yeah the 3 year befristung is the main thing to watch, but honestly if his family owns the whole building he prob just wants flexibility in case they want to renovate or sell later. that's actually one of the valid reasons under §575 BGB so it could be legit. just get it in writing what the reason is.

the attic heat thing is real though, i lived on danziger str in a similar dachgeschoss and from june to august you basically can't be in the flat between 2-6pm. ceiling fans help but they just move the hot air around. check if there's aussenrollos or at least verdunkelungsrollos on those skylights, otherwise you're waking up at sunrise every day.

for the price, 13.90 is solid for schönhauser. that area near senefelderplatz/eberwalder is still getting pricier, I've seen smaller flats go for more. the 120 nebenkosten seems low for altbau though, ask if heizung and warmwasser are included or if that's separate. some landlords quote the niedrige nebenkosten then hit you with a big nachzahlung in january.

the double rent thing sucks but see if you can find a nachmieter for your current place. even if the 3 month notice is in your contract, most landlords will let you out early if you find someone, especially in

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The 3 year limited contract is the biggest thing to look into here. Under German law, befristete contracts need a specific reason like the landlord planning to move in themselves or major renovations. If there's no valid reason in the contract, it's automatically an unlimited one and you can stay. I'd ask him directly what the grounds are before signing anything.

The attic situation in summer is no joke either. Those skylights turn the place into a greenhouse, and even with ceiling fans you'll be sleeping on the balcony some nights. Check if there are external blinds or rollos, because standard ones won't cut it when the sun is directly on those roof windows from 6am.

On the price though, 13.90 cold per square meter for a 100m2 place that close to Eberswalder Strasse is genuinely good for 2024. You won't find much better in that pocket, especially with a proper kitchen and balcony. The double rent situation is painful but three months is manageable on 5k netto if you're smart about it, just make sure your current landlord doesn't try to hold you to the full notice period if you find a nachmieter.

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honestly for 100m² near schönhauser allee that price is pretty solid. the attic with beams and skylights sounds nice but 5th floor no elevator in summer is gonna be brutal fyi. the 3 year limited contract is a bit of a red flag though, landlords here sometimes use befristung to get around mietpreisbremse rules, make sure it's actually valid (like they need a legit reason).

paying double rent for 3 months hurts but if you can swing it financially it's prob worth it. finding anything under 14€/m² cold in that area is rare these days, especially with a balcony and dishwasher. just check if the extra 120€ covers everything or if they'll hit you with nachzahlung later, some altbau landlords get creative with heizung costs.

the landlord being the owner and showing it himself is actually a good sign, less chance of some scammy zwischenmieter situation. maybe negotiate the move-in date a bit if possible, 15 days is tight.

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yeah the guide's got the main stuff down, one thing i'd add is that the späti culture is legit for saving money but specifically the ones in kreuzberg near kottbusser tor have the cheapest beers, like 0.80 eur for a can of sterni. also if you're doing the sunday museum thing, skip the pergamon queue and go to the hamburger bahnhof instead, it's way less crowded and has cool contemporary art plus the building itself is a converted train station so it's a vibe

for food, i'd say the best budget move is not the döner but the falafel at yafa on sonnenallee, 4 eur for a massive plate and it's open till late. and tbh the reichstag booking is a pain but if you miss it, the rooftop at the kollhoff tower near potsdamer platz is like 4 eur and gives you a solid view without the hassle

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solid write-up, one thing i'd add is that the 7-day ticket is actually 41 eur for AB but you can get a 4-trip ticket for 12 eur if you're only here a couple days and it works out cheaper than single trips. also the museum sunday freebie is great but it gets packed, like at the pergamon you'll be queuing for 30 mins minimum. for a quieter free option, try the brücke museum in grunewald on a weekday afternoon, it's small but has killer expressionist art and no crowds. oh and for a cheap meal, hit up mustafa's gemüse kebab at mehringdamm, that line is long but it's worth the 5 eur for the hype tbh

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honestly the cash tip is huge, a lot of tourists don't realize how many places are still cash only here. something the guide missed is that you can get a really cheap coffee at most bakeries for like 1.50 eur if you stand at the counter instead of sitting down, way cheaper than the hipster cafes. also if you're near a späti grab a beer for like 1 eur, way cheaper than bars obviously

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