Living

If you are looking for an apartment or a house in Germany on a short- or long-term basis, various online portals are available as initial sources of information. Those offering the properties can be contacted directly. As soon as you have a new home, you must immediately inform the relevant residents’ registration office (Einwohnermeldamt) or citizens’ office (Bürgerbüro) in your district or town of your new address – usually during the first weeks after moving in. When moving to another address, you should also make an appointment with the residents’ registration office and re-register your address, or if necessary, deregister if you are leaving Germany and moving to another country.

The so-called residence principle (Wohnortprinzip) applies in Germany. This means that the authorities, including the immigration authorities, are responsible for you in the place where you are registered with your residential address, irrespective of where you work or where your company is located. The residential address is therefore very important in Germany for further registrations and various procedures with authorities.

Most expats and international professionals rent a home in Germany or, where appropriate, a so-called service apartment in the case of short-term stays or assignments abroad. It is important to know that the rent in Germany is divided into so-called ‘cold’ and ‘warm’ rent. The pure cost of the living space is referred to as the ‘cold’ rent. The ‘warm’ rent includes all additional running costs, such as heating costs, water charges or waste disposal, in some cases even the electricity costs. You generally pay a certain fixed amount for the utilities each month and receive a final bill once a year.

The rental agreement regulates many details of the tenancy, such as the rent amount, the deposit amount, the duration of the contract and the renovation obligations. In addition to the rental agreement, you must sign a handover report confirming the condition of the apartment when you move in. This will also identify any potential renovation obligations. You may be held responsible in the future for any damages that are not noted therein.