Living in the Ruhrgebiet
Living in the Ruhr Metropolis
How would you prefer to live? In a flat in the centre of the lively hustle and bustle of the city or would you prefer a quiet place in your own house in the countryside? How about living right by the water or in a cool loft with a factory ambience? It's all possible here in the Ruhr region.
COSY SMALL TOWN OR URBAN FLAIR
The Ruhr region has something to suit almost every taste in terms of living options - whether modern or traditional, in a cool design or more cosy. The towns of Hattingen or Wetter, for example, impress with their small-town cosiness and half-timbered architecture in the middle of nature. The cities of the Ruhr region such as Essen, Dortmund, Bochum, Duisburg and Gelsenkirchen, on the other hand, offer urban flair.
Living by the water
Even though the Ruhr gives the region its name, it is by no means the only body of water in the Ruhr region. The Ruhr metropolis has over 572 kilometres of canal and river banks - so there is plenty of space for people who like life by the water. Whether on the Ruhr, Emscher, Lippe, Rhine-Herne Canal, harbours or lakes - numerous residential and architectural projects have already been realised here, and more will follow.
FORMER INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS BECOME LUXURIOUS LOFTS
Old machine halls and factories - where people used to work hard in the past, people now live in luxury. The loft is also becoming increasingly popular in the Ruhr region in industrial buildings that have often been lavishly renovated. The Dinnendahlsche Fabrik in Essen is one such example: the old machine factory from 1820 now houses chic flats of up to 210 square metres, which are primarily occupied by young and well-off city dwellers with a penchant for modern design.
Tenancy agreement and additional costs
Tenancy agreement and additional costs
Have you found your dream flat or house? Then all you have to do is sign the tenancy agreement. In Germany, this must be concluded in writing between the tenant and landlord. The tenancy agreement usually states the amount of the basic rent. There are usually additional costs that you transfer to your landlord together with the basic rent.
The service charges you incur vary from tenancy agreement to tenancy agreement. Water, heating and electricity costs are often part of the service charges. However, waste disposal or caretaker costs may also be included in the bill. It is best to ask your landlord what is specifically included in the service charges before signing the tenancy agreement.
Further information from the Federal Government's "make it in Germany" portal on the subject of "Housing", as well as from Handbook Germany.
Register at your place of residence
Register at your place of residence
Once you have found your flat, you must register your place of residence. As an EU citizen, you do this at the residents' registration office in your place of residence; citizens of other countries go to the foreigners' registration office, which is part of the residents' registration office or citizens' service.
You should register with the residents' registration office or citizens' registration office of the city in which you live no later than one week after moving into your flat in the Ruhr region. You must always do this in person. You will need a valid identity card to register. In the case of rented flats, you will often also need to provide the name of the landlord or show the tenancy agreement. You can often find a list of what you need to bring with you to register on the city websites.
Here you will find the links to the residents' registration offices or the citizens' offices in the individual towns in the Ruhr area:
Finding an apartment
Finding an apartment
Here you will find further information on housing options in the Ruhr region, tips for finding accommodation and property platforms on the Internet:
Tips & hints for a successful flat search
How to successfully find a flat
Information and tips on how to start and plan your flat search
Housing tips for students
Information and tips on student halls of residence, shared flats or flats for students
Vergleich.org
10 tips for finding a new flat quickly
Short-term living for starters
You may not need a permanent tenancy agreement to get started. To help you settle in and find your bearings, holiday apartment offers can be interesting for the transition.
Holiday apartment search in the Ruhr area
An offer from the search engine alloggia
Holiday apartment search in the Ruhr area
An offer of the search engine holidu
Holiday apartment search in the Ruhr area
An offer of the search engine hometogo
Holiday apartment search in the Ruhr area
An offer from the search engine bestfewo
Holiday apartment search in the Ruhr area
An offer from the search engine likibu