Contents Dusseldorf Guide GERMANY Practical tips 1 Finding short-term accommodation 1 Furniture and furnishings 1 Additional considerations 1 Rental guide to popular residential areas for expatriates 2 Oberkassel 2 Düsseltal-Zoo 3 Kaiserswerth 4 Wittlaer 5 Grafenberg 6 Schools 7 Leasing arrangements 8 Tenancy agreement 8 Deposit/Key money 8 Estate agent/brokerage fees 8 Service Charges 8 Utilities 8
Practical tips Finding short-term accommodation There is both hotel accommodation and serviced apartment accommodation available here. Some suggestions for serviced accommodation include Lindner Boardinghouse Felix-Klein-Str. 1, Düsseldorf, Tel. (+49) 0211-9516-566, Email:tessa.wiellner@lindner.de, www.lindner.de- there are several Lindner boarding houses in the Düsseldorf area, min. 1 week, single: 350 /week; 2 room apartment 650 /week. Furniture and furnishings To rent a package of 2 sofas and 2 armchairs, 1 double bed and 1 double wardrobe, 1 table and 4 chairs would cost approx. Euro 300 per month. It is very uncommon to rent furniture in Germany though there are small local companies and one larger company in Germany that does rent furniture, called IN-LEASE, Tel: + 49 69 31 32 42; Fax: + 49 69 31 50 34. The company is based in Frankfurt but will deliver throughout Germany. Very little property is rented furnished. If available, furnsihed accommodation will be 20% more expensive. Unfurnished properties usually include all the white goods (washing machine, fridge freezers etc.) Only if a property is described as fully furnished will it include bedding, crockery & cultery etc. Fully furnished properties do not include TV or Music systems. If a property is described as furnished it will have all the furniture but not bedding etc. Additional costs incurred If an additional parking space is required, this can cost between 80 and 100 euros per month. The tenant may have to cover the costs for public and federal TV and radio connection (GEZ fee), which anyone in Germany having access to a radio, TV or even car radio must pay. We advise the tenant to clarify this matter with the landlord/lady before signing the lease. Some landlords include this fee within the net rent. This fee can be paid at any given bank or post office and is approximately Euro 50 on a bi-monthly basis. Additional considerations Telephone installation in the areas under survey will take one to ten days. Costs vary depending on the provider and additional features required by the tenant. 1
Rental guide to popular residential areas for expatriates This guide is intended as an indication of the cost of various types of accommodation that expatriates prefer to rent. This is generally high-quality accommodation in high-cost areas. Oberkassel Oberkassel is located at the other side of the river Rhine, opposite to the City Centre, at a distance of approx. 1-3 kms west of Düsseldorf city centre. This neighbourhood is the city s "in-place" with many restaurants and bars and a good infrastructure. Excellent shopping facilities. Public Transport Good tram and bus links to the city centre within 5 minutes. Housing Types are the main type of accommodation here. Availability Limited choice. Prices have risen over the last 12 months as supply continues to outstrip demand. 1 bedroom 40+ 375 600 900 2 71+ 650 950 1300+ 3 100+ 1020 1530 1800+ 4 150+ 1700 2010 2300+ All rental costs refer to un-furnished properties. 2
Düsseltal-Zoo 3-6 kms from the city centre, Zoo is an area in Düsseltal where many French speaking expatriates live. The French School is located in this exclusive residential area. Very good public transport connections to the city centre, good shopping facilities. (The area Grafenberg is situated next to Zoo.) Public Transport Good tram links to Dusseldorf in approx. 10-20 minutes. Housing Types and detached houses. Availability Limited choice. 1 bedroom 40+ 380 460 740 2 70+ 658 900 1800 3 100+ 950 1100 1480 4 100+ 850 1250 2500+ Detached houses 3 N/A 4 390 N/A 5000 6000 5 294+ N/A 5500 8000 All rental costs refer to unfurnished properties. 3
Kaiserswerth Kaiserswerth is located at a distance of approx. 8-12 kms north of Düsseldorf city centre. This area is close to the airport. It is an old area with a pleasant atmosphere and close to a river resort area. Good shopping facilities. Good infrastructure and good recreational facilities. Detached houses are predominantly available. There are a few nice restaurants (range from one of the finest restaurant of Düsseldorf to several beer-gardens). Due to the proximityto the international school this area is strongly frequented by expatriates of all nationalities. Public Transport Dusseldorf can be reached by tram in 20 minutes. Housing Types ; semi-detached and detached houses. Availability Limited choice. 1 bedroom 48 568 910 1190+ 2 76+ 625 1220 1600+ 3 N/A N/A N/A N/A 4 170+ N/A 1900 2100 Semi detached houses 3 110 1500 2000 2800 4 200+ N/A 3000 3600 5 190+ N/A 3200 3680 Detached houses 3 200 N/A 2350 2500 4 200+ N/A 3000 3500 5 200+ N/A 3200 4900 All rental costs refer to unfurnished properties. 4
Wittlaer 11-14 kms from the city centre, this is a new area with detached and semi-detached houses. Wittlaer is situated only 10-15 min by car from the airport. Public Transport Dusseldorf can be reached by tram in 25 minutes and by bus in 30-40 minutes. Housing Types Houses and apartments 1 bedroom 35 400 600 N/A 2 70+ 800 950 1100+ 3 100+ 1200 1250 1300 4 125+ 1200 1350 1500 Semi detached houses 3 N/A 4 119+ 1480 2200 2800+ 5 145+ 1750 2500 2800+ Detached houses 3 N/A 4 N/A 5 200+ N/A 4500 5000 All rental costs refer to unfurnished properties. 5
Grafenberg This is another area that can be considered by expatriates and is located 4-6 kms from the city centre. Good transport links. only here. 1 bedroom 40+ 450 620 800+ 2 65+ 550 750 1650 3 100+ 830 950 1650 4 126+ 1190 1300 1650+ All rental costs refer to unfurnished properties. 6
Schools Name of school Address and Web site Neighbourhood closest to International School of Dusseldorf Japanische Internationale Schule in Dusseldorf e.v. ISR Internationale Schule am Rhein in Neuss GmbH Niederrheinstrasse 336, 40489 Dusseldorf. Tel:(+49) 0211-9406 6 Fax: (+49) 0211-4080774 E-mail: info@isdedu.de http://www.isdedu.de Niederkasseler Kirchweg 38 40547 Duesseldorf Tel: (+49) 0211-55770 Fax: (+49) 0211-5577155 E-mail: j.schule@jisd.de http://www.jisd.de/ Hammfelddamm 2 41460 Neuss Telefon: (+49) 02131-40388-0 Fax: (+49) 02131-40388-10 info@internationale- E-Mail: schule.de The International School of Düsseldorf is located at a distance of approx. 7 kms in the neighbourhood of Kaiserswerth. Lycée Français de Düsseldorf Graf-Recke Strasse 220-40237 Düsseldorf Tel: (+49) 0211-6107950 Fax: (+49) 0211-61079519 St. George s School (English nursery, junior & secondary school) Birkenstr. 15 47055 Duisburg Tel. (+49) 0203-45686-0 Fax (+49) 0203-45686-0 www.stgeorgesschoolduisburg.de St. George s School is located ca. 7km north of Wittlaer and 9 km north of Kaiserswerth 7
Leasing arrangements Tenancy agreement The most common lease form is a lease form with an unspecified/unlimited period of time. If the owner insists on a lease with a specified period of time, a diplomat s clause can be negotiated and may be accepted by the landlord/lady. The German housing market is a landlord s market which implies that the final decision lies with the landlord and she/he are not obliged to give a politically correct answer why they did not want a particular tenant to sign the rental contract. Good properties are not on the market for a very long time. This situation means that there is usually not much time to negotiate the lease/purchase terms and that a rather quick, sometimes even an immediate decision is required if an expatriate decides to rent a particular property. Even at times when the housing market is less tight and plenty of offers are on the market, landlords are hard to convince to reserve a property for longer than a few days or maximum a week. Deposit/Key money The deposit typically required for furnished and unfurnished accommodation is 2 months rent. Estate agent/brokerage fees Brokerage fees are variable, yet up to a legally fixed maximum of 2 months net rent (plus additional 19% German VAT). It is always the responsibility of the tenant to pay these fees. The realtor s fee is to be paid by the tenant and therefore landlords often engage two or more estate agents to find a suitable tenant. This very often leads to the situation that someone who is looking for a property receives the same offer from two different agents. In order to avoid double payment of a commission fee a future tenant has to make sure that she/he does not show up twice to viewings with the various agents and makes sure to be told the exact address. Service Charges Service charges tend to be included in the rent. These will cover communal lighting, heating and cleaning, snow removal; refuse collection, lifts, concierge and gardening. If not included in the rent, they will be approx. euro 2.5 per m2 of living space. Utilities Sewage, water and power are usually included in the rent. Gas is not. 8