In addition to choosing a school and major, choosing a place to live is also an important issue for international students in Germany. Currently, renting a house is the preferred choice of international students. However, to avoid “losing money and getting sick” in a foreign country, you should still pocket some experience after renting a house in Germany.
Should I rent or buy a house in Germany?
After World War II, Germany faced a housing crisis as both the real estate and the economy were in ruins. As a result, the government pushed for affordable housing. Since then, renting has become popular in the country, with international students and immigrants making up a large number.
However, after the Covid 19 pandemic and the high inflation in Germany, people in this country are more interested in real estate. This is considered an investment method to avoid the effects of inflation. However, for international students, very few people can afford to buy a house in Germany, so renting a house is the most popular choice. Of course, if your financial conditions are strong enough, “buying” a private house in Germany is still a great thing.
Some characteristics of renting a house in Germany
In addition to solving the problem of which school and major to choose when studying in Germany , choosing a place to live when studying in Germany is equally important. In Vietnam, you can easily find and rent a house, and the living regulations are not too strict. However, if you rent a house in Germany, you will need to comply with many strict requirements and laws.
Deposit
Deposits are not uncommon when renting a house. However, deposits in Germany are quite expensive, usually equal to 2-3 months rent. This money is used to repair appliances in the house if they break down during your rental period. When the contract ends, you can get this money back if you do not damage anything.
Note, when furniture is broken, you need to report it to the landlord and not repair it yourself.
Lease Term
The minimum rental period in Germany is 6 months, and contracts are usually renewed for 1-2 years. If you want to cancel the contract, you need to give the landlord 2 months notice.
Basic household items
In Vietnam, rented rooms are usually designed as private rooms to ensure privacy. But in Germany, there are only separate rooms, while the kitchen and bathroom are shared.
The items that are equipped in the house will include the kitchen and bathroom such as: oven, refrigerator, dishwasher… Furniture such as bed, wardrobe, desk you have to buy yourself.
Comply with waste classification
In Germany, you are required to separate your trash if you don’t want to get in trouble with your landlord or pay a fine. This is in the rental regulations, each type of trash needs to be sorted into different bins.
Costs incurred in addition to the rental price
Nachzahlung is the most common type of non-rent expense. This is the total amount of electricity, water, heating that you use within 1 year. In European countries, this cost is not cheap. Therefore, if you do not use it economically, you risk having to spend a huge amount of money.
Necessary documents when renting a house in Germany
When making a rental contract in Germany, you need to prepare quite a lot of documents. Specifically:
- Rental application form.
- Copy of passport or residence permit, other photo identification.
- Proof of income. You can use payslips from the last 3 months.
- In Germany, one factor that can prove your reliability is the credit report (Schufa). You need to provide the credit report to the landlord to prove that you are able to pay the rent on time.
- Before moving, you should ask your current landlord for a letter of no rent arrears and provide it to the new owner to increase your credibility.
- If you cannot provide the above documents to prove your reliability, use a rent guarantee to give the landlord peace of mind.
Learning all the knowledge about studying in Germany is a solid stepping stone before starting your studies in a faraway country. Above is some information and experience in renting a house for students studying in Germany . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact My Career immediately for dedicated advice!
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