Paula is fierce and endlessly passionate about whatever she’s doing. She wants to see the world and immerse herself in languages along the way. We’re looking forward to spending the summer showing Paula the ropes and hope that her experience as a Red Tape Translation intern solidifies her ambition!
Category Archive: Moving to Berlin
Berlin Rental Cap deemed unconstitutional
The Federal Constitutional Court declared the Berlin rent cap “unconstitutional” this morning at 9:30 a.m.… Read More
Apartment search packages at Red Tape Translation
Welcome to Berlin! Now that you’re here, you’ll need a place to hang your hat. It’s easier said than done. It’s made confusing by the rental cap law in Berlin that might or might not be annulled retroactively.
If you’re not sure where to start, help is at hand. Red Tape Translation has just started offering an Apartment Search service to help you get your hands on a rental contract.
We’re offering three different packages starting from just 225€. We can:
- search for apartments based on your criteria
- communicate with letting agents
- set up apartment viewings (also known as “castings” but not as exotic as they sound)
- come with you to the viewings to interpret
- help you put together an application
- take you through the small print of the rental contract
- accompany you to the apartment handover
- help you organise utilities
To book, have a look at the PDF below, choose a package and follow the link to pay. We’ll take care of the rest!
Happy hunting!
Can I really register my address in Berlin by post now?
Word on the street is that the Bürgerämter are suddenly accepting postal registrations of address (Anmeldungen). Whoa! This is a big step forward, right? Well, sort of. If you’re new in Berlin, it won’t apply to you. Here’s why.
The Mietendeckel: the latest law on rental prices in Berlin
There are some buzz words whirling around in Germany’s capital city. Mietendeckel (rental ceiling). Mietspiegel (rental index). Mietpreisebremse (rent freeze). These are three different concepts, but I’d like to go through the most recent development, the Mietendeckel. You might be paying too much rent and you might be entitled to a reduction. So let’s get started.
The Seven Deadly Sins of the Berlin Newbie
Moving to a new country is scary. But then you realise you’ve just violated an unspoken cultural rule and now everyone is judging you. If you’re in Germany, it’s not even silent judging, it’s excruciating public directness. Here are seven of the most common mistakes made by first-timers in Berlin and how to avoid making them!
A guide to rental contracts in Germany
Translators get to see a lot of rental aparment contracts. Big ones, small ones, fat ones, skinny ones, vague ones, long ones and horribly restrictive ones. From preposterous airing regulations to antiquated quiet time stipulations, from cold rent to hot water, here’s what to expect when you’re presented with a tenancy contract for a flat in Germany. We’re also happy to help in more detail if you really want to know what you’re getting into before you sign on the dotted line.
The bank won’t pay out my loan until I get the documents translated
Congratulations on purchasing property in Germany! You’ve probably sat through the read-through at the notary’s office by now, and if your German isn’t terrific, chances are you had an interpreter tag along to help you out. Now the bank wants proof that you understand the loan documents before they pay out. What’s the easiest and most cost-effective way to get the money rolling?
Die Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft (WEG) – the German body corporate
Buying an apartment in Germany is an experience all in itself. Once the contract is signed, there’s an extra special perk: membership in the German home owner’s association for your particular building. You might know it as the “body corporate”, “condominium corporation”, “strata council” or “commonhold” in other countries. Once you’ve bought an apartment in Germany, you’ll come to know it fondly as the “WEG”, that is, the “Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft”. So… what exactly will you be getting yourself into? How does it work? And will you ever get out alive?
Life Admin
Life admin – it’s something everyone has to deal with. Correspondence, finance, tax, registration forms, paying bills, etc. It’s so necessary and so painful. And in a foreign language? Excruciating. Getting the answers you want feels like banging your head against a brick wall. It’s hard to talk to customer service without getting shut down for not speaking German. The credibility of replies on English-language social media forums is questionable at best. Lately, I’ve been getting all sorts of requests for help with expat life admin tasks, things like “can I pay you to sort out this billing issue?”, “I got a scary letter from the Finanzamt, can you help me understand it?” or “Can you find me a medical specialist who speaks English?” I can, I can and I can! Introducing Life Admin from Red Tape Translation.
Welcome to 2018!
Hello friends and supporters, welcome to the new year in Germany. Enjoy the occasional thick and fluffy snow and when things get a bit slippery and scary on the icy streets, grab yourselves a pair of Yaktrax traction cleats – you won’t regret it. I spent some time abroad in the southern hemisphere facilitating valuable synergies (ie. visiting the fam in Australia). There, I received my yearly fix of Vitamin D, which is important for getting through February in Berlin.
I Want to Stay in Germany and I Don’t Care How
Every now and then, you fall in love with Germany. Or maybe it’s person who just happens to live in Germany. Whichever it is, time is running out and you want a way to stay as long as you can. You don’t even really care how, as long as it’s legal. Or perhaps you just need to buy some time between your Schengen Visa running out and you figuring out what happens next. I know the feeling very well, so this post is for you.