How high is the rent? The warm rent is 310.20 €/month, with additional costs for internet (7.50 €) and electricity (21.50 €), so that we end up with a total of just under 340 €/month. The electricity costs of 21.50 €/month are paid in advance by each person, but the final costs are calculated at the end of the year based on actual use. How big are the rooms? Each room is 14 m2 and can be flexibly reduced to 7 m2. How many rooms are in each flat? Each flat consists of three or four rooms and a shared kitchen and bathroom. Which ancillary costs are included in the fixed rent? The fixed rent includes heating, water and sewage costs. Additionally, the rent includes the maintenance costs of the building. The costs for electricity (around 21.50 €) and internet (7.50 €) are not contained in the fixed rent. Electricity is billed for each shared flat based on actual usage and the internet contract is set up centrally. Are the rooms 'barrier-free'? Yes! All floors are accessible elevator and the doors have flat thresholds and are wheelchair accessible. For now, only four flats on the ground floor are equipped with barrier-free bathrooms. It is possible to adapt all other flats in this way at a later time. If you need more specific information on this subject, contact us directly at einziehen@collegiumacademicum.de Where do we buy our electricity? We obtain our externally produced electricity from 100% renewable energies via the Heidelberger Energiegenossenschaft (Heidelberg Energy Cooperative). The electricity demand is largely covered by the photovoltaic system on our roof, including battery storage. Electricity costs are not included in the the fixed rent! Does each flat have its own washing machine? No, except the flat-mates would pay and set up one themselves. The house has a separate central washing lounge with enough washing machines for all residents. We think a shared washing lounge is a more sufficient approach and saves all residents space and costs. How are the kitchens in the flats equipped? Each kitchen comes equipped with a stove, oven, extractor hood, fridge, freezer and a kitchen top with a sink. Additionally, the kitchen has a table and chairs. All furniture is made in-house or acquired as donations! What kind of internet connection do the rooms have? The complete house is equipped with high speed WiFi access. Each flat has its own WiFi access point. The house has a dedicated fiber line. Internet costs (7,50 €) are not included in the fixed rent. Residents do not have to get their own internet contracts.
I am not yet a student or trainee, can I apply for a place? Yes! You can apply before getting your student or trainee status. It is necessary though, that at your moving in day, you are enrolled in your program. If in the meantime it turns out that you cannot start your study program / apprenticeship, you can step back from your letter of intent without any costs. Is there an age restriction? Can I apply if I am not yet 18 years old? For legal reasons, you must be at least 18 years old on the day you move in. I'm interested, but I don't know if there are any places left. Should I still apply? Unfortunately, all of our places for the first occupancy are taken. However, you can sign up for a newsletter here and we will contact you when we are accepting applications again. Does the application cost anything? No! The application does not cost you anything. If you are invited for a get-to-know-you day, we cannot reimburse your travel costs, unfortunately. (Note: Because of the current situation, all get-to-knows are held online anyway!) Can I apply now if I don't want to move in until the summer semester of 2023? No, applications for a later move-in date are not possible at the moment. We will inform you here when we are accepting applications again or you can sign up for the newsletter. I have supported the project by giving a direct loan before. Do I or my children/relatives have an advantage with moving in? No! Financial support does not have any influence on who can move in. The financial background should not have any effect whether somebody can be part of this community or not. According to which criteria will the residents be chosen? Given that the formal requirements are met (status as a student, doctoral student of trainee) we are searching for people that can identify with our mission statement, that want to engage in the self-organization of the dormitory and want to take up responsibility for the community.
When can I first move in into the building? As we are currently constructing the building, we can sadly not guarantee are precise fixed moving in date. According to our current plan, the moving-in day will be in February 2023. Can I choose my flatmates? Unfortunately, this is no longer possible. The dormitory is already fully occupied. Now, we will only have individual rooms available in shared flats when people cancel or move out. Can I bring my pet? No, pets are currently not allowed in the dormitory. An exception to this are assistance pets. Is it possible that the project fails before the building is finished? Given our current construction and financial situation, we think this is extremely unlikely. Can I bring my own furniture? Each room is always rented furnished (desk, wardrobe, bed). For the first occupancy, there is the possibility to bring your own furniture if you wish. In this case, the basic furniture will be handed over to the CA for the duration of the stay (in the form of a donation, deposit or free rent - what exactly is possible will be discussed again). The furnishing surcharge of 20 € remains included in the rent in any case. A list is kept of the intentions of those moving in to donate their furniture temporarily/long-term. A working group must guarantee that furniture will be available when new residents move in. Do I have to give the project money or a loan to move in? No! Financial support does not have any influence on who can move in. A person’s financial situation should not determine whether they can be part of this community or not. Does the house have special family flats for families with children? There are no family flats in the strict sense. Nevertheless, it is possible to move into the residence with children. There are several options. A child can rent its own room in its own shared flat. It is also possible for two adults to share a room and use the room that becomes free as a children’s room. Thanks to the flexible partition walls, individual room sizes are also possible. For example, one room can be divided into two smaller rooms of 7 square metres each, one of which would become a passage room. I am a single parent. Can I move in? Yes, you can. Take note though of the formal requirement that each room has to be rented by a student or trainee. See the question above. Do I have to help with the construction of the house? No! Nevertheless, we appreciate any help with the work necessary to finish the house. These tasks include the construction of the furniture, publicity work and the organization of finances of the project. Support from those moving in is sensible and desirable, especially with regard to the future self-administration, and in order to be able to manage the move-in.
