marek-richter

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Renting a flat in Berlin (or not)

We'd heard the horror stories, but not much could prepare us for the struggle of finding accommodation in Berlin. In most cities, a flat hunt goes as follows - you trawl the online pages, search local magazine, find a selection of properties which interest you and book in some viewings. The estate agent meets you, shows you around, and if you are taken by a property you accept there and then. Relatively easily without much stress or input. You have yourself a new home. Time to light the fireplace, smoke a cigar and eat a fine cheese while congratulating yourself on your new abode.

Now welcome to Berlin. It's not uncommon to see 50 people standing outside a property waiting for the estate agent to arrive. You squeeze into the flat like commuters on the London underground, everyone looking as bewildered and distraught as the other. After 5 minutes or so it's all over - you leave as quickly as you entered. This is partly due to the claustrophobic atmosphere but also the helplessness of it all - you provide all of your documentation -  schufa, anmeldung, Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung, payslips, charcoal painting you did of the property (because you truly are the perfect tenant), and send in your application. The problem here is that even if you are a perfect tenant, with no debt, a steady job, money in your bank account, and all paperwork printed on gold leaf paper,  there will always be someone with a little bit more saved away or a larger "safer" monthly income.  Granted we do have a dog, which probably dismisses us from a vast array of properties, but this is a challenge we are now experiencing. We'll update this blog with tips and experience once we have cracked the system. 

If there are no further updates then it can be safe to assume the system has cracked us. 

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The first glimpses of spring in Berlin. 

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The challenges of moving to Berlin.

We are an unmarried couple, Marek is a Czech and British citizen and Amber is from the USA. When we moved from America to Prague in the Czech Republic we applied for an "EU family reunification visa" based on one of us being a European citizen. The process was relatively simple, we had to provide proof of our relationship - shared bank statements, photos, health insurance, the stubs from all the flights we have taken together and a few statements from friends and family. The process took a few months to complete but when all was complete, Amber was allowed to stay in the Czech Republic for 5 years, which could be renewed once that time was up.

Upon moving to Berlin we went to the Ausländerbehörde to apply for the same visa, with all the relevant paperwork in hand. We were surprised to find out that Germany doesn't recognise any relationship apart from marriage, especially when we applied for the same visa (Family Reunification), using the very same directive we had used to get residency in the Czech Republic - namely Directive 2004/38/EC.

Article 1 of the Directive 2004/38/EC applies to family members only. Family members are defined as - 

·         the partner with whom the Union citizen has contracted a registered partnership, on the basis of the legislation of a Member State, if the legislation of the host Member State treats registered partnerships as equivalent to marriage and in accordance with the conditions laid down in the relevant legislation of the host Member State (Art. 2 (Art. 1 Directive 2004/38/EC)

We found that Germany does not acknowledge registered partnerships between heterosexual couples and according to German legislation, legal merits are only granted to heterosexual couples being married.

However, according to Chapter 1, Article 3, 2b of the same directive, the host member state still needs to undertake an extensive examination of the personal circumstances -

b) the partner with whom the Union citizen has a durable relationship, duly attested.

The host Member State shall undertake an extensive examination of the personal circumstances and shall justify any denial of entry or residence to these people.

Our relationship could be duly attested, we had a vast array of documentation as proof. This is something which Germany does not seem to be adhering to. We had years of proof of our relationship, but this directive was effectively being ignored. We sought advice from the very helpful people at the Advice centre at the Berlin Integration Office (Beratungsstelle beim Berliner Integrationsbeauftragten) who informed us that we could appeal, but to their knowledge, they don't know of a single case which has won.

We also sought advice from lawyers in Berlin, the Your Europe Advice service and Solvit to no avail.

Although we had already been planning to get married, this was something that caught us out in our move. I really hope this information can save some other couples the stress of researching this issue themselves. In the end, it was not realistic for us to get a lawyer and take on the German system, even though the directive is partly in our favour. In the future hopefully, there will be more unity in the way EU directives are interpreted and carried out by member states. Currently, however, do not expect each European country to welcome you the same way as another.  

We will be getting married shortly in the Czech Republic.

If anyone wants to ask us any questions about what we encountered with the Ausländerbehörde and the interpretation of Directive 2004/38/EC, feel free to send us a message.

Directive 2004/38/EC can be found here in German -

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32004L0038&from=DE

Directive 2004/38/EC can be found here in English -

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32004L0038&from=EN

Berlin Integration Office (Beratungsstelle beim Berliner Integrationsbeauftragten) https://www.berlin.de/lb/intmig/service/beratung

The Your Europe Advice service -  https://europa.eu/youreurope/advice/index_en.htm

The Solvit Service - Solve issues with the EU rights - http://ec.europa.eu/solvit/

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Winter in Berlin. We wanted to move during winter to get the worst out of the way, leaving summer for sunshine and relaxing. Unlike Prague with its cobbled streets, snow and hot wine stalls, Berlin’s winter is an altogether greyer affair. 

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Goodbye Prague, Hello Berlin

After 2 years of living in Prague, we've decided to make a move,  a short train journey away to Berlin in Germany. There comes a time when you outgrow any city - the excitement of exploring somewhere new is replaced with familiarity. We tried actively to experience as much of Prague as we could and now need a new area to once again become lost. 

A quick glance at our Google maps showed a city with the red of accomplishment. Although Berlin is not a new city to us, we've visited Berlin more than any other city in Europe - but it's large and is constantly evolving. Berlin will disorientate and allow us once again to get caught up in new possibilities. 

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Fomapan 35mm shot in Prague, Czech Republic. 

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Is Prague uncompetitive?

Prague is a beautiful city. The beer is cheap and there are bars aplenty to keep you entertained. So why leave? The main reason is that, as a city, it's really not very competitive against its neighbours. Rental and food costs are comparable to other European cities. When you match these with the relatively low salaries you end up with a reduction in the quality of life. 

Recently there has been an influx of large corporations setting up a base in Prague, especially in the IT sector. And this makes perfect business sense - an engineer in Prague will cost the company half the cost of say a German engineer. This influx of larger corporations and investment is driving salaries up in Prague, but it will most likely take years to approach the salaries of its nearby neighbours. https://countryeconomy.com/national-minimum-wage/

In 2018, the national minimum wage in Germany is 1,498 € per month, that is 17,976 euros per year, taking into account 12 payments per year. In 2018, the national minimum wage in Czech Republic is 477.8 € per month, that is 5,734 euros per year, taking into account 12 payments per year. Although the salaries in Prague are much higher than the rest of the country,  they still cannot compete with nearby countries. For such steep divides, remember Dresden is only a few hours away by train.

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Family photo in Prague, Czech Republic shot with 35mm film.

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Gatsby the dog. 

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Gatsby at Letna in Prague. 

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Underground Prague.

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Summertime in Prague shot with expired 35mm Kodak Gold. 

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Our favourite bars in Prague

Riegrovy Sady - Mlíkárna

This outdoor bar is situated in the middle of Reigrovy Sady, a large park in the Vinohrady area of Prague. The Bar, Mlekarna, Or Milk Bar, has tables surrounded by trees, lots of dogs running around, table service and is the perfect place for an unpretentious summertime drink. Al Capone's

This is a cocktail bar hidden on a side street just of Nardoni, the main road which goes down to the national theatre. We can't say the cocktails are that great, but they are cheap and the place is worth a visit. If you want fancy cocktails, go elsewhere. This is a cheap, simple, drinking hole. But these are local prices.  (A)void Floating Gallery

This is probably our favourite place in Prague - a boat moored by Naplavka. The drinks are cheap and it's just a wonderful place to sit in the sun and have a few beers. During the winter there's a sauna on the top and even during the colder months, you can often get a drink downstairs. In the summer the place comes alive with huge spiders, which dangle down from their webs as you mingle around inside. Not for people who don't like spiders... they pretty much run this place. Vzorkovna on Narodni

This is the one underground bar that has the long queue outside. Sadly its popularity is making it a bit unpleasant to move around in, being too packed. But the music is still usually great with live bands of whoever wants to, just turning up and playing. The place is full of smoke and a very international crowd. Just these days you have to queue for up to an hour to get in.   Kasárna Karlín

Kasárna Karlín is more than just a bar - operating a bar/cafe, outdoor cinema, gallery and an overall vibrant outdoor space, all from an abandoned army barracks. It's also an excellent live music venue. There's often a fire burning with seating - a perfect place to have a beer before seeing a show in the summertime.  The nighttime bar

This is late night drink hole in Vinohrady. It's relaxed, dark, has good dark decor, never too busy and open later than most in the area.   The Streets

Last of all, the streets of Prague. It's a beautiful city and there are lots of corners you can find yourself in with a bottle of wine. Sit, drink your wine and watch the world go by. 

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Gatsby at Letna in Prague. 

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Korso Krymska 2016 in Prague, Czech Republic. 

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Family photo fresh in Prague, Czech Republic. 

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Flying to Prague

Time to set up a new life in Prague in the Czech Republic.