How to rent a flat in Berlin?

• List of documents: 

Copy of passport and ID Confirmation of no rental debts (“Mietkostenfreiheitsbescheinigung”)

A signed document from your last landlord confirming that you’ve paid your rent in full and on time during the course of your tenancy

Confirmation of salary / proof of income – last three months

Schufa Records (German Credit Record, starts as soon as you open a bank account, even if its blank (doesn’t hurt your file), shouldn’t be expired)

• Budgeting housing: 

Depending on area and city:

Expensive cities: Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart

Cheaper cities: Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden, Nuremberg, Tübingen, Mannheim, Heidelberg

Expensive cities student residence: 500-650 Euros

Expensive cities apartments: 2 people apartment: app. 1,500 Euros

Cheaper cities student residence: 300-500 Euros depending on location

Cheaper cities apartments: 500 Euros for two people apartment

• Utility costs average

 Average is 1,250 Euros per year for a 2 people household

• Where to live: 

Kreuzberg: known to be the student district! Very popular, multicultural & many cheap cafes/restaurants.

Friedrichshain: one of the newer student districts, which is very similar to Kreuzberg!

Prenzlauer Berg: another student district, but a bit more expensive and further away! Has the famous „Mauerpark“, where mostly students gather, especially on the weekend.

Schöneberg: nice and diverse district! Close to many things and every now and then you can find something cheap. Caution: a part of this district is known to the gay part – only gay bars, clubs, etc.

Charlottenburg (the ESCP district): a very beautiful district with many cultural things! Quite expensive, but if you‘re lucky you can find something cheaper.

Try to avoid Grunewald and Zehlendorf: very rich areas, filled with families and older people.

Mitte: very popular, but super touristy and rent is very expensive.

• Platforms to search on: 

German platforms (Nr.1 Platforms for Germany):

https://www.immobilienscout24.de   

https://www.immowelt.de

English platforms:

https://wunderflats.com/en/  

https://www.spotahome.com/de    

https://www.uniplaces.com

What is the local subway company in Berlin?

How can I get around Berlin?

• Drivers license :

  Depending on which German city you are going to live in, you should consider a car or motorbike as your primary mode of transportation.  In general, the German public transport is built very well, especially in cities, but as soon as you’re coming to smaller cities without a subway, it can get a bit annoying.

Talking about Berlin, it is really unnecessary to have a drivers license because you can get anywhere with public transportation, and even if you want to reach something outside of the center, which is not significantly close to a subway stop you can still take an Uber.

• Public transportation:

https://www.bvg.de/images/content/abo/anleitungen/20190702_BVGAnleitungSchuelerticket_EN.pdf

( Berlin guideline for students )

The Dein gewähltes Abo is the subscription for the students.

Monthly costs: € 30.42 *
Total costs: € 365.00

Things you should know about Germany

1. 65% of highways have no speed limit
2. Germans love their cars
3. University is free for everyone
4. There are over 2,100 castles
5. There are 35 different dialects, that are very, very different
6. Oktoberfest is only a southern german thing
7. Cash is king