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Wanted flat share-shared flat found!
Wanted flat share-shared flat found!
Sex, drugs, music, politics and free love – things were heating up in the legendary Commune I, which was founded in West Berlin over 45 years ago. Today, the word "shared apartment" has hardly anything revolutionary about it. The WG has arrived in the middle of society. Students in particular appreciate the flexibility and low costs of a shared flat; a good one in five of them lives in a shared flat. Maybe this type of living is the right one for you? To find out, in today's article we will shed light on the form of living in a shared flat from all sides.
WG wanted: The right model for every type
In a shared flat, several people live together and use the kitchen, bathroom, hallway and sometimes the living room together. Usually, two to six people share a house or apartment. But it can also be more than ten people living together! There are many different ways for students to experience life in a shared flat:
Friendship WG: Parties, game evenings and cooking together: In non-purpose WGs, the focus is on personal relationships and joint activities of the WG members. Living with friends is fun, but it can also be a test of friendship. A good friend is not automatically a good roommate!
Purpose WG: In the Purpose WG, people who are not related to each other share living space for reasons of cost savings, but otherwise largely avoid each other. With cleaning schedules and a community fund, most organizational matters are clarified. A good solution for students who like to have their peace and quiet or who study in their hometown, where they already have a large circle of friends.
Fraternity: Fraternity members can often live cheaply in fraternity houses. Disadvantage: Student fraternities do not have a good reputation in Germany. The accusations: hierarchical structures, right-wing extremist tendencies and an antiquated image of women. Puh. It's hard to tie the knot just to be able to live cheaply.
Housing for help: In this unconventional project , students live with people in need, mostly pensioners. Part of the rent is used for auxiliary work such as e.g. B. Shopping or mowing the lawn. The rule of thumb is: 1 hour of work for 1 square meter of living space per month. Unfortunately, housing for help is not yet available in every student city.
Is a shared flat even right for me?
Of course, a shared flat has many advantages
- Save on rental costs
- Larger living space affordable
- Joint activities such as e.g. B. Cooking or going out
- Make new contacts quickly
- For foreign roommates: improve your language skills in an uncomplicated way
On the other hand, there are also a number of disadvantages
- Limited privacy
- Less peace and space
- Consideration and willingness to compromise are unavoidable
These points should be weighed up extensively against each other. Often, people are looking for a shared flat, even though this form of living does not suit the person in question. Not sure if you'll be happy in a shared flat? Then, as with so many things in life, just try it out! Even if it doesn't work out in the end, the community experience in a shared flat is a unique experience.
Markus Henrik takes an ironic and sharp look at the world of shared flats in his witty guide The WG Lexicon: Parties, Protest and Procrastination Whimsical and enlightening!
How to find your dream flat share
Anyone who has ever looked for a shared flat knows that many landlords do not want shared flats in their house, as they are accompanied by unrest and more administrative work. If you still want to start a shared flat with a few friends or acquaintances, you should pay attention to the suitability of the apartment for shared flats in addition to the usual criteria:
- Large living room or large kitchen for common use
- Bathroom as large as possible
- No walk-through rooms
- Low clairaudience of the walls and ceilings
- Similarly sized rooms in shared flats
If you are looking for a shared flat after moving to a new city, it is often easier to join an existing flat share Here's how to get ahead in your search:
- Real estate sections in daily newspapers, e.g. B. City Newspapers
- Ask friends and acquaintances
- Use social networks
- Bulletin board at the university
- Co-Housing Centres/ Agencies
- WG-Online-Portal
The quickest and easiest way is via the Internet. Popular and free providers with an extensive range of apartments are e.g. B.
Our editorial favourite is www.wg-gesucht.de: free, commission-free and with flatshare offers all over Europe. We www.immowelt.de like the fact that you can be informed by e-mail about new offers, which are put together according to your own search criteria. The focus is www.wg-cast.de on the applicant. Here you can place your own ad, i.e. introduce yourself with a profile to interested shared flats.
The WG from a legal point of view
A tenancy agreement should always be read carefully and calmly, even if it "only" applies to a room in a shared flat. With a lease checklist, the important details of the contract can be better tracked down and evaluated. In principle, several constructions are legally possible for the drafting of a shared flat rental agreement:
One main tenant(s)
One resident concludes the lease agreement with the landlord, the others live with him as subtenants, which must be expressly permitted by the landlord. The main tenant is responsible for fulfilling all obligations arising from the rental agreement, ensuring the regular payment of rent and ensuring that the subtenants adhere to the house rules. In return, however, he also has the power to choose the subtenants and, if necessary, to move them. individual subtenants at short notice. When the main tenant moves out, the subtenants can take over his contract with the landlord, but there is no right to do so.
Multiple main tenants
In this form, several or even all of the residents are registered in the contract with the landlord. Everyone has the same rights and obligations and is jointly liable to the landlord, for example in the event of loss of rent. However, this also means that all decisions, e.g. the termination of the contract must be made jointly. If one of the main tenants moves out, a new tenant can enter into the existing lease as part of an amendment agreement, provided that the landlord agrees. A pre-established succession clause makes this easier.
Multiple leases per apartment
In this case, each resident has his or her own contract with the landlord, in which the living space used is specifically noted (e.g. room plus pro-rata use of kitchen and bathroom). Each tenant is legally independent and is liable for himself. The termination of an individual resident is possible without any problems. This variant is quite time-consuming for the landlord and promises him less security, so that it is rather rare. It can happen that the landlord allocates one or more rooms at his own discretion. The shared flat then has no influence on new roommates.
A lot of concrete problems can arise around the tenancies in a shared flat, e.g. regarding the minimum rental period, renovations or repairs. If you have specific questions, you can get a good overview with the help of this online tenancy law dictionary. A checklist for viewing an apartment will help you assess a potential shared apartment even before you move in.
The right city is half the battle
How much a room in a shared flat costs varies from city to city In large university cities such as Frankfurt or Munich, students dig deeper into their pockets than in smaller cities such as Göttingen or Erlangen. If your dream course of study is only available in Hamburg or Düsseldorf, you will have to bite the bullet willy-nilly. The matter is different, e.g. For example, in Business Administration: You can find this almost everywhere and you can look for a city that doesn't put too much strain on your own wallet. Here is a great overview of the room prices in shared flats in the most popular student cities
The square meter of a shared flat is particularly inexpensive in the new federal states Leipzig, Dresden or Rostock are wonderful places to study and live inexpensively. In any case, you should consult the current rent index before signing a rental agreement. It provides information about the local comparative rents. By the way: If you live in a shared flat, you may also be entitled to housing benefit You can find out if you are eligible here
In addition to the rent – you have to reckon with these expenses
Before you are happy about the cheap rent for your room in a shared flat, you should find out what additional costs you will have to pay Good to know: Only 17 operating costs are allowed at all:
- Heating
- Water supply
- Central hot water preparation
- Connected heating and hot water supply systems
- Sewage
- Lift
- Home Lighting
- Garbage collection & street cleaning
- House cleaning and pest control
- Chimney cleaning
- Gardening
- Washing machine and dryer rooms
- Antenna/ Cable Connection
- Janitorial services
- Property tax levies
- Property and liability insurance
- Other operating costs incurred on a regular basis
As long as there is nothing in the rental agreement for the shared flat about the ancillary costs, they are to be paid by the landlord. However, this is rather the exception. The following items may not be billed by the landlord as operating costs under any circumstances, such agreements are not permitted:
- Administrative costs (e.g. bank charges, postage and telephone costs)
- Maintenance reserves
- Loss of rent, legal expenses, household contents, repair costs insurance
- Canopy cleaning
- Green roofs
- Various maintenance costs (door intercom, locking system, smoke extractor)
- Interest rates on loans
- Contributions for landowners' associations
In addition, you will have to pay for electricity, telephone, DSL and possibly also insurance . There are many rates here especially for students. It's worth comparing! With the comparison portal Check24.de , you can filter out the cheapest providers for you with just a few clicks. Of course, we also regularly present the best bargains and particularly lucrative offers here in the blog. (Yes, self-praise and stuff ... J)
And what about GEZ fees ? From 2013 onwards, the contribution of 17.98 euros per month will only be charged once per shared flat, regardless of how many devices are actually available. This relieves the burden on many shared flats. If all flat-share residents are BAföG recipients, an exemption from the broadcasting fees can be applied for.
A nasty surprise in some places is the second home tax, which many cities and municipalities levy. It ranges from 5 to 23% of the annual cold rent. Since students like to cite their parents' home as their main residence, they are often affected by this. You can avoid the tax by simply registering at the Residents' Registration Office of your place of study
And finally, in the case of a shared apartment, a rental deposit and possibly a rental deposit can of course also be required. Brokerage fees apply. These annoying costs include up to three months' rent each and must be paid in advance. So it's an advantage to start living in a shared flat with some savings on the high side.
You can find out exactly how you can save on the housing expenses that arise in addition to rent in the article How to get your money's worth when living
Finally: The move into the shared flat
You've been looking for a flat share for a long time and finally found one. Now it's time to move . The easiest way to organize the move is with a practical moving checklist Of course, as a student, you don't want to spend huge sums of money on a moving company. An online comparison of the individual moving companies is worthwhile. You can find many more help and links on the subject of moving here
Another tip: In some cities, students receive a hefty welcome money for their move, sometimes called a relocation bonus or relocation allowance. To do this, you must register your main residence in your new place of study If you spend most of your time in your study city, this is required by law anyway. So, let's go to the office! There are between 50 and 150 euros up for grabs – a great subsidy for the housewarming party with all your movers.
WG-Zoff? No thank you!
Peace, joy, pancakes? That may be a bit too much to ask. But with a little good will, the biggest sources of contention in everyday life in a shared flat can be easily avoided. Here are our tips for a harmonious coexistence
Draw up a cleaning schedule
The only effective way to organize different ideas of order and hygiene in a shared flat in the long term is a cleaning schedule. If the roommate is prone to a sloppy interpretation of the plan, checklists will help maintain minimum standards of cleanliness. (Z. B. "Kitchen – mopping surfaces, washing dishes, taking out the garbage, tidying up the fridge.) Cleaning plans to download and print out can be found here
Labeling refrigerator compartments
Mine, yours, ours? The more people live in a shared flat, the more confusing it becomes when it comes to the question of who bought what. If everyone has their own compartment in the fridge, arguments about food can be avoided.
Hang up your shopping list
Shared products such as dish soap, spices or toilet paper should be purchased alternately. A clearly visible list, e.g. on the fridge, helps to keep track of things. Better than a common household budget – which often causes more problems than it solves.
Announce parties in advance
Spontaneous parties with loud music and lots of buddies have their charm, of course. But what if the roommate desperately needs to study or simply needs sleep? It is worth being considerate here. Then it is more likely that the others will also let you talk to you if you need a little peace and quiet. So a WG party should be organized and not just spontaneous.
Establish visiting regulations
It can be quite annoying when five old school friends invade the shared flat over the weekend. Or the girlfriend of the roommate is there 90% of the time and always uses everything without paying. A clear regulation, possibly. with taxes for visitors, reduces the likelihood of aggression accumulating in the shared flat.
Casting new residents together
Ideally, a new WG member should be inspected by everyone. This is the only way to ensure that the chemistry between the long-established and the newcomer is really right. And that the new resident wasn't chosen just for his big stereo or cute accent.
Room available – subtenants wanted
Who knows how life plays out... Maybe you've just moved into an insanely great shared flat, and it's just at this time that the acceptance letter for the six-month dream internship in New Zealand flutters into your mailbox. What now? One solution is to temporarily sublet your room in a shared flat In principle, nothing stands in the way of this – the landlord must give his consent, but may only refuse it if there are weighty reasons. At immobilienscout24.de you will find a sample sublease agreement For your safety, you should ask for a rental deposit You can do this even if you haven't paid a deposit with your landlord. Maybe roomsurfer.com is right for you? Here you can sublet your room to people from all over the world on a daily basis. The special thing about it: With the help of a matching procedure, the interests of the host and the room seeker are compared in advance.
A matter of habit – alternatives to shared flats
Living in a shared flat is just one of many options for students. If it turns out that you're not the type to share a flat after all, you'll be left with the following options
Hostel
The housing allowance for BAföG recipients is currently only 224 euros. To stay within this framework, a student dormitory is a good idea. Ca. 230,000 inexpensive places are provided by the Deutsches Studentenwerk and other institutions such as e.g. churches or student associations. The equipment can be very different. However, it is not uncommon for a room in a dormitory to be at least partially furnished. Whether or not there is a close community between the residents depends on the respective dormitory and the living culture prevailing there. Attention: A dormitory room cannot be sublet!
Rooms for subletting
In principle, it is also a kind of shared flat and almost always cheaper than your own apartment. Often it is older people whose children are out of the house who offer a room for subtenancy, e.g. via a co-living centre Living together can take many different forms, from mere accommodation to intensive conversations and joint excursions. In most cases, many unofficial house rules have to be followed, for example regarding the evening volume level. Living as a sublet therefore tends to be something for quiet minds for whom there is too much hustle and bustle in a "real" shared flat.
Own apartment
Students with steady partners or children and those who can afford it are more likely to move into their own apartment than into a shared flat. In your own four walls, you don't have to take into account the quirks and quirks of your roommates and can arrange everything as you wish. On the other hand, this variant is also the most expensive form of housing for students. And for people living alone, it's much lonelier than everyday life in a shared flat.
At home with mom and dad
If all else fails, you can of course continue to live (or again) at home with your parents as a student if the university is in the immediate vicinity of your hometown. It's comfortable at home; the laundry is being done and the fridge is full. But the older you get, the more conflicts arise. Those who live exclusively at home during their studies often regret missing out on typical student life. Therefore, if at all possible: get away from home and discover the world!
Pictures: fun, apartments, washing up, rooms available (Flickr)