Living

Finding an apartment is difficult in many German cities. Once you have found an apartment, there are many things to organize and consider.

What do I need to know?

How do I find an electricity provider?

Electricity is not included in the rent, so you have to pay for electricity in addition to the rent. You will need to register with an electricity provider yourself. It is worth comparing different offers to find the most favorable tariff for you. Tariff calculators such as Check24 can help here. Once you have found an electricity provider, you can register online. The electricity provider will also ask you for the current status of your electricity meter when you register. You will find this meter reading on the handover protocol that you received from the landlord or property management when you handed over the property.

If you cook or heat with gas, you may also have to register with a gas supplier yourself. In this case, your landlord will inform you of this. Registration works in the same way as for electricity. You can find a tariff calculator for gas suppliers on Check24.

Please note: Your electricity provider (and your gas provider, if applicable) will debit a fixed amount from your account each month. This is an estimated amount. This means that once a year your actual electricity consumption will be checked and then you will either receive money back or have to pay money in arrears. Depending on whether you have used less or more electricity than estimated. To check your actual consumption, your electricity supplier will contact you and ask you for the current status of your electricity meter.

Why do I have to pay the license fee?

Every tenant of an apartment will receive a letter from the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice at some point with a request to pay the broadcasting fee of currently 18.36 euros per month (as of July 2021). This contribution is used to finance the public broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, 3Sat, Arte, Kika, Deutschlandradio, ...). All tenants or owners of apartments and houses must pay the broadcasting fee - even if they do not switch on these channels or do not have a television or radio. You can find out more about this in our chapter"Broadcasting fee".

Where can I find cheap furniture and household goods?

There are many different furniture stores of different price ranges in Germany. There are also so-called social department stores in many cities where people with little money can buy furniture, household goods and other items. You can search for a social department store near you on dasoertliche.de. You can also find cheap or free items at flea markets and online on ebay kleinanzeigen and in various give-away or sales groups on Facebook.

If you receive financial support from the job center or social welfare office, you can apply for additional money for furniture and other necessary items (e.g. a washing machine) for your new home from your case worker.

How can I save on heating costs and avoid mold?

Mold is bad for your health and difficult to get rid of. In principle, the landlord is responsible for removing mold and must also pay for it. However, this only applies if the tenants have not caused the mold themselves through incorrect heating and ventilation. Many tenants try to heat and ventilate as little as possible and, for example, turn off the heating even in the cold season when they are not at home. However, this behavior not only causes mold, but also leads to higher heating costs, as reheating a cold room consumes more energy. When ventilating, it is important to open the windows completely for about 5 to 10 minutes instead of just tilting them. A tilted window does not allow enough fresh air into the home. You should air the entire apartment at least 3-4 times a day. You should ventilate directly after showering, cooking or drying laundry in your home. You should also make sure that you switch off the heating for a short time while airing your home. Otherwise you will waste a lot of heating energy and have to pay a lot for your heating. You can find more information on correct heating and ventilation at wfd-duesseldorf.de.

Please note: If heating costs are included in your rent, this is a flat rate. Once a year, we will check how much heating energy you have actually used. Depending on whether you have used less or more heating energy than expected, you will either get money back or have to pay additional money. To check your actual consumption, your landlord will usually hire a company to make an appointment with you to read your actual consumption at your radiators. If you have the feeling that your heating bill is incorrect, you should contact the consumer advice center.

What is housing benefit? And can I get it?

Housing benefit is a subsidy towards your rent. The money is usually given to people who cannot pay their rent themselves with their income. Therefore, people who are already paid by the state do not receive housing benefit. This applies, for example, to recipients of citizen's allowance, BAföG, social assistance or reduced earning capacity.

With the new Housing Benefit Act, the so-called "Housing Benefit Plus", many more people will be able to receive housing benefit from January 1, 2023. The new housing benefit has doubled. On average from 180 euros per month to an average of 370 euros. One reason for this is that the income limit up to which you can apply for housing benefit has been raised. Housing benefit also includes a heating cost component. This is added to the housing benefit. You do not have to apply for anything extra. This money has nothing to do with the heating allowance. Heating cost allowances I and II are limited in time. You can read more about this in the chapter "Help with rising prices".

For some apartments, there is an additional "climate component". This is intended to help ensure that the climate-neutral conversion does not become a disadvantage for people on low incomes. This means that you get some extra money if your rent has become more expensive as a result of a climate-neutral renovation. In this case, 40 cents per square meter "climate component" is added to the housing benefit.

Currently (as of January 2023), these people are entitled to housing benefit:

People who do not earn much money and have previously paid their rent entirely themselves.
Pensioners
Students who cannot receive BAföG and do not live with their parents
Trainees who cannot receive a vocational training allowance and do not live with their parents.
Recipients of unemployment benefit I
Recipients of short-time working allowance

How much money you receive depends on how many people live with you. And on the amount of your salary and the amount of your rent. You can calculate the approximate amount with the new housing benefit calculator from the Federal Ministry of Building and Housing. If you are not sure whether you can get housing benefit, apply anyway. A rejection has no disadvantages for you.

You apply for housing benefit at the responsible authority in your place of residence. This is usually the so-called "Wohngeldstelle". You fill out an application there. You can find the right authority in your area by searching the Internet. Enter the words "Wohngeldstelle" and the name of your place of residence in the search. You can find the applications for each federal state on the website wohngeld.org. Make your application as early as possible. Because it often takes several weeks before you receive money.

Please note: If you receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, you will only receive housing benefit in exceptional cases.

Will the state support me financially with my heating costs?

Because the prices for gas and heating oil have risen sharply in 2022 and beyond, the state will continue to provide financial support for people with little money in 2023. This state aid is called the "heating cost subsidy".

You can find all the information on this in our chapter "Help from the state" in the section on heating costs.

I can't pay my electricity bill. What can I do?

Due to increased energy prices, the state offers various forms of help to alleviate the burden. You can read more about this in the chapter "Help with rising prices" in the Electricity section.

If you do not pay your electricity bill, your electricity can be cut off. However, this does not happen immediately. You must owe at least 100 euros to your electricity supplier. And your electricity supplier cannot simply cut off your electricity. First they have to send you a reminder. If you still don't pay, your electricity supplier must send you a so-called "disconnection notice". This is a letter threatening to cut off your electricity. You then have four weeks to pay. If you still don't pay, your electricity supplier can cut off your electricity. However, they must send you another letter with the specific date in advance.

If you are unable to pay your electricity bill, be sure to seek advice from the consumer advice center as soon as possible. You can search for an advice center near you at verbraucherzentrale.de. You can also contact the consumer advice center by phone or e-mail.

Something is broken in my home. What can I do?

If, for example, your heating no longer works or there is water damage in your home, you should inform your landlord or property management company immediately. You can usually find the contact details on your tenancy agreement or other documents that you received when you moved in. In many buildings, you will also find this information on a notice board in the entrance to the building. You can report the damage by telephone or in writing. As a rule, the property management company will then send tradesmen to assess the damage and repair it either immediately or at a later date. The landlord usually has to pay the costs for this. If the property management company does not respond to your notification or refuses to repair the damage, you should contact the consumer advice center or an advice center for tenants (tenant protection association). As a rule, the landlord is obliged to repair the damage and an advice center can help you to assert your rights. Most tenant protection associations require you to become a member in order to receive advice and support. As a member, you have to pay a small annual membership fee. You can find a tenant protection association near you at mieterbund.de.

What rules do I have to follow?

Every building has its own house rules. When you sign a tenancy agreement, you are automatically obliged to observe the house rules. If you repeatedly violate the house rules, your landlord can give you notice. Most house rules contain, for example, regulations on quiet hours, keeping animals, cleanliness in the stairwell or backyard and waste separation. It is important to adhere to these rules. This will help you avoid trouble with your neighbors and your landlord. You can read more about keeping pets in our "Pets" section. You can find out everything you need to know about waste separation in our chapter "Separating waste correctly".

Even if your house rules do not contain any regulations on quiet hours, you should adhere to the usual quiet hours. Generally speaking, lunchtime, night and Sunday are considered quiet times. If you are repeatedly too loud during these times, you will very likely soon get into trouble with your neighbors and your landlord. Your neighbors can also call the police in the event of a disturbance (e.g. loud music after 10 pm).

How can I terminate my tenancy agreement?

As a tenant, you can usually terminate your tenancy agreement at any time by informing your landlord three months before the desired end of the contract ("notice period"). The written letter of termination must reach the landlord no later than the third working day of the month that is to be counted as the first of the three months. In some cases, the notice period is shorter. You can find the notice period that applies to you in your tenancy agreement. You can create a letter of termination free of charge on the Immobilienscout website.

Please note: If you have concluded a fixed-term tenancy agreement, i.e. you have agreed a fixed term for your tenancy with your landlord, you cannot usually give notice before the end of the term. However, many fixed-term tenancy agreements are not legally effective. In such a case, you can still terminate within the statutory notice period of three months. The consumer advice center or a tenant protection association can tell you whether your fixed-term tenancy agreement is legally valid. You must become a member of most tenant protection associations in order to receive advice and support. As a member, you have to pay a small annual membership fee. You can find a tenant protection association near you at mieterbund.de.

My tenancy agreement has been terminated. What can I do?

Tenants are well protected in Germany. Your landlord therefore needs a good reason to terminate your tenancy agreement. A termination by the landlord is possible under the following circumstances:

Your landlord needs the apartment for himself or his family. This is called "personal use". However, he must prove this to you and if you have good reasons for remaining in the apartment (e.g. a serious illness), your landlord cannot usually terminate your tenancy. If you actually have to leave the apartment, your landlord must give you enough time to look for a new apartment. How much time he has to give you depends on the length of your tenancy to date.
Your landlord wants to demolish the house. In this case, however, your landlord must give you enough time to look for an apartment. How much time he has to give you depends on the length of your tenancy to date.
You have not paid your rent for two months. In this case, it is even possible to terminate your tenancy without notice. This means that your landlord can demand that you leave the apartment immediately.
You have repeatedly disturbed the peace of the house, e.g. harassed or insulted neighbors. In this case, your landlord must first give you an official warning. If you then cause problems again, he can terminate your tenancy without notice.
You have sublet your apartment without permission and your landlord can prove it. In this case, termination without notice is also possible.

If your landlord terminates your tenancy agreement, be sure to seek advice from a tenant advice center. Many terminations are not legal and you can legally defend yourself against them. You can contact the consumer advice center or join a tenant protection association or tenants' association. You usually have to become a member of these tenant protection associations and pay an annual membership fee (approx. €50), but in return you will receive comprehensive advice and legal assistance. You can find a tenant protection association near you at mieterbund.de.

Where can I find advice & support?

If you have problems with your landlord or your neighbors, you can get advice from a tenant protection association or tenants' association. You usually have to become a member of these tenant protection associations and pay an annual membership fee (approx. €50), but in return you will receive comprehensive advice and legal assistance. You can find a tenant protection association near you at mieterbund.de.

If you are being discriminated against by your landlord or your neighbors, you can also contact the anti-discrimination office. You can find an advice center near you at antidiskriminierungsstelle.de. You can find out more about this topic in our chapter"Discrimination".

Important

Tenants in Germany are well protected by law. If you have problems with your landlord, contact an advice center for tenants. These special advice centers are usually called Mieterschutzbund or Mieterverein. The staff there will help you with any difficulties and support you in disputes with your landlord.

After finding an electricity provider, you may also need to register with a gas supplier if you cook or heat with gas. This process is similar to registering with an electricity provider, and you can use tariff calculators like Check24 to compare different offers.

If you receive financial support from the job center or social welfare office, you can apply for additional money for furniture and other necessary items for your new home from your case worker.

Source: handbookgermany.de