Living

The following terms that apply to rent are important:

Kaltmiete : (cold rent) The cold rent is the sum that the tenant needs to pay the landlord for the accommodation.

Nebenkosten : (secondary costs) Secondary costs include charges for water, heating of the cold water and heating costs that are paid annually depending consumption.

Warmmiete : (warm rent) The warm rent is the sum of the cold rent and the secondary costs. Before you sign a tenancy agreement, check the costs included in the rent!

Please register your water, gas and electricity supply with the municipal providers in Mühlacker.

Gas, water and electricity are not free-of-charge in Germany. You will receive regular bills.

All adult citizens need to register to pay their TV licence. Public programmes for television, radio or internet are financed by this license. The application form is available online at www.rundfunkbeitrag.de

Exemption from the TV licence may be granted, if certain conditions are met.

You need to go to the Landratsamt Enzkreis to register for waste collection and to order the bins you need so that your waste can be collected at regular intervals.

The collection dates are listed online at: www.entsorgung-regional.de

It is important that you put your waste in the correct bin so that it can be collected and taken away:

• Grey residual waste bin: for non-recyclable waste
• Brown organic waste bin: for all kitchen and garden waste, no compostable plastic bags
• Green paper bin: for paper and cardboard packaging
• Blue glass bin or basket: for glass packaging
• Yellow LVP bin: for lightweight packaging (LVP) made of plastic, metal and composites
  

You need to register with a land line or mobile telephone provider of your choice for telephone and Internet. If you already have a mobile phone, you can use a pre-paid card to make calls and go online. You can buy pre-paid cards in supermarkets.

It is important to observe quiet times at night, to take turns with the other residents cleaning your apartment block, and to keep things outside the apartment / house clean and tidy. Please ask your landlord about the regulations.

Anyone who cannot afford their own apartment can ask about a council flat. Council flats are funded apartments for people who require social welfare because their income is so low. You will need a Wohnberechtigungsschein (accommodation entitlement certificate) before you can rent a council flat.

Persons with a low income can request a housing allowance from the pension and welfare office in the town hall in Mühlacker.