r/askberliners

I’ve hit the 15-year mark of living in Berlin after leaving New York back in 2011, and now looking back I could have never predicted how my life would have turned out. I’m a 39-year-old Chinese-American landscape engineer with the city's the parks department. For a while, I lived a pretty traditional life. I met my ex here and we were married monogamously for 7 years. After the divorce we've maintained a great relationship as co-parents. These days ENM is my preferred relationship dynamic (closer to solo-poly/relationship anarchy) and I enjoy Berlin's rave and alternative lifestyle scene (with moderation!). Some things you can ask me about:

• What it’s like working for the Berlin government as an immigrant.
• Transitioning from a 7-year monogamous marriage to the Berlin ENM scene.
• Co-parenting abroad while maintaining an alternative lifestyle.
• How Berlin has changed from 2011 to 2026.
• NYC vs. Berlin/US vs Germany culture shocks, identity, or German visa struggles.

Over the last year I have somehow been very successful at finding apartments for myself and for friends. To give you an example, I recently looked for an apartment for myself, sent my documents to 6 of the apartments I went to see and got an offer for 5 of them. Relevant considering I'm a non-EU citizen, no blue card, and my job is on the lower income end. I have found apartments for several friends also.

I know there are services offering help to find an apartment but they are very pricy, and considering how critical the housing situation is in Berlin, and that some people simply don't have the time to put the time and effort it involves to find a house, I thought what if I start offering such a service but for a low amount of money (let's say, 100 to 300 euros, depending on the apartment budget) so people could actually afford it. I would help people find options online, apply for them, go to the viewing with them, and helping prepare their documents. Would you pay for such a service? Maybe i'm being delusional, but I see how much people struggle and I'd like to help, but of course for a price, as it takes so much time :)

Ordered delivery from IKEA 3 months apart. First order was great, came as expected, it was delivered through DPD. Ordered again and this time they used DHL and I received an email saying “Due to time constraints the goods could not be delivered.” What does that even mean? I don’t remember being able to choose a courier when checking out from IKEA website.

I already had a bad experience with them from ordering in Amazon last time and my items got returned to sender. They said no answer but I was at home the whole day. No one even rang the doorbell.

I’m visiting Berlin for 5 days and want to get one of those tickets that lets you use all the public transport options unlimited but I see some bad reviews about the BVG app glitching and paper tickets seem easy to do wrong if you forget to validate, what is the best option for me please?

Hey everyone,

Looking for advice on a stressful landlord situation in Berlin (managed by Covivio). I’ve been dealing with a major water damage issue since mid-April and am now being completely ghosted.

The Situation:

 What happened: A pipe burst upstairs. The leak was finally fixed around May 9, so the dripping stopped.

 Current state: The contractors left a massive open hole in my bathroom ceiling. No professional drying equipment was ever installed. The ceiling is still damp, and a heavy, musty mold smell is rapidly taking over the room.

 The issue: Property management emailed me on May 11 saying they would fix it "promptly" (zeitnah), but provided no dates. I sent a formal email setting a strict deadline for May 18 to get a binding repair date, stating I am paying rent under reservation (unter Vorbehalt).

The deadline passed, and they have completely ignored me.

My Questions:

1 Mietminderung (Rent Reduction): Since I am paying under reservation, how much can I realistically withhold from June's rent for an open ceiling and mold smell? Is 10–30% realistic?

2 Wohnungsaufsicht (Housing Office): Can I report the mold to the Bezirk's Wohnungsaufsicht to force the landlord to act? Has anyone tried this in Berlin?

3 Next Steps?

Thanks for any help. The smell is becoming a health hazard.

Hey guys! I’m going on my first trip to Berlin next week as a solo traveler, and I wanted to come on here and ask you guys for some last-minute recommendations for things I missed when I was doing my own research. I live in the Ruhr metropolitan area and I’m in my mid 20s. I am admittedly not the biggest history nerd in the world, and don’t particularly want to spend my trip doing things that feel like homework to me 😅 I like modern exhibitions, beautiful parks, and, generally speaking… vibes. Places that feel atmospheric. 

Here’s what’s on my list so far, to give you a better idea of the sorts of things I see myself enjoying: Ikono (my number one priority), Gardens of the World, Peacock Island, possibly The Upside Down, and I’m torn on whether I want to go to the spy museum, the computer games museum, and Sanssouci Palace (public transport prices are no issue as I have a Germany ticket).

Would love to hear y’all’s opinions on the things I’m unsure about, as well as other recommendations for vibes-based things! (Is Dark Matter worth it?) Also, what shopping streets should I check out if I like stationery, books, cute things, and Asian sweets / pastries / bubble tea? I prefer more casual places to proper restaurants. Thank you in advance!

Hey! Does anyone have an allergist to recommend who takes public insurance? I had one that I liked but I think the practice closed and the other two I’ve visited didn't take me seriously. I’d be grateful to hear if you have had a good experience with one here!

Hi all. I know this is fairly last minute and I appreciate your patience.

I’ll be in Berlin for a stretch between June and July and I’m looking for a furnished sublet. Airbnb isn’t an option I want to go with, so I’m hoping to find something more personal and settled. Ideally somewhere central, but I’m open.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

Where to actually look? I’ve come across WG-Gesucht but would like to know what else is worth using. Facebook groups, community boards?

What’s realistic? I don’t want to go in with wrong expectations around pricing or timing. Any honest sense of what the market looks like for this kind of thing would be useful.

The legal/paperwork side. I know subletting in Germany isn’t always straightforward and I don’t want to inadvertently put a primary tenant in a difficult position. Any sense of what’s standard, what to look out for, or what documentation typically comes up would help.

Thanks in advance!

Hi ihr Berliners,

wo habt ihr Eure Kreuzband-OP vornehmen lassen und habt ihr gute Erfahrungen gemacht?

Danke!

I am talking about IG explore page-style backdrops that are very appealing to the eye, and not the obvious stuff like tourist attractions (brandenburger tor), perhaps specific streets and neighborhoods, or even initeresting interiors in some venues/cafes/bars etc.

Looking to pursue photography as a hobby so want to practice in different settings

edit: if thats how you answer a simple request on a question asking sub, no wonder why people hate germans

After months upon months of searching, my partner and I somehow find ourselves ironically with two options at the same time, forcing us to make a decision now when waiting a few days would be super helpful.

Option A, Beusselkiez, so Moabit close to where Charlottenburg starts. 59sqm Altbau, €950 warm, no Indexmiete, unbefristet, semi-furnished (€800 Ablöse so not bad). No balcony, Hof view, 15 min walk to either the U or S Bahn. Current tenant advocated for us, HV checked docs and is very positive, BUT owners are on holiday and can only confirm next Tuesday. HV doesn’t see why they’d say no, but they still could theoretically. Also, waiting to get draft a contract to understand the price and conditions will indeed stay the same as the current tenant, who moved there in 2024.

Option B, Neukölln, roughly 600m from S+U Hermannstraße. 66sqm Neubau, €1,450 warm, Indexmiete, completely empty but nice kitchen and bathroom modern and fully equipped. Big balcony with stunning green view. Already fully approved, need to sign by Friday.

The problem: Option A is clearly the smarter financial choice (€500/month less, no Indexmiete, protected rent forever). But we’d have to turn down a confirmed offer today to wait for a maybe on Tuesday. And if the owners say no, we’ve lost both.

Option B is more expensive but it’s ours right now, no uncertainty. Would you take the bird in hand or wait for Tuesday?

I’m a student and I have almost no money. I want to travel to Berlin. Do you think I could find bottles around the city or in the trash there? Could I collect them to help pay for my trip or at least buy food? I’m not shy and I’m not a bad person, so I wouldn’t feel ashamed doing it. Do you think it’s something embarrassing? And how much money could I realistically make in one day? I’ve been to Berlin before.

Hey, I’m working on a small photo project and looking for a nice beach location near Berlin for a swimwear shoot. Ideally, I’m hoping for something by the sea (a proper strand would be perfect), rather than a river or lake if possible.

Also, if it exists… I’d love a spot that isn’t super crowded — basically somewhere that still feels a bit calm and photogenic without 200 strangers accidentally becoming background extras.

I’ve attached a reference photo for the kind of vibe I’m going for.

If you know any good places that are relatively close to Berlin, I’d really appreciate your tips! Even slightly hidden gems or “go early in the morning or you’ll regret it” spots are super welcome.

Thanks a lot in advance — any suggestions would be a huge help!

https://preview.redd.it/ug291oda7a2h1.jpg?width=3657&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2e5b0bf6f2d4b4279db165cf9890e62dc20dcc6

Hi everyone, I’m currently looking for English-speaking part-time jobs in Berlin.

I have previous experience working in cafés, restaurants, and retail in my home country. So far, finding work has been quite difficult because many places require fluent German. I’m actively learning the language, but I’m not yet confident enough to communicate fluently in a work environment.

I wanted to ask if anyone here has been in a similar situation and might have advice, recommendations, or suggestions on where to look for English-speaking opportunities.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!