Frequently Asked Questions

The billing of incidentals states that the tenant has a credit amount. Why are the newly calculated prepayments still higher?

We calculate prepayments on the basis that they are proportionate and appropriate. The costs listed in your billing of incidentals are for the previous year. In the meantime, there may have been price increases which justify an increase in prepayments, even when an amount has been credited to you in your last summary.

Please direct any defect reports to us in writing, via online form or by email to kundenservice@adler-group.com.

In case of emergency, please contact our 24h service hotline. Please note that an emergency is any situation of impending danger, which the tenant is unable to resolve and which must be resolved before the next working day. Normally, such emergencies are power cuts in the tenant’s apartment or building, burst pipes, malfunctioning central heating systems in winter or unlocking house or apartment doors in an emergency.

In the event that an emergency call out is used inappropriately for works that are not considered to be a genuine emergency, you will be liable for the costs incurred with the contractors.

The floors in your apartment may be made of different materials. You may have carpeting, floorboards, laminate or floor tiles. All flooring must be cleaned with normal household cleaning agents and not with cleaning agents containing solvents. Laminate flooring should only be cleaned with a moist mop or cloth (not with a wet mop!) You can also buy a wide variety of special cleaning agents for cleaning tile flooring online or at your local supermarket or store.

Private objects may not be mounted on or attached to the facade or balconies. Make sure that any rain or melting water can easily run off. For this reason, do not put down any flooring on balconies or terraces which would block water from running off. Incidentally, tenants are obliged to keep drains clear at all times!

It is prohibited to mount or install satellite dishes! Your need for information (including foreign-language channels) can be satisfied via the existing cable network. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

If you have rented a cooker along with your apartment, then this needs to be cleaned and looked after properly. Clean all the parts that have been used thoroughly after each use, also or reasons of hygiene. When you use the oven to cook food, it is best to put tin foil or baking paper under the food you are cooking as a precautionary measure. This makes the oven grids much easier to clean afterwards.

Period of notice

The period of notice for residential properties is 3 months to the end of the month. Notice must be given in written form and properly signed with original signatures and must be delivered to us by the 3rd working day of a month.

Please note that the signature of all main tenants is required to terminate a rental agreement.

Restoring the property to its original state

Textile flooring, wall and ceiling cladding, structural alterations to the apartment and other installations must be removed by the tenant prior to moving out. This also applies to any furniture or fittings inherited from previous tenants.

Please contact us so that we can discuss the necessary action with you individually.

New tenant

If you have terminated the tenancy of your apartment and have found a new tenant, they must submit our voluntary disclosure of confidential information to us. In addition, the following documents must be submitted at the latest before the signing of the rental agreement:

• ID/Passport with registration certificate
• Proof of income for the last 3 months
• Current credit report (SCHUFA)

In its capacity as the landlord's representative, ADO Immobilien Management GmbH shall treat theabove-mentioned information of prospective tenants as stricty confidential and shall, in particular, observe the applicable provisions of the respective data protection laws. Please find further information on how the tenants data is used in the Privacy Policy available online under www.ado.berlin/en/privacy-policy.

Please make sure that you also clean underneath the bathroom sink and behind the toilet. A bathroom sink can look very clean from above – but underneath it is often a completely different picture if this part of the cleaning is neglected. The toilet, including the water outlet of the toilet where the water stands below the bowl, also needs to be cleaned at regular intervals. Toilet cleaners can be bought online or at your local supermarket or store. Blockages don’t just happen! When it takes a long time for water to drain from the sink, it is generally a sure sign that a blockage is imminent. Use a drain cleaner or similar product at the first sign of a blockage. You can also buy sink strainers at a low cost online or from your local supermarket or household goods supplier. Sink strainers are simply placed in the plug hole and prevent, for example, hair and grime from collecting in the drain pipe.

Please inform us in writing if you wish to sublet your apartment. If your apartment is large enough and there are no other reasons why this should not be possible, then we will be happy to grant you your request.

Notice:
Please bear in mind that any subletting of your apartment must be reported to us. Please also take into account that if you are granted permission to sublet, a monthly subletting surcharge will also be levied.

How and when do I get my security deposit back?

Your security deposit is paid into the savings account of a bank with a normal rate of interest. The landlord is authorized to offset claims arising from the tenancy against the tenancy deposit. This happens, as a rule, at the end of the tenancy. The landlord is entitled to offset claims that result from when the apartment has not been returned in a proper state. This is why an inspection of the apartment is carried out together with the tenant at the end of tenancy. The landlord is authorized to offset the deposit against any back rent.

As a rule, it should be established within 6 months of the end of the rental contract whether there are any outstanding debts. Should this not be the case, the savings account is closed and the amount, including interest, is subsequently paid out to the tenant. As a rule, the amount is paid out after six months.

Some bathrooms (mostly those without a window) have a separate electric ventilation system. The mesh screens in the ventilation duct should be removed and cleaned with soapy water (approx. every 3 months). Clogged screens prevent proper ventilation and can lead to damage to the ventilator.

If the pressure on the mixer tap drops, this could be a sign that the aerator (the steel regulator at the tap spout) is clogged. The aerator should be cleaned regularly to remove limescale deposits and prevent fouling. Use a suitable spanner to remove the aerator. Please do not use a wrench, as this could scratch the chrome. The screens can now be removed from the aerator and rinsed with water. If the screens are blocked with limescale, soak the aerator in limescale remover. The limescale can then be removed later. Incidentally, chrome fittings quickly regain their shine when they are cleaned regularly with a suitable cleaning agent and then polished. Shower hoses and holders should also be cleaned regularly with limescale remover. Not only does this keep them looking good, it also ensures that the fittings continue to work properly for a long time to come (stops the fine nozzles from clogging).

It is not only the glass panes that need to be cleaned regularly; the frames need to be cleaned at regular intervals too. Do not use any acidic cleaning agents, as these can cause damage to the synthetic material. Please do not forget to give the window ledge a quick wipe when cleaning the windows. Most windows have small slits which allow water to run off when it has rained against the window. The slits must be cleaned regularly to avoid them from becoming clogged and water from overflowing. By the way, a soft chamois leather is especially effective for drying and cleaning the panes.

Drilling into window or door frames and door panels is strictly prohibited.

Use normal household cleaning agents to clean PVC frames. You may not mount additional nameplates on the door. Please make do with the doorbell on which your name should be clearly visible.