September 28th 2023
My future "landlord" in Berlin said, have you ever lived in a micro flat? I said, "no...but I am a very tiny person." We laughed.
She said " Me too."
See the living situation in Berlin is complicated. There is a nightmare of a term I have gotten used to called "Anmeldung," it is your registration at an address so the German government can locate you... mostly for tax purposes. How do you get Anmeldung? Well it means you register at an apartment through the landlord, however, most apartments in Berlin are illegally rented, and therefore you cannot acquire anmeldung. If you are on a visa Anmeldung is necessary. So realistically there is a shortage of legal housing. This registration decides the fate of your visa, and stay in Germany. Why would Germans want Anmeldung? Well, it garentees all Tennant rights. Let's you build, paint, drill, and even sue your landlord for unreasonable rent... Which is a common thing in Germany, if you are part of a very cheap renters union.