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Tips for finding accommodation
Careful planning is the key to avoiding disappointment and unnecessary expenditure when looking for a new home
- First formulate your ideas in writing. What should your future home look like (size, number of rooms, furnishings, price, etc.)?
- Inform your circle of friends and acquaintances. Post your request in stores, cafés, etc. Send inquiries to estate agents, property managers and housing companies. People in receipt of social housing should also apply to the Housing Office, the allocation office for subsidized housing.
- Place an advertisement, preferably in the weekend edition of high-circulation regional newspapers. A box number advertisement protects you from dubious callers and creates a solid impression.
- Study the offers in the regional press. The district newspapers, which are usually distributed free of charge, also contain rental offers. If you have a provider on the phone (estate agent, landlord or landlady), answer questions briefly and precisely. Describe your own interests. Ask about things that are particularly important to you (e.g. child-friendliness, keeping pets, location of the apartment, etc.). This will save you unnecessary viewings.
- Respond to box number advertisements from a landlord. First impressions count here too. So pay attention to stationery and clear writing. If necessary, provide references (e.g. employer, previous landlord). Do not write a letter that is too long. Present your advantages to the landlord in a convincing way (e.g. double income, permanent employment, etc.). An offer to take on small tasks such as gardening, babysitting etc. is usually well received.
The probability that you will find the apartment you are looking for straight away is - to be honest - low. So repeat your advertisement and don't throw in the towel after a few unsuccessful phone calls. Extreme caution is advised with associations or companies that offer addresses or tips for a fee - often a horrendous fee. Such companies also advertise non-existent apartments at invitingly low rents. Check with your tenants' association before using such providers. If you are introduced to the landlord, make a confident impression. If a decision is required of you, make it quickly. If you are unsure about something, ask for a short period of time to think it over. A call to us will quickly clarify the situation.
Apartment viewing
First impressions are often decisive. However, it is better to look twice and ask carefully when it comes to renting a new apartment. Ideally, you should be accompanied by someone. A hasty decision can easily cost you a few thousand euros. So don't let yourself be put under pressure, take your time and think about which points and questions are important to you before the agreed viewing appointment.
- Is there a window or other ventilation option in the bathroom or WC?
- Where can the washing machine and dryer be placed?
- Can you place a dining area in the kitchen? What about the stove, fridge and kitchen equipment? Can/must a fitted kitchen be taken over? Is there a gas or electric connection?
- Do you like the flooring in the apartment: carpet, parquet or PVC?
- Which wallpaper is glued: woodchip, textured or “floral” wallpaper? If you don't like the wallpaper or the paint, you will need to calculate the renovation costs.
- Are there double-glazed windows? Is the facade insulated?
- What type of heating is there?
Speak directly to the landlord, property manager or estate agent if you notice any defects or damage in the apartment during the viewing. Ask when these will be rectified. If you are actually renting the apartment, you should insist on a handover report. Here you and the landlord can record the exact condition of the apartment, in particular documenting individual damages and defects. Ideally, you should also stipulate that the landlord will rectify these defects by a certain date and carry out the necessary repairs. Possible defects are Leaky windows; defective or damaged sanitary facilities, such as washbasins or bathtubs; tiles or flooring in the bathroom and kitchen may be damaged or in need of replacement; the carpeting is old and stained; the parquet flooring is scratched …
And of course you also think about the amount of rent. Acceptable or not? Does it correspond to the local average rent? If available, a rent index will provide the most reliable information. If the landlord talks about a graduated or index-linked rent, annual rent increases are inevitable. If there is talk of future modernization, this will also lead to a higher rent. In addition to the rent, the level of ancillary costs is also very important. Garden, janitor, elevator, etc. all cost money. Ask how high the monthly advance payments will be. Before you get serious and sign the tenancy agreement, you should ask to see the landlord's statement for the house and apartment.
People looking for accommodation are usually “asked” by estate agents, landlords or housing companies for a self-disclosure form. Filling it out is of course voluntary, but without answering the questions you have little chance of getting the apartment. Important to know: Questions in which the landlord has a legitimate interest must be answered truthfully. These are all questions that are intended to clarify whether the tenant can pay for the future apartment, questions about income and employment. The tenant must also answer truthfully when it comes to the question of who and how many people are to move into the apartment. For all other questions, the tenant can answer or write what they want.
If the previous tenant wants a transfer fee for furniture or a fitted kitchen, this is fine in principle. However, this purchase price should also correspond to the actual value. Otherwise, the excess amount must be repaid.
Apartment viewing after own termination
If the tenant has terminated the tenancy, they must grant the landlord the right to view the apartment with prospective tenants within the notice period so that it can be re-let smoothly. Such a viewing must be announced well in advance. In the case of working tenants, a period of three to four days should be observed.
When looking for new tenants, the landlord will generally be granted the right to show prospective tenants the apartment once a week for a period of one to two hours.
Broker commission
An estate agent may charge a maximum of two months' rent, excluding advance payments for heating and operating costs, but including VAT, for the successful brokerage of a rental apartment. The prerequisite is that the tenant looking for an apartment and the agent conclude a brokerage agreement in which the brokerage activity and the commission amount are specified. The contract can also be concluded verbally. In the event of a dispute, the estate agent must prove the content of the agreement and thus also the amount of commission.
Beware of statements from brokers
Important details such as the size of the living space or the right to use the communal garden should be recorded in writing between the tenant and landlord. This is because tenants cannot always rely on what the estate agent tells them during the viewing. If you really want to be on the safe side, you should make sure that all important details are included in the tenancy agreement.
House hunting in Cologne
If you are looking for a new apartment in Cologne, we recommend that you contact a housing cooperative or another housing company. 60 companies of this type in the city of Cologne and in neighboring cities, municipalities and districts are members of the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kölner Wohnungsunternehmen”.
The housing companies have a portfolio of around 180,000 apartments. Around 100,000 of these apartments are located in the city of Cologne. This corresponds to 25% of Cologne's total housing stock.