Information Sheet on Searching for a Flat Searching for a flat • Through the Internet o www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de o www.immobilienscout24.de o www.immowelt.de o www.meinestadt-soest.de o www.immonet.de o www.wohnungsboerse.net o www.wg-gesucht.de • Through regional newspapers • Through housing associations Contact by telephone, e-mail or through a box number. Viewing appointment It is especially important • to be punctual • to be polite • to have a well-groomed appearance First impressions matter. Express an interest in the flat and specifically ask: • Who else lives in the block of flats? • Where is the cellar? • Is there a supermarket nearby? • What is the bus service like? • Etc. The more an applicant enquires about details and asks questions, the more s/he will be taken seriously. If you find a flat, the Sozialamt (social security office) or Jobcenter will have to have it assessed for appropriateness. For this purpose the landlord will have to complete and sign a Mietbescheinigung (certificate of tenancy) and this then has to be handed in to the Sozialamt (social security office) or Jobcenter. You can request this form at the Sozialamt (social security office) / Jobcenter. A tenancy agreement may not be concluded until the flat has been approved by the Sozialamt (social security office) / Jobcenter. Housing costs for the municipality of Bad Sassendorf (as at: November 2016) Person/ m² Reasonable costs excluding heating costs, service costs 1 person up to € 329.00 approx. 50m² 2 people up to € 418.50 approx. 65m² 3 people up to € 520.00 approx. 80m² 4 people up to € 621.50 approx. 95m² 5 people up to € 697.00 approx. 110m² Wohnberechtigungsschein (certificate of eligibility to low-cost housing) For social housing you require a Wohnberechtigungsschein (a certificate of eligibility to low- cost housing). You can submit an application for one of these certificates to the district of Soest or the city of Soest. City of Soest District of Soest Anröchte Soest Bad Sassendorf Lippstadt Ense Warstein Erwitte Werl Geseke Lippetal Möhnesee Rüthen Welver Wickede The application forms can be downloaded from the respective websites. Tenancy agreement ( Mietvertrag ) The tenancy agreement is an important document and regulates many details of the tenancy. For reasons of legal certainty it is very important that the agreement is concluded in writing. You should read the tenancy agreement carefully before you sign it and keep it in a safe place. Before you conclude a tenancy agreement you should inform yourself about the following details: • the amount of the rent • the amount of the service costs • the amount of the security deposit • whether the tenancy agreement is for a fixed term or is unlimited • obligations to renovate You should insist that any additional agreements are set down in writing in the tenancy agreement. As at: 28.11.2016 Move-in inspection report When a tenant moves into a flat or when the keys to it are handed over, frequently, an inspection report is drawn up. This report documents the condition of the flat when it is transferred to a new tenant as well as the meter readings (gas/water) when moving in. Read through the report carefully - the landord/landlady may subsequently hold you responsible for any defects that do not appear in it. Check /compare the meter readings. Security deposit The landlord may ask for a security deposit for the flat. If you leave the flat in poor condition when you move out then the landlord may retain the security deposit. The maximum amount of deposit may only be the equivalent of three months’ net rent (exclusive of heating, lighting and other service costs). It is possible to obtain a loan from the Jobcenter to pay for the security deposit. This loan will be offset against 10% of your monthly benefits. Service costs These are frequently referred to as Nebenkosten in German and are usually settled once a year. In most cases, these costs include heating costs, water and wastewater charges and waste disposal fees. For electricity you usually have to register yourself and settle your own bills. Service costs are paid in advance on a monthly basis. At the end of the year, you will receive a service costs statement. You should check this statement carefully. A specified amount of these service costs (including heating costs but excluding electricity) will be borne by the Jobcenter. In order to avoid an additional payment at the end of the year you should use electricity, gas and water sparingly and consume as little as possible. Waste disposal In Germany, rubbish is separated for collection and disposal. For paper and cardboard there is the waste paper collection bin, food and green waste are disposed of in the organic waste collection bin and plastic rubbish is disposed of in the yellow rubbish sacks. Furthermore, there are collection points or containers for other waste materials such as, for example, waste glass and hazardous waste. Registering a change of address/ residence registration Registering a change of address/ residence registration has to happen within two weeks after moving in. For this purpose the landlord has to complete and sign a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (accommodation provider certificate). You have to take this form and your passport/identity card and report to the Einwohnermeldeamt/ Bürgerbüro (residents registration office/citizen service center). There you will be given a Meldebestätigung (certificate of registration) that you should send to the Jobcenter immediately. You can download the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung (accommodation provider certificate) from the website of the Bad Sassendorf municipality. If you have any questions please contact Iris Rosenthal at 02921/35 90 – 63 or [email protected] As at: 28.11.2016 .