Lb34/Registration

Registering can be important for many reasons. On the other side, there might be hesitation on handing out landlord certifications for also many reasons. This entry is there to give some guidelines and information on registering.

Process for registering in Kanthaus

• Visitors/guests are legally allowed to stay somewhere unregistered for up to 6 months. So basically forever with breaks. This only applies when they are not paying rent.
  • Therefore we (usually) do not give landlord certifications and/or rental contracts to visitors.
• Volunteers can request a landlord certification/Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. This will be decided upon by Volunteers and Members.
• Members do not need to request this and probably are registered anyways

Unregistering

• When moving out of Kanthaus permanently, please unregister in a reasonable timeframe
• Please let us know about you unregistering

About rental contracts

We should keep in mind that:

• Making rental contracts temporary is usually invalid. There are only some reasons which don't really apply to us.
• When taking money in return for living in the house, there already is a rental contract. It's best to have a written contract, verbal lease agreements can be annoying in the long run.

Alternatives to registering at Kanthaus

If people need to register somewhere in the area for official reasons, there are two options in Leipzig where you can have mail delivered to. It's not a shame to go to these places. It can still feel that way though.

• Leipziger Oase - recommended
• Tagestreff Insel - possibly more focussed on people having substance addictions; quite far from Leipzig central

Probably there are also social workers who could help with applying for social benefits and other problems. Calling first recommended.

Legal context on renting and registrations

• Tenants are legally required to register within two weeks after moving in (or deregister after moving out), as stated in § 17 of the Federal Registration Act (BMG).
• Landlords (we) are obligated to provide a confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung) under § 19 BMG.
• If someone misuses our address (e.g., falsely registering as living there), we can notify the registration office. They can investigate and correct improper registrations.
• Under § 54 BMG, providing false information during registration or failing to deregister is a violation and may result in fines.
• If we suspect misuse, we could request a registration record inquiry (Melderegisterauskunft) by demonstrating legitimate interest (e.g., former tenants fraudulently using our address).
• If former tenants fail to deregister, we could report this to the registration office and request their deregistration.

• Sources:

* § 17 BMG – Registration Obligation (gesetze-im-internet.de)  
* § 19 BMG – Confirmation of Residence (gesetze-im-internet.de)
* § 54 BMG – Administrative Offenses (gesetze-im-internet.de)   
* Registration Records Explained – Datenschutz.org (German)

Random knowledge

• We pay 50€ per person registered/year for trash service