hTTi

Hello all, I've received a message about a Rechnungsabschluss from my bank. As far as I can make it, the message means that I'll be charged income tax on the account balance. Is that correct? I thought at first that the bank was paying me interest, but there is no transaction matching that descripti...

Thanks, Eric. I'm not pursuing leads on "befristete" apartments.

-- Alison

If we have enough folks in Berlin, should we have a beer meetup? Or a walk? Or a picnic?

Greetings from Steglitz,
Alison

Yesterday I met with Dr. Elles, who is affiliated with Praxis Steglitz. The appointment went well. Thanks again for the recommendation.

-- Alison

Ah, and in Erlangen on August 8,
DI.DAY in Erlangen im ZAM - Fitness Tracking ohne Datenabfluss
https://events.diday.org/events/84edebc ... a1c3e6ecac

You can always give it a go from a bootable USB stick and see how you get on. That said, Linux isn't for everyone and if you don't want to make the leap, I fully understand, I've been using it for years so it seems simple to me, but I know I'm not representative. Have fun whatever you choose. Now i...

You can also try: https://www.hausarzt-praxis-steglitz.de/ - I had gone to this place -near Rathaus Steglitz when I lived in that area. I may have seen Dr. Storm. Everything was okay, nothing to complain about, but nothing really spectacular about them. I had other friends that have gone there and ...

Thanks folks for sharing your experience. At least I'll have something over the TV, which I will never watch.

-- Alison

JN53 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 07, 2026 11:36 pm If you're in Steglitz-Zehlendorf area, I could maybe suggest a couple of doctors in that area.

Thanks for the quick response. I have in fact just moved to Steglitz.

-- Alison

I finally have an apartment with a 1-year lease. Are renters usually permitted to drive nails into the wall in order to hang their pictures, or is that right out?

Thanks,
Alison

Does anyone have advice about picking out a doctor and dentist now that I have health insurance? Two friends have given me recommendations, but in both cases the location of the providers is a bit distant both from my apartment and my job. I gather that I just call up and request an appointment? Tha...

Here's a quick update about my experience shipping my household goods from the US to Germany. I chose JK Moving, whose local agents Ace picked up my goods in San Jose, CA on 30 Jan and delivered them in Berlin on 29 Apr. That delivery interval was close to their 9-11 week transit time plus the time ...

I'll be moving from one furnished apartment to another. As far as I can tell, they are exempt from rental control. They're not, you simply ask the landlord for proof what the furniture cost and when it was purchased and use 2% of that cost as the "furniture surcharge". Wow. If you're ever...

So every time one moves, one must make a new Meldebescheinigung. I've registered twice before, but never moved within Germany. it is doable online too, with eAT / and ID cards That is great news since I should get my eID a few days before the move. During the first week of June in 2025, I decided to...

I'll be moving from one furnished apartment to another. As far as I can tell, they are exempt from rental control. I look forward to getting a better deal the next time I move since I'll have more time to search.

Thanks,
Alison

Hello fellow expats,

I have to move again at the end of the month. Probably I must again visit the local Rathaus and alter my existing Meldebescheinigung? Sorry for asking so many questions. My HR support person at work hasn't answered my repeated queries.

Thanks,
Alison
Berlin

"Korrekte Mieten sind die Ausnahme" https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/verbraucher/mietwucher-berlin-100.html Reading this (not paywalled) article, I get the impression that the free advice and legal appeals are only accessible to renters in rent-controlled (Mietpreisbremse) apartments. ...

I've been seeking a German tax advisor who also knows US tax law in vain. If you encounter one, please speak up!

Thanks,
Alison

In a situation like the one described—table service, a sit-down meal, and a bill of around €70—the local norm would typically be to round up or add roughly 5–10%. So instead of paying exactly €70, most people would say something like “machen Sie 75” or leave €3–€5 extra. It’s done directly when pay...

Last weekend I went on a countryside walk with a friend. After walking for a couple of hours, we encountered an inn where we had lunch. The inn was a bit fancy so the total bill was about 70€. It was my turn to pay, so I settled up and then headed off to the toilet on our way out. During this time, ...