🏠 First week in a new flat: electricity, insurance, rubbish/plastic, deposit
⚠️ Disclaimer: overview, not legal/financial advice. Terms, rates and procedures vary by municipality and provider — check the current rules in your contract and on official websites.
💡 Electricity: how to understand your tariff and meter
🔑 Who is the contract holder
- Ask your landlord: energy contract — is it in your name or included in the rent? Sometimes there is a separate network fee (network tariff).
- Check the address/ID of the meter and the date of the last reading.
📊 Tariff and metering
- Basic options: fixed, variable/spot, sometimes hybrid. For remote work, stability and transparent conditions are important.
- Homes often have smart meters with hourly/monthly metering. Take a photo of the display and indicators when you move in.
📶 Where to place your router/equipment (micro-tip)
- For stable connectivity and savings: move your router higher up, away from thick walls and microwaves; do not leave heavy chargers in ‘permanent’ mode.
🛡 Basic tenant insurance (overview)
❓ Why is it necessary
- Coverage for personal belongings (theft/fire/leaks), liability to neighbours/landlord. Useful even in furnished flats.
📌 What to look for
- Limits and deductibles (how much you pay out of your own pocket).
- Exceptions: electronics/bicycles/sports equipment may have separate limits.
- Procedures: how to report damage (photos, report, deadlines).
♻️ Sorting: paper/plastic/glass and ‘deposit for containers’
🗑 Basic logic
- Separate containers: paper/cardboard, glass (sometimes together with metal), plastic, organic/food waste, residual waste. Colours and bags — according to the rules in your area.
- Glass/metal collection points are located at supermarkets/courtyards.
🥤 ‘Deposit for containers’ (pant)
- Bottles/cans have a deposit label. Return them to a machine in a supermarket and receive a coupon (which can be redeemed at the checkout or cashed in with an employee).
- Machines often do not accept crushed containers — keep them in their original shape.
ℹ️ Where to find information
- House rules at the entrance/on the notice board, municipal website, stickers on containers (what is allowed/not allowed).
📜 House rules: quiet hours, utility rooms, bike parking
🔇 Quiet hours and neighbours
- Most houses have ‘quiet hours’ in the evening/at night — check the rules of the cooperative/HOA. Drilling/music — only during specified times.
🚲 Utility rooms and storage
- Bicycle parking: check where you can park your bike — bicycle room, courtyard with bike racks, personal bike box. Attach a U-lock to the frame and do not block emergency exits.
- Storage rooms/attics: the apartment number is usually indicated on the doors — do not confuse the sections.
🌿 Balconies and drying
- Check whether you can store a pram/skis in common areas; drying on the balcony is sometimes regulated (drops falling down are a point of conflict).
💰 Rental deposit: how to secure your refund
📂 Formats
- Classic cash deposit to a separate account or guarantee certificate/deposit insurance — depending on the contract.
✅ What to do right away
- Walk through the apartment with photos/videos upon arrival: walls, floors, appliances, plumbing, meters.
- Handover report/inventory: record the condition and any defects in writing.
- Household consumables: filters/lamps/batteries — clarify who is responsible for replacing them.
Once again: this is an overview. The terms of the deposit/dispute/inspection are governed by the contract and local rules — read the documents.
📝 ‘First week’ checklist
📅 Day 1–2
- Take photos of the condition of the flat and the meters; send the landlord a list of any defects.
- Check the internet (main + backup), mobile phone reception, locks and mailbox.
- Find out the quiet hours and where to park your bike/pram.
📅 Day 3–4
- Find out who pays for electricity/utilities and save the suppliers' contact details.
- Set up tenant insurance (limits, deductible, how to file a claim).
- Obtain/print a sorting guide and buy bags in the appropriate colours.
📅 Day 5–7
- Set up automatic payments (rent, utilities, internet), set up a guest Wi-Fi network.
- Check fire safety: smoke detector, fire extinguisher/blanket.
- Return containers (pant) and find the nearest glass/metal recycling points.
| Block | Checklist |
|---|---|
| Week 1 (short version) | Inspection photos + handover act |
| Electricity: who pays, meter, tariff | |
| Tenant insurance: coverage limits / deductible | |
| Waste sorting: house rules, bags/containers, glass points | |
| Internet: main + backup, guest Wi-Fi, VPN | |
| House rules: quiet hours, bike/storage rooms | |
| Autopay setup: rent / utilities / internet |
❓ FAQ
Take photos of the apartment and meters right away, send a list of defects to the landlord. Check internet, locks, mailbox, and quiet hours. Clarify who pays for electricity/network and save provider contacts. Arrange renter’s insurance (coverage, deductible, claim process). Get waste sorting info from your building/municipality. Set up autopayments, test smoke alarms/fire blanket, and review bike/buggy storage rules.
Most bottles and cans have a deposit mark (pant). Return them at reverse vending machines in supermarkets. The machine gives you a coupon — use it at checkout or cash it at the service desk. Keep bottles in shape: crushed or bent ones may be rejected.
Ask where bikes should be parked — in a bike room, courtyard racks, or personal storage. Always use a solid U-lock and avoid blocking exits. For sorting, follow local color-coded bags/containers (paper, plastic, glass/metal, food waste, residual). Get the official guide from your building notice board or municipal website and set up separate bins at home.
