Glossary

Temporary furnished housing from A to Z.

Eighteen terms you may come across in furnished rental listings, leases, and at government offices, briefly explained without marketing language.

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Quick answers

Temporary furnished housing means renting a furnished apartment for a defined period, with your own lease. This glossary explains 18 terms that come up along the way, descriptively and without marketing language. It is not legal or tax advice. When a term has legal or tax implications, we explain who you should clarify it with.

Last updated September 3, 2026 18 terms, alphabetical. Each entry has its own anchor link.

All-in rent

#all-in-miete

One price for everything: rent, utilities, and furnishings. At Roomments in Stuttgart, internet, electricity, water, and heat are included in the rent, along with full furnishings; there is no year-end utility statement there. All-in starts there at €1,140 per month. Not every building is billed this way: at Eastside in Frankfurt, you pay rent incl. utilities from €940, with a monthly utility prepayment and annual reconciliation; internet and furnishings are included. At The Bloom Homes, you pay rent incl. utilities and internet; electricity is separate. At Haus Marzahner Chaussee, you pay rent incl. utilities with a utility prepayment; electricity and internet are separate. Exactly what is included in your price is stated in the offer before you sign.

Address registration (Anmeldung) / registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung)

#anmeldung-meldebescheinigung

When you move into an apartment in Germany, you register your address with the registration office and receive a certificate. You often need it for a bank account, contracts, or university enrollment. At OneHaven, address registration (Anmeldung) and a registration certificate are always possible, in every building. At Eastside and Roomments, you receive the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung) together with the original lease.

Your contact at OneHaven will explain the process for your building before you move in.

Fixed-term lease

#mietvertrag-befristet

A lease with a fixed end date: it ends without either party having to give notice. The opposite is an open-ended lease, which continues until it is terminated. At OneHaven, the minimum stay depends on the building: you usually rent from six months, at Roomments in Stuttgart from three. There is no upper limit anywhere. Whether your lease is fixed-term or open-ended also depends on the building and is not set here.

If you are unsure, clarify it with your contact at OneHaven before you sign.

Proof of creditworthiness / SCHUFA

#schufa-credit-report

Documents that show you can afford the rent: proof of income, a self-disclosure form, or a credit report from a credit agency such as SCHUFA. At OneHaven, you upload your ID, proof of income, and tenant self-disclosure digitally, transferred securely and done in a few minutes. If you are a student without your own income, your parents usually become part of the lease.

Company apartment

#company-apartment

An apartment used in connection with an employment relationship: the employer provides it or contributes to the cost. Who signs the lease and who pays varies case by case and affects the credit check, deposit, and termination. At OneHaven, the lease can be in the company’s name, in the employee’s name, or in both names. There is no separate invoice; the lease is the governing document.

Check the tax implications with your HR department or a tax advisor.

First move-in after refurnishing

#first-use-after-refurnishing

An apartment being lived in for the first time after a complete refurnishing: new furniture, a new kitchen, everything newly set up. You are the first person to use these furnishings.

Deposit for furnished apartments

#deposit

Security you provide at the start of the lease and get back after you move out if nothing is outstanding. For furnished apartments, it also covers the inventory. At OneHaven, you pay it only after you sign; there is no upfront payment. At Eastside in Frankfurt, you pay the full amount before moving in, or you provide a bank guarantee or rental guarantee; at Roomments, it is two months’ rent incl. utilities, payable all at once, in three installments, or as a bank guarantee; in the Berlin buildings, it is three net base rents, payable all at once or in up to three installments, also as a bank or rental guarantee. The amount is stated in your offer.

If you’re unsure, confirm the amount with your contact before you sign.

Notice period

#notice-period

The time between giving notice and the day the lease ends. It is stated in the lease and depends on whether the lease is fixed-term. At OneHaven, the minimum stay is six months, at Roomments three months, with no upper limit. At Eastside and Roomments, the notice period is three months. Extensions are handled separately: you can extend at any time within the deadline, at no extra charge, and your price stays as stated in the lease.

If you are unsure, clarify it with your contact at OneHaven before you sign.

Furnishing surcharge

#furnishing-surcharge

The portion of the rent attributed to furniture and equipment. In many offers, it is listed separately next to the base rent. At OneHaven, furnishings are included in the monthly price; no separate furnishing surcharge is shown. This page does not describe how the price is made up. What is fixed is the monthly price stated in the offer before you sign.

Flat utility fee

#flat-rate-utilities

A fixed monthly amount for utilities instead of a prepayment with a year-end reconciliation. With a flat fee, there is no additional payment due, but also no refund. At Roomments, internet, electricity, water, and heat are included in the all-in rent; there is no utility statement there. The other buildings bill differently: at Eastside, you pay a monthly utility prepayment with annual reconciliation. At The Bloom Homes, the flat utility fee is included in the rent incl. utilities; at Haus Marzahner Chaussee, you pay a prepayment with annual reconciliation.

Project apartment

#project-apartment

An apartment for the duration of a project or assignment: you live where you are working without setting up a permanent household there. Common cases include consulting, construction, IT rollouts, and interim assignments, often alongside a main residence. At OneHaven, you rent from six months, furnished and with a digital lease. If the project is extended, talk to your contact early.

Trust Check

#trust-check

The inspection an apartment building at OneHaven must pass in order to carry the Trust Checked seal: location, design and furnishings, price, lease and security, local service. Five checks, all or none. The inspection is done in person on site, not based on photos. The buildings have 4.8 stars on Google. Buildings without a Trust Check are labeled on their page.

Interim apartment

#temporary-apartment

An apartment for the time between two permanent homes: after a move, during a renovation, or when you relocate with the end still open. It is fully furnished, and you move in with a suitcase. At OneHaven, the minimum stay is six months; this model does not cover shorter stays. Discuss what happens next with your contact early.

Sublease vs. primary lease

#sublease-main-lease

With a primary lease, you rent directly from the landlord and are a party to the contract yourself. With a sublease, you rent from someone who is a tenant there; permission from the landlord is the usual route. At OneHaven, you sign your own lease for your apartment. Whether you may have someone live with you is stated in that lease.

If you’re unsure, confirm this with your contact before someone else moves in with you.

Rent incl. utilities vs. base rent

#rent-incl-utilities-base-rent

Base rent is the rent for the living space only. Rent incl. utilities also includes operating costs, usually heating and water; electricity is often not included. All-in rent goes further and also includes internet and furnishings. At Roomments, you pay all-in from €1,140 per month. At Eastside, rent incl. utilities starts at €940, including the utility prepayment, with reconciliation once a year. At The Bloom Homes, rent incl. utilities starts at €830, including internet, plus electricity; at Haus Marzahner Chaussee, rent incl. utilities starts at €780, plus electricity and internet. When you compare options, what is included matters, not just the number.

Temporary furnished housing

#temporary-furnished-housing

Renting for a defined period instead of indefinitely: for a project, a year abroad, a job change, or the time until you find your own apartment. The apartments are furnished so you can move without bringing your own household items. At OneHaven, stays start at six months and can run longer, in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Stuttgart. The platform lists nearly 1,000 apartments.

Second residence and second residence tax

#second-residence

A secondary residence in addition to your main residence, registered with the local registration office. Many cities and municipalities charge their own tax for this; whether it applies and how much it is depends on the municipality. If you live in a second place for work, you may have additional tax questions. This page explains the term; it does not provide advice.

If you’re unsure, check with your city or municipal administration, or with a tax advisor.

Subletting for a limited period

#temporary-sublet

An apartment is rented out to someone else for a limited time, for example while the main tenant is away. In most cases, this is a temporary sublease. OneHaven does not work this way: the buildings are rented as residential housing, with carefully selected tenants and a separate lease for each apartment, without commercial intermediary leasing.

If you’re unsure, clarify who your contract partner is for each offer.

Term not found

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