During Your Stay

Variable costs for electricity, water and heating

The following section is especially important if you have a rental agreement with variable costs, i.e. either rent plus additional costs, or rent exclusive of additional costs.

Some of what are known as additional costs will depend on your individual behaviour and your personal preferences. The consumption values for electricity, water and heating costs are variable and must therefore be measured regularly. Usually, the relevant meters are read once a year. If you have consumed more than in the previous year, then you must expect to make an additional payment, whilst if you have used less than in the previous year, you will receive a refund for the difference. The measurements always relate to the consumption of the previous year.

Once the bill has been calculated it is possible - as described above - that you will receive a refund or alternatively have to pay an additional amount (depending on your actual consumption). In addition, based on the consumption of the previous year, a so-called “payment on account” will be calculated. This is the estimated amount that, in addition to the basic rent, must be paid each month to the landlord (as a lump sum). This payment on account is an estimate based on previous consumption. After the consumption figures have been measured, this is compared with the actual consumption values and the difference either invoiced or credited.

Reading the meters to measure actual consumption

The meters for measuring the consumption of water, electricity and heating costs are usually inside the apartment (but sometimes in the cellar). Normally, just before a reading is due (once a year, often in December or January), you will be informed, either by a notice in the entrance hall or by letter, of the precise date on which the meter will be read. On this date, at least one person should be present in order to let the meter reader into the apartment. It will normally only take a few minutes to read the meter. It is important to take note of the meter reading date - if you miss several appointments, you may be charged.

Saving energy

Careful use of raw materials and energy has a large influence on your bill for additional costs. If, for example, you leave the heating on high all winter long and only cool your apartment by opening the windows, then you may find that after a year you will have to make an additional payment of several hundred Euros. In particular students from countries with warm climates should familiarize themselves with the way that their heating system works and learn how to use it responsibly. In winter especially there are a few simple rules that should be followed. In winter, Germany may experience really cold temperatures at times (minus 10 degrees and lower is possible). If the windows are left open for too long, high heating costs may result. If, on the other hand, the apartment is never ventilated, the air will become stale and mould may grow as the moisture from the air settles on the walls, windows and objects in the apartment. In the colder seasons of the year, a good heating and ventilation strategy is important.

Caretaker, building management

In buildings with a large number of tenants, there is often a caretaker and building management. These institutions are responsible for organizational procedures, but also for repairing damage within the building and the apartments. If you have problems with the apartment or have other concerns regarding the apartment, you should contact the caretaker or building management. You will usually receive their contact details when you take on the apartment.

Rental agreement: notice periods and tenant protection

There are various time periods that are relevant to tenants. These should be set out in the individual paragraphs of the rental agreement. Open-ended rental agreements generally have an agreed notice period (often three months). This means that a termination, be it by the landlord or the tenant, must take this notice period into consideration. If the landlord terminates the agreement, this means that the tenant has enough time to find a new apartment.

There are two ways in which a rental agreement can come to an end:

  1. by proper termination taking into account the notice period
  2. by extraordinary termination with no observance of the notice periods (summary termination)


The landlord may only terminate the agreement without notice on the grounds of misconduct by the tenant. This may be if the rent is not paid over a long period of time or if important clauses in the rental agreement are not observed. If you enter into a conflict with your landlord that cannot easily be resolved, then sometimes it is advisable to contact a lawyer or a tenant protection association.

Broadcast media user fees in Germany

International students in particular often ask questions about this topic. Since the beginning of 2013 every occupied apartment in Germany must pay a broadcast media user fee ("Rundfunkbeitrag"). Currently this is €18.36 per month (usually paid every three months). There are only very few exceptions from the obligation to pay this fee. Students can usually only be exempt if they are in receipt of a special kind of state support known as “BAföG”.

As a rule, students are automatically registered for payment of the broadcast media user fee as soon as they register in Germany. After a short while students will then receive a letter from an institution called “ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice”. This letter will request your banking and other details. We recommend that you do not ignore these letters. If you do not pay for a longer period of time, additional charges will be levied. Furthermore, the unpaid sums may be confiscated from your account if you withhold payment for too long a period.

If you live in a shared apartment, the fee should be divided between all of the flatmates. It only needs to be paid once per apartment.

The "Rundfunkbeitrag" service centre provides all the information you need as a student on this website.

Waste separation

To preserve resources and protect the environment, in Germany it is customary to separate waste into different categories. This makes it easier to dispose of and recycle valuable raw materials. To this end, every residential area/building will normally have different waste containers and recycling bins.

GrünerPunktPaper, glass and packaging are normally collected separately. Packaging often has a symbol printed on it, known as the “Green Dot”, or Grüner Punkt (see below). This symbol means that the packaging can be recycled and belongs in the yellow recycling bin. Usually there is also a brown bin for leftover food and organic waste. The residual waste bin (usually black) is for everything that does not belong in one of the other categories.

Special rules apply to certain items and materials. Toxic substances may, for example, not simply be thrown away, but must be disposed of separately. If you are uncertain, the best thing to do is ask your building’s caretaker or read the information published by the City of Magdeburg regarding waste disposal (this is sent annually by post). Incidentally, batteries and energy-saving lamps can be disposed of in the supermarkets where you purchased them. There should be special collection boxes for them there.

Rules for the disposal of waste and recycling

GelbeTonne     GrünerPunkt

These items belong in the yellow bin

All packaging that has the green dot printed on it. This includes:

  • tin cans
  • plastic packaging
  • yoghurt pots, margarine tubs etc.
  • cling film and plastic bags
  • sweet wrappers
  • plastic bottles of all kinds (except bottles with refundable deposits)
  • milk and juice cartons
  • polystyrene packaging
This packaging should be returned to the supermarket

Many plastic or glass bottles have a certain deposit value. This means that when they were purchased, an additional amount (usually 8 to 25 euro cents per bottle) was added to the price. You will get this back if you take the empty bottle back to the supermarket. There are often machines there where you can return the bottles in order to get your money back. Bottles with refundable deposits have the following symbol imprinted on them:
Pfandsymbol

This belongs in the blue container
  • paper and cardboard (e.g. newspapers, boxes)
This belongs in the brown container
  • leftover food
  • kitchen waste (organic waste)
This belongs in the black container
  • residual waste, i.e. everything that does not belong in one of the other containers
This belongs in the glass container
  • glass bottles of all kinds (sorted by colour - either brown, green or white)
  • The glass containers are not usually located in or next to your building, but in the local vicinity.

Bulk waste

Bulk waste comprises items that will not fit in the normal waste containers and also unwanted electrical appliances. Examples of bulk waste include: furniture, carpets, lamps, mattresses, old bicycles, washing machines, kitchen appliances and similar. Every household in Magdeburg can apply to have its bulk waste collected free of charge twice a year.  More information on the subject of bulk waste is available here .

Last Modification: 04.10.2021 - Contact Person: Webmaster