Wunderflats FAQ

Question 1

Booking/Booking request

Accepted Answer

A non-binding booking request can be sent online by prospective tenants. This will be forwarded to the landlord/-lady of the Wunderflat. They can check the availability of the apartment and confirm or reject the request. The non-binding booking request only becomes a binding booking once the rental agreement has been signed by both the tenant and the landlord/-lady.

Question 2

Confirm availability

Accepted Answer

The landlord/-lady of a requested Wunderflat will confirm the availability of the apartment for the desired period. Response time is usually 48 hours.

Question 3

Confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung)

Accepted Answer

According to the German Federal Act on Registration, landlords/-ladies are obliged to contribute to the official registration of their tenants and to issue them with a confirmation of residence (§19 BMG). The tenant submits this confirmation when registering an address (Anmeldung) or changing the place of residence at the registration office (Einwohnermeldeamt) or the citizens' office (Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro).    Please download our template for the confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The confirmation can also be issued informally; it must contain the following information:     Name and address of the landlord/-lady and, if they are not the owner, the name of the owner of the apartment    Date the tenant moves in    Address of the rented apartment    Names of all persons moving into the apartment    Signature of the landlord/-lady     An exception is made if the rented apartment is in an accommodation facility (for example, in an apartment hotel). More information can be found on our Blog here.    Please note: This article does not constitute legal advice – the information on this page has been prepared solely for your information. As we are not a law firm and act as a platform, we can and may share our estimations, but we cannot give you legal advice for your individual further proceedings.

Question 4

Energy performance certificate

Accepted Answer

The energy performance certificate provides data on the energy efficiency and energy costs of a building. Energy performance certificates have been mandatory for all residential buildings in Germany since 2009. Since 2014, landlords/-ladies are required to include information on the energy efficiency standard in the property advertisement. In the apartment listing on Wunderflats, the landlord/-lady can provide information on the energy performance certificate. In the case that the license has only just been requested or is not needed for the building, this can also be indicated in the listing.

Question 5

Final cleaning fee

Accepted Answer

The final clean-up fee is used for the basic cleaning of the apartment when tenants change. The landlord/-lady usually sets the fee as a fixed rate which is already recorded in the rental agreement.

Question 6

Handover protocol

Accepted Answer

The handover protocol can be used to document the condition of the apartment and the furniture during the handover of the apartment when moving in and out. The document is signed by both the tenant and the landlord/-lady.     When the tenant moves in, any existing damages can be recorded in the protocol. When the tenant moves out, it can be determined whether or which damages have been newly caused. These can then be offset against the deposit.   Download our template for the handover protocol, in which you can enter all the details.    Please find further information on handing over the apartment here.

Question 7

House rules

Accepted Answer

House rules define the rights and obligations for living together when several parties live under one roof. The house rules are part of the rental agreement or are posted in the stairwell of the apartment building.    Here you can download a house rule template.

Question 8

Inventory list

Accepted Answer

In the inventory list, you as the landlord/-lady can document all furniture and equipment in the apartment that is included in the rent. List all the furniture and equipment as accurately as possible, for example, the number of plates and cups (instead of simply writing dishes) and the brands of the technical devices. This way, you can easily keep track of the equipment in your apartment.    Here you can download our template for the inventory list.   You can also attach the inventory list to the handover protocol when you hand over the apartment.

Question 9

Minimum rental period

Accepted Answer

The minimum rental period for all apartments offered on Wunderflats is one month.   Depending on the municipality or city, there are longer minimum durations to ensure that rentals are in conformity with regulations regarding misappropriation.

Question 10

Misappropriation law

Accepted Answer

To counteract housing shortages, many cities and municipalities in Germany are banning the leasing of living space for purposes other than housing. The ban also applies to renting out apartments to tourists for days or on a weekly basis.     Apartments available at Wunderflats are not designed for short-term stays. Temporarily renting out furnished homes does not violate the misappropriation law if all the specifications of the city or municipality are observed. We have prepared further information on our blog.

Question 11

Registration (Anmeldung)

Accepted Answer

According to the German Federal Act on Registration, tenants are required to register within 14 days at the registration office or citizens' office when moving into a new apartment (Anmeldung). This applies to the primary as well as the secondary residence, and equally when moving within a city, within Germany and when moving to Germany from abroad.      In order to register, a confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) is required.     An exception is made if the rented apartment is in an accommodation facility (for example, in an apartment hotel)    Tenants in an accommodation facility who already have a residence in Germany need to register as residents in the rented flat once the rental period exceeds six months.    Tenants in an accommodation facility who do not yet have a residence in Germany need to register as residents in the rented flat once the rental period exceeds three months.        After this period, registration with the authorities is required within 14 days.     Please note: This article does not constitute legal advice – the information on this page has been prepared solely for your information. As we are not a law firm and act as a platform, we can and may share our estimations, but we cannot give you legal advice for your individual further proceedings.

Question 12

Rent

Accepted Answer

The rent is due monthly and must be paid directly to the landlord/-lady. The first month's rent is due before moving in. The details of the rent payment are defined in the rental agreement.      At Wunderflats, all apartments are offered with all-inclusive rents. These include the utility costs as well as the internet.

Question 13

Rental agreement

Accepted Answer

The rental agreement for a Wunderflat is concluded between the landlord/-lady and the tenant. Wunderflats is not a party to the rental agreement. We take care of processing the contract and provide our verified Wunderflats rental agreement free of charge.     Our verified Wunderflats rental agreement is bilingual. The German version is the legally valid version, the English translation is for your orientation.     You can find further information here in our Blog (in German).

Question 14

Security deposit

Accepted Answer

The security deposit is a monetary payment made by the tenant to the person from whom they rent a flat. This payment serves as security for the landlord/-lady in case the tenants do not fulfill their obligations from the rental agreement. This is the case, for example, if the flat is damaged or the tenant owes rent.      The deposit must be received at the latest by the landlord/-lady on the day before moving in. How long landlords/-ladies may retain the deposit is not regulated by law. Courts regularly assume a period of two to six months as reasonable.     Wunderflats is not a contractual party to the rental agreements. Therefore, the deposit can neither be transferred to Wunderflats nor refunded by Wunderflats to the tenants.     You can find more information about this on our Blog.       Please note: This article does not constitute legal advice – the information on this page has been prepared solely for your information. As we are not a law firm and act as a platform, we can and may share our estimations, but we cannot give you legal advice for your individual further proceedings.

Question 15

Service flat-rate

Accepted Answer

We charge the Wunderflats service flat-rate to the landlord/-lady after the conclusion of a rental agreement. The service fee is 10% plus 19% VAT, effectively 11.9%. We charge this fee on the total all-inclusive rental price and invoice it to the landlord/-lady. For tenants there is no service flat-rate.     Landlords/-ladies can request to pay the service flat-rate in installments, from a minimum rental period of nine months in connection with a SEPA direct debit mandate.

Question 16

Utility costs

Accepted Answer

Utility costs are all expenses that are charged monthly in addition to the basic rent. These include costs for water, electricity, heating and internet.      At Wunderflats we work with all-inclusive rents. These include utility costs.     At the end of the year, there is therefore no utilities statement and no retroactive compensation payments are foreseen.     For our landlords/-ladies we provided further information here on our Blog.