Why work with Hope Apartments and not advertise yourself?
There are many online platforms that you can use as a private landlord/landlady. However, putting your apartment online is onlythe beginning and half the battle. Viewings, handovers and cleaning appointments are not organized by these platforms.
At Hope Apartments, we see ourselves as an apartment management and advertising agency in one. Our professionally advertised apartments, presented on our own website as well as on all leading online portals, effectively stand out from the crowd.
In addition, you benefit from our exclusive partnerships with companies that provide us with highly reliable tenants. The average rental period is 4-12 months.
During the rental period, we ensure that your apartment is regularly maintained and serviced. Many tenants take advantage of our professional cleaning service, thus preventing surprises at the end of the rental period.
You no longer need an SEV contract (see glossary). Since we agree on a flat-rate rent with the tenants, which includes all costs and is only charged in the event of extreme consumption, there is also no need for you to pay the operating costs.
What does our all-inclusive carefree service package include?
- Unlimited advertisement on all leading portals with high coverage
- Creation of professional images
- Professional marketing
- Verification of personal data & liquidity of tenants
- Organization of viewing appointments
- Legally verified rental contracts
- Legally valid apartment handovers
- Inventory and meter reading checks
- Organization and settlement of interim and final cleaning with tenants
- Maintenance and repair of technical equipment and inventory
What does our all-inclusive carefree service package cost?
Our service fees are per month and amount to 20% of the warm rent (plus VAT) per rented month. For apartments with a warm rent over 2000 Euro per month we offer special conditions, we will be happy to make you an appropriate offer. The commission is a profit-sharing fee, it only accrues when the property is rented. If there is a rare vacancy, there is no fee.
Example: For the period for which we rent your apartment for 1250 Euro per month, your rental income will be 952.50 Euro per month.
How does the billing work?
The rent is transferred to your account on a monthly basis. Our service fees are either deducted from the rent and transferred to your account or invoiced.
The tenant’s deposit is paid into a deposit account (sub-account with us).
We take care of settlement in case of possible damages (See “What happens if something is broken or missing”) and the refund of the deposit (or the difference) to the tenants after your agreement.
What happens when something breaks or is missing?
We will take care of repair and replacement of your inventory. In order to be able to check the condition of your apartment equipment during the handovers, we need an inventory list. If you do not prepare it yourself, we will be happy to do it for you. The costs are between 75-150 Euro.
Who takes care of technical problems?
In case of technical problems where only a professional can help, for example if the washing machine breaks down, we will organize an appointment with the professionals and inform you about further procedures. For small repairs, such as replacing a light bulb, cleaning drains, internet problems, we send our own team and charge the owner for the effort.
What do I have to consider when furnishing my apartment?
We are happy to advise you on the furnishing of your apartment and know where you should rather invest more and for which furniture the cheaper option is the better choice. If you wish, our furnishing team will also take care of the delivery and assembly of the furniture or make individual fixtures (e.g. wall cabinets). If you want to entrust someone with the overall design of your apartment, we will gladly arrange budget-safe interior designers for you. Let us surprise you with original and tailor-made furnishing ideas that have already proven themselves many times over in our rentals.
If you are moving out of Berlin for several years and want to rent out your own apartment, we have the following recommendations for you:
- Kitchen: if previously used privately, clean out as much as possible: the principle “less is more” applies here, otherwise the final cleanings will be too time-consuming.
- Per bed
- max. 2-3 matching sets of bed linen (white / gray non-iron bed linen)
- mattress protectors (medium quality)
- light-colored bedspreads (one per bed)
- Empty bookshelves to a maximum of 1/3, otherwise they will look too empty
- If possible, refrain from leaving your houseplants in the apartment, as there is a risk of them dying.
- Internet connection, as we rent only including internet. If you already have an internet contract, it is best not to cancel it.
When is 7% short-term rental tax due?
Since 01.01.2010, the VAT rate of 7% applies to short-term rentals of apartments for up to six months in accordance with Par. 12 Par. 2 No. 11 UStG.
This means that if you regularly rent out apartments for less than 6 months and make a profit of more than 17,500 euros per year from renting out your apartment, you may have to pay 7% VAT on your rental income to the tax office. Small entrepreneurs with a turnover of less than 17,500 euros are exempt from this regulation. The small business regulation does not apply to landlords based abroad.
Since every owner has different requirements and it is partly at the discretion of the tax authorities whether the tax is due in a particular case or not, we cannot take it into account when pricing your apartment. Please consult your tax advisor for advice on this.
What does the ban on misappropriation (Zweckentfremdungsverbot) mean?
Only apartments that are systematically rented out on a daily basis and for less than 2 months fall under the ban on misappropriation. If the majority of your leases are for more than 6 months, you are on the safe side.
When will my apartment go online?
After the service contract is signed, we organize a photo session and put the apartment online within 2-3 days.
How much lead time do we need before renting?
Small apartments are often rented in up to two weeks, for spacious apartments in higher price ranges the lead time is usually up to 6 weeks.
