City-Wohnen Hamburg - Furnished Accommodation - Forms

• Lease Agreement
   
• Translations of the lease form : English, French and Spanish
   
• Third Party Insurance
   
• Inspection Protocol
   
• Inventory
   
• Self-Disclosure of the Tenant 
   
• House Rules
   
• Cancellation Agreement
   
• Information concerning the Energy Performance Certificate
  
   

Lease Agreement

A lease agreement for furnished accommodation and temporary housing is a specialised kind of contract, and a number of issues have to be taken into consideration in its drafting. In cooperation with a law firm City-Wohnen has developed a lease form which offers two variants: A temporary lease agreement in which all parties are bound for a specific period (some modifications are possible) and an open ended lease agreement with the option to shorten the tenants term of notice as well as the option to determine a period for which cancellation is not possible. All customers offering furnished accommodation will receive the lease form upon registration together with detailed additional information about it.

Translations of the lease form in English, French and Spanish

You whish to set up a lease for your furnished accommodation, but the tenant does not speak German? Not a problem: We offer translated versions for the following languages: English, French and Spanish. Please note though, that the only legally valid form is the German lease, which has to be filled out and signed.

Insurance

Damage to rented property is often not insured. City-Wohnen offers a third party insurance which specifically addresses this problem. The insurance is even cost free for up to one year. The insurance form is provided to the landlord upon registration.

Inspection Protocol

German law does not require the parties of a rental agreement to do a property condition report. Nonetheless it is advisable do so anyhow, both at the outset and at the end of a tenancy, in order to avoid disagreements.

The main function of a property condition report is to document any defects. Tenant and landlord make an appointment for a walk-through for this purpose. The rule is that the furnished accommodation should be returned in the same condition it was received, the inspection protocol or property condition report serves as verification.

If any damage occurred during lease, arrangements to rectify the damage should be agreed upon and set down in the final property condition report, including a time limit until which repairs have to take place. If the tenant does not repair the damage the landlord can then take steps to rectify the issue by commissioning a professional and charge the costs to the tenant. Usually the costs will then be deducted from the tenant’s security deposit.

In case of serious/costly damage it is a good idea to make photos and or bring a third party as a witness. Please be aware that once both parties have signed the document the content is binding. After signing any changes are only possible in mutual agreement.

Inventory

It pays to fill out an inventory thoroughly. A clear and detailed description of all items in the inventory is recommended. Impairment of serviceability and damage should be documented. In case no comments are noted in regards to condition or value, full functionality and mint condition are assumed. The tenant is obligated to repair or replace anything damaged, if more than normal wear and tear is involved, upon leaving the apartment. In case furnishings are changed for the duration of the lease this should be noted in the inventory.

Self-disclosure of tenants

Some landlords demand a self disclosure by the tenant before renting, they do after all have a valid interest to find out if the tenant will be able to pay the rent of the furnished accommodation and can be integrated into the community of residents. On the other hand the tenant has a right to privacy. Every citizen has the right to decide, which, when and how data about him or herself may be disclosed. Generally speaking: The landlord can only demand answers to those questions, which are directly pertinent to the lease agreement.

House rules

In most cases a set of house rules will already exist. If this is the case these house rules should be made part of the lease and attached to it. In case no house rules have been set down already, we will be glad to provide a set of common rules as a model. Please note these rules really are only a model, individual regulations may be altered as long as the alterations conform to the law.

Cancellation agreement

In a cancellation agreement landlord and tenant mutually agree to terminate their lease agreement of the furnished accommodation and set down the terms of the termination. A cancellation agreement can be closed at any time, even for a temporary lease with a fixed rental period. Generally such a contract is used when the period of notice is too long and an earlier termination is desirable for both parties.

Information concerning the Energy Performance Certificate

Especially when the lease is for a longer duration it can be important for the tenant to be able to estimate the energy costs which are to be expected. Especially when the lease is for a longer duration, it can become important for the tenant to be able to estimate heating costs. In case negotiations with the landlord have progressed well and the discussions about the lease have come down to the details, the potential tenant can ask to see the Energy Certificate. In this case the landlord is under the obligation to make the certificate accessible to the tenant. Further information can be found in our information leaflet regarding the Energy Certificate, which is available to our landlords upon request.