even for free in some facebook groups.

In case your apartment doesn´t have household appliances, such as washing machines or dishwashers, you can also rent them at a good price in Grover. The good thing about it is that if there is a problem with the appliance, or if it breaks, they will change if you’re a new one. This is great for students who are only here for a short period, or a couple of semesters, or who plan to go back home during recess and only rent apartments and rooms temporarily.

You can also use other tools to find used furniture, such as Facebook market, the local used furniture markets in Pfarrkirchen, or attend some Flohmarket in the area.

If you need transportation for larger items, you can consult with local taxi companies or moving companies in the area.

After moving into your new flat / WG, you should ask your landlord for the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a document (german / english) which states that you are legally renting that room/flat, and which will be required from you when you try to register in the town hall.

After registering your new address in the town hall, don´t forget to inform every relevant party (such as a bank, foreigner’s office, among others) about your new address.

Also, to receive correspondence at your new address, you need to ask your landlord/lady, or the person in charge of your building, to add your name to the doorbell.

If you´d like to know more about accommodation and tips on how to find an apartment, among others; we recommend you visit International Office “ECRI Orientation Day” ilearn course.

If you rent a room or flat in Germany, a rental agreement has to be signed between you (as a tenant) and the landlord or real state agency that owns the place. Contracts are a must, and there are some simple aspects that rental contracts must include:

• Name of both parties
• Length of the agreement (if there is a specified termination date)
• Amount of the basic rent
• Amount of additional costs
• Amount of the deposit
• Agreement of redecoration when you leave the place (if there is a decoration agreement)
• Rent increases (if there are any)
• In case of semi-furniture or furniture flats or WG, an inventory of all items
• General house rules, specially for WG and apartment buildings. 

Other aspects, such as the tenant- landlord responsibilities and relationship, are usually codified in the law.

When signing a rental agreement, be careful on what the termination date for said agreement is. This is also something you might choose to speak with your landlord beforehand.

Some contract can have a specified duration (one or two semesters, for example) while others might be indefinite. If the latest is your case, then the contract must also state a notice period: this means, how many months in advance you have to inform your landlord that you are leaving /want to terminate your contract. 

By law, this period is three months, meaning that if for example you plan to leave your WG room or Flat by December 2021, you must inform your landlord by September at the latest. 

Notice must be handed in a written form and at the beginning or middle of the month (1st or 15th).

The Mietekaution (deposit) is security deposit that most landlords ask for when moving into a flat or WG, and which is later refunded when you leave the place. Nevertheless, if there is damage to the property, your landlord is legally allowed to withhold some part of the deposit to repair said damages. 

The deposit can legally be an amount of up to 3 months of basic rent (Kaltmiete), though most landlords require for only one or two months of basic rent. 

By law, the deposit must not be directly transferred to the landlord’s account, but rather into a joint savings account (Mietkautionkonto). This way, the landlord won’t be able to take the money without your agreement and at the end of the leasing period, you will get the interest of said money (as long as you don’t cause any damage to the property).

Taxes are very important in Germany, and you must always be aware of which taxes you must pay. Generally, when you pay rent for a WG, all necessary taxes are being paid by your landlord (garbage disposal tax, municipal taxes, etc) but there might be some which are not included, and therefore is better to ask your landlord beforehand. 

The most common tax which needs to be paid by the tenant is the GEZ Tax, known as “radio tax”. Every household in Germany must pay this tax and is the right to watch and listen all public channels and radio stations. Even if you don’t have radios or TV in your house, you must pay this tax as you can watch TV and listen to the radio online, with your computer. As mentioned, it is paid per household and not per person, which means that only one person in your house has to pay it (although normally every adult living in receive the notification, it is enough for one of them to pay it and the others to inform that that person is paying it with the number associated to the account). 

In WGs, the landlord usually pays this import, but there are some which might ask you to pay it yourself. When renting a flat, it is usually the tenants’ responsibilities to pay it. 

It is also important to notice that some services might not be included in your rent. Electricity and internet are the most common services which tenants have to pay by themselves, especially when you rent a house or apartment. WGs usually include these expenses. 

Another relevant topic is whether the “Nebenkosten” (extra utility costs) are fixed or not. If they are not fixed then at the end of the year your landlord will make an evaluation, analyzing if you have consumed more or less of the agreed amount. If you have consumed less, you have the right to recover the different; but if you have consumed more, then you have to pay the extra costs. It is highly recommended to ask this beforehand and ask for this point to be written in the contract. In case your landlord informs you have consumed more and need to pay extra costs, he has to send you a detailed notification of how that occurred, with the corresponding invoice.

Recycling is a very important aspect of Germany’s system and must be taken seriously. 

In Pfarrkirchen, there are four different bins you will find outside your house: brown, black, blue and yellow. Brown is for compostable and organic elements, such as food, plants and others; blue is for cardboard, paperboard and paper; yellow is for plastic, and black for non-organic elements and mixed elements. 

For glass and cans, you will find designated spaces all around the city, especially near supermarkets, where you can dispose glass also according to their type: white, brown, green or cans. 

Separation of elements is very important and is not optional, but rather mandatory in Germany, and not doing it can get you into troubles, such as trash collectors not collecting for your household anymore, or even eviction in some very difficult cases.

See also the article "Separating waste correctly in Pfarrkirchen" in this section.

Though documents are a must when renting in Germany, mostly in big cities like Munich, Berlin or Hamburg; in smaller cities like Pfarrkirchen, and especially for student-apartments, landlords tend to be more flexible.
Nevertheless, having these documents available will surely make it easier for you to show prospective landlords that you are a trustworthy tenant not only during your stay in Germany as a student, but also for your future.

So, the essential documents are:

• Copy of your ID or Passport(in case you are here with a visa, copy of the visa or residence permit might also be asked).
• Salary confirmation or bank statements. For students, this is not so required as for other tenants, but it might also be handy to have these documents ready. In case you do not have a job in Germany yet, a bank statement from your block account or your normal bank account, which shows that you have sufficient founds to pay your rent, will be enough.
  Have in mind that some landlords, especially in big cities, ask for tenants or the person responsible for the tenants to have a stable income of three times what the full rent.
  Again, this is usually very flexible for students, but is information worth to have for your future life in Germany.
  
• Credit Record (SCHUFA): This is an essential document if you have lived in Germany for quite a time.
  It is basically a document which register your bank debt track, and helps landlords see if you can meet your financial obligations or not. It opens the moment that you arrive to Germany and register in the town hall, and it can show a better/worst record depending on your bank statements and your own record.
  If you are new in Germany you won’t have it, and that is no problem: just speak with your interested real state agent or landlord and explain this to them.
  It can help to bring your credit record from your home country.
  To ask for it, you can ask for the free version at the SCHUFA webpage, or the paid one (30 euros) which is easier to read and more comprehensive.

As everywhere else in the world, Germany has rules regarding things you can and can’t do in your rental room or apartment.
Some of these are very basic and common knowledge, while others might be specific guidelines or norms for your apartment / apartment building: these are usually stipulated in the house rules, which your landlord has to handle you when renting your apartment.
Have in mind that this is a legally binding contract, and that by agreeing with it you must follow it. 

Some of said rules are: 

• Avoid loud noises from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; and from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; and all-day during Sunday.
  This includes loud cleaning, using noisy home appliances (like washing machines and dishwashers) and fixing things around the house that might be too loud. It is considered “loud” if any of your neighbours can hear it.
  If you live in a WG, arrange directly with your flatmates, but have in mind that generally speaking, these rules apply for WGs too. That means you can’t use the washing machine or dishwasher after 10 p.m. (they have to be OFF by that time) unless you specifically arrange something different with them. 
• Wash and dry laundry only in designated areas by the landlord
• Be conscious when separating your trash and remember what we talk in point number 5.
• Ask your landlord for written permission if you want to keep a pet (unless it says otherwise in your contract).
• Leave cars, bicycles, baby carriages and any other equipment only in designated areas or areas provide by the landlord.
• Ask who is responsible for cleaning entrance halls and stairways, front hall, etc. It could be you!
• If you leave in a WG, ask your flatmates or landlord if there is a cleaning plan. In some house rules, not attaching to your clean plan could result in eviction, so be sure to follow it.
• Open your windows every day for 10 minutes, to allow fresh air and avoid mold and humidity.

• Install satellite dishes, television or radio antennas, without your landlord permission. And don’t install anything that might break local laws.
• Pour or shake anything from balconies or windows.
• Barbecues, grilling or an open fire on your balcony is prohibited.
  

Having visits is a normal aspect of social life, and what constitutes as a “visitor” is always a tricky aspect.
According to German laws, a visitor is a person that is occasionally visiting you and doesn’t stay more than six weeks at a time.
If the person leaves for one day and then comes back, then the visitor status is restored.
Your landlord cannot charge you extra per day/night that somebody stays in your house, but if you do have a visitor for more than six weeks, he can ask you to start paying extra utilities costs for them.

You also have to consider how many people stay at the same time in your flat/room and dimensions of it: if you have a one-bedroom apartment, you can’t have three people staying there for more than a couple of nights, because that might cause an overcrowd problematic. Nevertheless, one person can stay there for up to six weeks without paying extra costs.

If you are living in a shared WG, consider asking your flatmates first. One person staying in your room for a couple of nights might be fine, but for a longer period it can constitute an extra person living in the flat and cause problems with the shared spaces and resources of the house.

If you know from the beginning of your rental period that somebody might be staying with you for longer period of times (boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, child, etc.) you might want to clear this with your flatmates before moving in.

Another aspect to consider is expenses. If you are paying a not-flat rate for your expenses and services (such as electricity and water), having somebody over for a long period of time might incur in higher costs, which you have to pay at the end of the year.

If a person is going to stay for longer than six weeks, you might need to pay extra utilities cost.

During corona time, be aware of local rules and regulations regarding the maximum amount if visitors.

Also, be aware that generally extra visitors count for the whole flat, and not for the individual tenants – that means, that if only one person outside of the household is allowed, and two of the tenants want to invite their partners, those two partners would count as extra visitors. That would break the corona-contact-rule, and you might want to reach an agreement with your WG flatmates.

When searching for a flat or WG, there are some terms which might surprise you or you might nor understand.

Here is a list of the most common German renting-related terms.




Source: https://www.studying-in-germany.org/renting-in-germany/