housing Archives - Page 2 of 6 - understand-culture

A Meter on Every Radiator

In most German apartment buildings with central heating, a small meter sits on each radiator, the Heizkostenverteiler. The consumption part of each household’s heating bill is calculated from it. The rule behind it is the heating cost ordinance, introduced in February 1981 to save energy.

The ordinance requires that at least 50 and at most 70 percent of the cost of central heating be billed by measured consumption. The rest is shared by floor area.

A household that heats less pays a smaller share.

Colanders From Steel Helmets

After 1945 household goods were scarce in Germany, because the bombing had destroyed so much. Steel helmets left from the war were punched full of holes in stamping machines. Handles were welded on, and enamel protected the metal from rust. The helmets became colanders.

In Berlin, the Bergmann works made cookware from former war material.

Asking Before Buying the Plot

A German who wants to build a house can ask the building authority a binding question before buying the land. This is the Bauvoranfrage, the preliminary building inquiry. The answer is the Bauvorbescheid, a preliminary decision. The city of Hamburg names its use plainly: to have the buildability of a plot checked before buying it. The person asking does not need to own the plot yet. In most state building codes, the preliminary decision is valid for three years. During that time, the authority is bound by it. It does not replace the building permit, which must still be applied for.

Three Months’ Rent as Security

When Germans rent an apartment, the landlord usually asks for a Mietkaution, a rental deposit. Section 551 of the Civil Code limits it to three times the monthly rent, without the operating costs. The tenant may pay a cash deposit in three equal monthly installments. The first is due at the start of the tenancy. The landlord must keep the money separate from his own assets, and the interest belongs to the tenant. The deposit protects the landlord, and the separate account protects the tenant’s money.

Stones You Can Build On

Auf diese Steine können Sie bauen. You can build on these stones. The building society Schwäbisch Hall has used this slogan since 1962, with its logo of four building blocks from 1956. The company says the blocks stand for security, trust, competence and reliability.

The fox has been the brand’s mascot since 1975. According to the company, 89 percent of people connect the slogan with the brand.

Only Your Own Landlord

In a German building divided into owner-occupied apartments, a manager looks after the shared property: roof, facade, stairwell. A tenant who rents one of these apartments has a contract only with its owner. That holds even when the defect is in the shared property. Professor Florian Jacoby, in a paper published by the German Tenants’ Association, states: Der Mieter kann nur seinen Vermieter in Anspruch nehmen. The tenant can make claims only against his landlord.

The Caretaker Is the Wrong Address

A German apartment building often has a Hausmeister, a caretaker, on site and a Hausverwaltung, a property management firm, in an office. The caretaker is the person tenants see. He is usually not the person who can receive a valid notice of defects. The Munich tenants’ association advises that the notice must go to the landlord or the landlord’s authorized representative, in writing if possible. Ein Anruf bspw. beim Hausmeister ist daher regelmäßig gerade keine ausreichende Mängelanzeige. A phone call to the caretaker, for example, is as a rule not a sufficient notice.

Damage After a Move

After a household move in Germany, the Commercial Code sets hard deadlines. Visible damage must be reported to the removal firm spätestens am Tag nach der Ablieferung, at the latest on the day after delivery. Hidden damage must be reported within fourteen days. Otherwise the claim lapses. A typical liability notice from a removal firm adds: Pauschale Schadensanzeigen genügen in keinem Fall. General damage reports are never enough. Each damage must be specified.

No Exam for Estate Agents

Since 2018, German real estate agents and residential property managers must complete 20 hours of further training every three years. The government draft had also planned a Sachkundenachweis, a proof of expertise, before anyone could enter the trade. Parliament dropped it entirely during its deliberations. The agents’ own association, the IVD, said the result fell well short of its expectations.

The Removal Firm’s Fixed Price

Before a move, a German removal firm usually inspects the apartment and the goods to be moved. The consumer advice centers recommend agreeing a fixed price in most cases. The fixed price covers only what was agreed. So der Leistungsumfang beim Festpreis sollte daher vorher möglichst exakt bestimmt werden. The scope of services should be set as exactly as possible in advance. The written offer should list every agreed service, vom Aufstellen des Halteverbotsschilds vorm Haus, from putting up the no-parking sign in front of the house to the outside lift, packing material and assembly work.