You will receive your rental contract together with the key from the caretaker at Vogeliusweg 18. The caretakers office hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. If agreed in advance, you can also obtain the document and key from your buddy.

Please sign the rental contract and hand it in personally to the STW housing administration within one week!

STW Contact 

Address: Mersinweg 2

Email: housing-exchange@stwpb.de or Oezbuek@stwpb.de

Office hours: Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

You will also receive the following documents together with your key:

• General rental conditions
• SEPA form (to authorize direct debit for the monthly rent)
• STW contacts
• Internet information
• Move-in inspection report 

When you receive the key from the caretaker, he will accompany you to your accommodation. After showing you the accommodation, he will give you a move-in report documenting the condition of the flat/room. If your buddy picks up the key for you, you will receive the document from them.

Please review the report carefully and keep it until you move out. If there are any defects (including lack of cleanliness) in the accommodation that are not noted on the document, please take photos and report them immediately to the STW by email. If you need assistance with this, please ask your buddy for help. 

In case you have caused any damage yourself during your stay, please also report this to the STW.

When you visit to the STW office, you will also be asked for your bank details for the mandatory direct debit system for your rent payments. The STW requires SEPA-compatible bank details for this, as is already standard practice in EU countries. Therefore, please have your bank details ready. If you do not yet have a SEPA-compatible account, you should arrange this as soon as possible, e.g., by opening an account with a German bank or an online bank.

As soon as the STW receives your bank details, the rent will be debited automatically, provided that there are sufficient funds in your account. Therefore, please ensure that there is always enough money in your account at the beginning of the month. Please note that the STW will definitely notice if the rent cannot be debited and will contact you - even if this sometimes takes a while. If the rent is not paid, legal action will be taken and the rental agreement will also be terminated. In the interests of all parties involved, we therefore ask you to manage your monthly budget responsibly.

*SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) stands for a Europe-wide uniform procedure for cashless payments. 

The following data is required to complete the SEPA form:

• Name of the account holder
• Name of the bank
• Account number (IBAN)
• Bank Identifier Code (BIC)
• Your address in Paderborn

Every exchange student must register with the city of Paderborn. You will later receive a personal tax number and a broadcasting licence fee number in connection with this. 

To register, you must bring several documents with you, including a landlord's certificate the so called Wohnungsgeberbescheinigung. Please ask the STW housing administration to issue this document when you visit. 

Here you will find all the information you need about the broadcasting licence fee.

Link: https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/english/students-and-apprentices

If you have any questions about rental matters, please always contact the Student Services (your landlord) in the first instance. As the STW receives a large number of emails, the quickest and easiest way is to come directly to the STW office hours (Wednesdays 10 a.m.–12 p.m. and Thursdays 1:30–3:30 p.m.). There you can also discuss things in person at short notice.