Information

In Germany there is an obligation to register. This means that you must inform the local authorities of the address of your residence. If possible, you should register with your new address at the registration office within one week after moving in. Therefore, you need the certificate of residence, which you’ve gotten from the janitor when you received your keys. You can find a list of addresses and opening hours of the local registration offices in your city as well as downloadable forms on the Internet.

Every household in Germany must pay a monthly broadcasting fee of €18.36, which is used to finance the public broadcasters. The obligation to pay exists regardless of whether reception equipment is present and used at all.

Recipients of social benefits can apply for an exemption from the obligation to pay or for a reduction. This also includes BAföG recipients who no longer live with their parents. You can find all the information here.

The broadcasting fee is not included in the rent. Register immediately after moving in to avoid the risk of having to pay additional fees later.

If you wish to sublet your apartment temporarily, you must obtain prior written consent from the landlord. Violation of this requirement may be punished by law.

• Please keep all house and apartment entrance doors closed at all times. Especially on the first floor, windows should be closed at night and when you are absent.
• Only open the door via the automatic door opener if you are expecting visitors or a delivery and have checked who is ringing the doorbell. Do not let strangers into the house.
• Hallways and stairwells serve as escape routes and must be kept completely clear. Objects such as bicycles, boxes, garbage, shoes, etc. may not be stored there. For fire safety reasons, the walls in hallways and stairwells as well as house, basement and room doors may not be covered with posters or similar. It is strictly forbidden to enter roof areas.

First of all: We are committed to living together with respect, tolerance and respect for human dignity and do not tolerate any discriminatory behaviour, be it on the grounds of origin, nationality, gender, disability, religion or ideology, sexual orientation or any other grounds covered by the anti-discrimination law.

Nevertheless, conflicts of interest will always happen. For example, because part of the house community is working and learning, while others want to enjoy their free time. In a good community, the needs of others are seen and respected. For this reason, remember to observe the night’s rest after 10 pm. Even during the day, loud music and bass beats should be enjoyed with headphones.

For those who are also disturbed by quieter noises from the courtyard or the next room, we recommend trying noise-cancelling aids or earplugs.

There are disagreements? Seek a conversation and explain your situation. It almost always helps if the other side understands why they are harming someone. If a clarifying conversation is not possible or remains unsuccessful, you can contact the tutors, the administration or – in the case of nightly disturbances – the police.

We have set up the common areas for all residents. They provide space for socializing, studying, and group activities. Depending on the building, kitchen areas are also available. Please help ensure that everyone feels comfortable there. This includes:

• Leaving tables and countertops clean. Sweep or mop the floor if necessary.
• Dispose of trash, food scraps, and empty containers, and follow the recycling guidelines.
• Clean the cooking and kitchen facilities after use.
• Wash and put away used dishes or—if available—load them into the dishwasher. Load and unload the dishwasher as needed.

Good neighborliness means that everyone pitches in with these tasks. Otherwise, either other members of the household will have to take on more, or additional cleaning staff will need to be hired, which incurs extra costs.

.

Washing machines and dryers are available to all. Please help keep them functional and usable by minding these rules:

• Get your laundry out of the machines in a timely manner to free them up for others. Use a timer to remind yourself.
• Empty the lint filter after each use and remove residue in the drum (e.g., detergent, lint).
• Don’t overload machines or use too much detergent – both can cause malfunctions, and it’s also bad for the washing result and the environment.
• Don’t take other people’s laundry out of the machines without asking. Give them 15-20 minutes to do it themselves. Ask via the chat group to pick up the laundry.
• If there is a problem, contact Rent Wash directly: 089 74 59 001. Tell the janitor that you’re already reported the problem and also inform the tutors and/or the community via WhatsApp.

By consistently separating waste, a lot of it can be recycled and the amount of waste can be reduced. Thereby, you can actively contribute to protecting the environment.

Proper heating and airing not only creates a good climate in your apartment. You also reduce the risk of moisture damage and heating costs, which otherwise have to be compensated by rent increases.

Our tips for a good indoor climate:

• The right room temperature for healthy living is between 18°C and 20°C. To avoid structural damage, a minimum temperature of 15°C should be maintained in every living space.
• Regular shock airing ensures a pleasant room climate and is more efficient than a permanently tilted window. During the period of shock ventilation, the radiators should be turned off.
• Avoid letting moist air flow out of the bathroom. Condensation occurs on cooled walls, and constant repetition will cause mildew stains, mold and plaster damage. Proper heating and airing are particularly important here.

Saving electricity is easy: Make sure the lights in the hallway, kitchen or bathroom are only switched on when you need them. It also makes sense to turn your computer into energy-saving mode when you take breaks. Not using a screen saver saves energy and extends battery life.

For all devices, including monitors, printers and scanners, turn them off when you no longer need them. Standby functions are hidden energy guzzlers. Power strips with on/off functions make sense.

Water is one of our most important resources and is not available in unlimited quantities. Even though we in Germany are not yet as affected as elsewhere: the careful use of water is no trivial matter here either.

Our tips for reducing water consumption:

• Don’t wash dishes under running water, but in the sink filled with hot water.
• Have dripping faucets repaired immediately. If a faucet drips every 2 seconds, about 800 liters of water are lost per year.
• When showering, turn off the faucet while washing your hair and body and only turn it back on when needed.
• Look for leaks in toilet cisterns and use the flush-saver button.