Strangers in the apartment

If a woman has crossed 50, Warner's cartel behaves as if it were 15. "Did you think that too well?" - "You do not need that." All concerned in the relatives and acquaintances urgently advise against. "The risk is far too high." - "Does it have to be that way?" So the answers to the message, they would marry an Arab, make the motorcycle license, get a large dog, learn deep sea diving. Or - as in my case - rent out his apartment with all the trimmings for a month or two to strangers.

Who protects the baby?

The prehistory: 27 years ago we bought a house in Hamburg. Because it was so cheap. No wonder. It had a lot of blood and blue thumbs (we were not good home improvement back then), sweat and tears to make it a so-called real estate. We raised two children and some domestic animals and turned a concrete backyard into a lovely little garden with three dilapidated garages. At last came the time, where you could make an extensive holiday without regard to the school vacation regulations, without having to retract plasterboard or sanding the parquet. But who cares carefully, the carefully renovated sweetheart from conflagration, sprayers and musty smell? From burglars and moths?



For a while, the house was a popular holiday destination for the children, who could really let it rip in the absence of their guardians. Then it took these children to the most remote corners of the world. There were no more wild parties, the course of which we were later informed by the neighbors with more or less discreet complaints. But there was no one else who had aired, removed the junk mails from the door mat or poured the potted plants. In retrospect, it was golden times when we still had our children as squatters: you could entrust them to the cat? later we had to take her to France with a stubby coat and a lot of meowing. There was no need to empty the fridge before leaving. you could count on the kids to eat everything completely, because most of them had a lot of lodging visit. They were not clean, but kind-hearted caretakers.



Subtenant through co-residences

After the children had emigrated for study purposes into the wide world, for three summers we had rural friends who liked to go on holiday in the big city and always left a box of champagne. The Hanseatic city has unfortunately liked them so much that they bought themselves a small apartment in Hamburg and thus were no longer available as a housekeeper. What now? What to do?

So on the Internet for professional Homesittern watched. However, they demanded fantastic fees. Then someone told me about the co-residencies. I immediately liked the idea. People like myself, who do not appreciate the weeks long hotel life due to oversaturation, are looking for a cozy apartment for the time of a contract, a commitment, where they can take their loved ones at a much lower cost than at the hotel. I was available for that. Not just out of altruism. In fact, the question is: barred all windows, install alarm systems, purchase sharp shepherd dogs - or just let strangers live with them?



Lingerie and medications are completed.

Great shouting with friends. So no, they would not stand that strangers snoop in their privacy. An objection that I do not understand. My lingerie and possibly embarrassing medication (athlete's foot, etc.), I put in a lockable room. Likewise, my tax records and the old love letters that not even my husband knows. , , Should a tenant at the castle bother - what would be really bad? Whether Bill learns from Canada that I was wildly scorched at the age of 17 for a Corsican, I do not much care. What should he do with this knowledge in Ontario? Whether Natasha from Russia blasphemes about the color of my kitchen towels, I do not care. Ultimately, most secrets are only explosive if they benefit an interested party. In addition: Of friendly Homesittern one can badly demand a substantial deposit. Although life teaches that almost kill a few olives cut glasses or leave a strong scratch in the parquet floor.

Coincidence has meant that we never met our various tenants on time personally. We have always been away, the key to the agency - a trust in God, not everyone will pay. We always drove well with it. And yet we have broadened our horizons. Discretion is the soul of the business. That's why, even in family conversation, we used only the code names of our tenants.

Subtenants from all over the world

There was Jewel Granny.An old lady from San Diego who wanted to show her granddaughter Europe. From Hamburg, she wanted to make a short trip to Mont Blanc - which occurs on many American chocolate packs, where he looks almost as good as in nature. So grandma with granddaughter off to Switzerland. Grandma never without her jewelry in a small suitcase. The overwhelming sight of the Alps, the mountain air or the Swiss pear schnapps, we do not know, meant that Granny left her glitter-clit handsafe on the Glacier Express. The hangover the next morning was great. At the time we had a subtenant in the basement, which sought to establish itself in the pop music business. And besides, the granddaughter of Jewel Granny made beautiful eyes. He learned about the mishap of the American ladies and hung on the phone. Successfully. 48 hours later the Klunker were back. The helpful subtenant has a 14-day US travel, all-inclusive, registered.

Then we still had the Russian oligarchs. The agency had a big secret about that. No, even we as landlords are not allowed to know the name before concluding the lease. He was ready to pay any deposit required. So top. It turned out that this tenant (he got the code name Gorbachev) wanted to give birth to a child of German nationality. What was easy to do in the renowned Marienkrankenhaus. And the traveling bodyguards were actually mother-in-law and maids. And no, they did not throw vodka glasses on the wall. Instead, there was an interesting business connection via e-mail later. , ,

Also with another renting no names should be called in the neighborhood. There was a fear of autograph hunters and paparazzi. Probably wishful thinking, because the tenant was just a diligent German series actress. Nevertheless, we booked her as a Hollywood star in our annals.

Strangers in the apartment are a great blessing.

Somewhat colorless compared to our dear exotics was the American engineer from Wisconsin, who had six weeks in Hamburg and wanted to combine this with a family vacation (wife and three sons). "Dear, quiet people," said my cleaning lady, who is also a bit of a spy and a supervisor for me, "but I had to stop the men peeing while standing." Ms. B. always amazes me with her life experience, but in this case I was really flat. "How did you do that ... And you do not speak English at all ..." Mrs. B. waved only casually, explaining unmistakable traces around the toilet. And how she demonstratively spread out a cordon sanitaire from her various rags. "They have understood that," reported my brave cleaning lady proudly. Jim from Wisconsin does not seem to have misjudged the feminist ruffle. He left a thank-you letter for the great time in Hamburg and all his Miles and More points for our fun-loving children.

Strangers in the apartment are a great blessing. I used to never clean up so thoroughly before leaving for the holidays - and moaning at the return of a house that was not aired and dusty. Whether bookshelves, closets or kitchen cabinets - who gives an apartment for money in foreign hands, goes twice with the Controlletti - look through knick-knacks, T-shirts, teacups, books and the valuable magazines, which one wanted to read again on a quiet winter evening. When the agency announces a tenant, a fast and lofty big cleaning begins: away with the third-rate thriller on the bedside table, in the trash can with the dried flowers, for the clothing collection the jeans with the wrong cut. Holiday subletting is also something of a rejuvenation against creeping messie behavior.

Tips and addresses

Nationwide about 50 independent community centers work under the name Home Company (nationwide number 194 45). Foreign co-resident centers can also be reached via this agency. In London, Paris, Florence, Venice, Vienna, Prague and New York. If you are looking for a furnished house or a furnished flat, you can either register online or get a registration form from the net. If that's too impersonal, you can call or visit a branch instead.

Who offers housing, can also do this online, but it is better to contact the agency directly and to get individual advice. Larger objects are visited by the staff who photograph the house or the apartment for the Internet presentation.

The agency commission the renter pays. It amounts to 25 percent of the monthly rent (plus VAT) for a rental period of one month, 15 percent per month for the following months. The commission is only due when a contract is concluded. For a rental period of one to two months, the rent deposit is usually a monthly rent, in addition, two monthly rentals are common. The homepage informs about average rents in different cities and provides information about various services such as: B. Cleaning and laundry.Residential centers that are not connected to the HomeCompany can be found in the telephone book or on the Internet with keywords such as "Mitwohnzentrale ?," Mitwohnbüro? ? Mitwohnagentur? plus city name.

SHARING APARTMENT - MY EXPERIENCE LIVING WITH STRANGERS (March 2024).



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