FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

KAIFU is a Hamburg-based housing cooperative with around 5,000 flats. A large proportion of our portfolio is located in Eimsbüttel. Further flats are situated in various districts of Hamburg.

You can view our property portfolio here.

When it was founded, our co-operative was called ‘Baugenossenschaft innerhalb des Mietervereins von Groß-Hamburg von 1890 eGmbH’. As the first houses were built on Kaiser-Friedrich-Ufer, the abbreviation KAIFU soon became the standard name.

Since the merger with the Nordland Housing Cooperative eG in 1970, the cooperative has been known as the KAIFU-NORDLAND Housing Cooperative eG.

We publish details of available flats for members on the members’ portal and via the “Meine KAIFU” app.  There you’ll find all the details about the flat and can apply directly for a suitable listing. For non-members or those interested, we publish flat listings on our website. It’s not possible to submit a general application without a specific flat listing.

KAIFU flats are allocated primarily to members. If we are unable to find a suitable applicant amongst our members, external applicants may also apply. Upon signing the tenancy agreement, they become members of the co-operative.

As a general rule, we only accept new members in connection with the letting of a KAIFU flat. An exception is made for members’ children who are under the age of 18. Parents may take out a membership on their behalf.

We do not maintain a general waiting list. Please check our website or ‘My KAIFU’ for details of available flats and apply directly for a suitable one.

When allocating accommodation, we take into account household size, length of membership and social circumstances. The number of rooms should be proportionate to the number of people moving in. In the case of publicly subsidised accommodation, the relevant eligibility criteria also apply.

KAIFU does not let its flats to shared households. We only enter into tenancy agreements with adults.

The long-term tenancy agreement governs the use of your co-operative flat. Among other things, it contains details of the flat, the usage fee and the rights and obligations of both parties to the agreement.

As a member, you use a flat belonging to your co-operative under a long-term usage agreement. That is why we refer to it as a usage fee. In economic terms, it serves the same purpose as the rent in a standard tenancy agreement.

The term makes it clear that you are both a member of the co-operative and a user of a co-operative flat.

The usage fee depends on the flat, its size, fittings and location. For privately funded flats, we base our charges on the Hamburg rent index. For publicly subsidised flats, the relevant price controls apply.

You can find the basic tenancy fee and other costs in the relevant property listing.

A housing co-operative is owned by its members. Through their shares, the members of the co-operative provide equity capital. The co-operative uses this to build, manage and maintain flats for its members.

Membership does not grant you ownership of a specific flat. However, it links you to the co-operative and gives you the opportunity to live in a KAIFU flat on a long-term basis.

As a member, you are part of KAIFU. You can apply for vacant flats, take part in representative elections and thus have a say in important decisions affecting the co-operative.

Membership and the long-term tenancy agreement are legally separate. Therefore, your membership does not automatically end when you give up your flat.

As a general rule, we only accept new members in connection with the allocation of a KAIFU flat. An exception is made for members’ minor children. Parents may take out a membership on their behalf.

By purchasing a share, you become a shareholder in KAIFU. Each share costs 52 euros. The number of shares you are required to purchase depends, amongst other things, on the size, fittings and location of the flat.

You will find the exact amount in the property listing and in your contract documents.

Shares are not a rent deposit. By purchasing shares, you become a member of the co-operative and have a stake in its equity capital. At KAIFU, you therefore do not pay an additional rent deposit.

You can remain a member of KAIFU and retain your shares even after moving out. If you wish to withdraw all or part of your shares, the notice periods and provisions set out in our Articles of Association apply.

Payment is not made immediately upon leaving. The key factors are the termination of membership, the annual accounts and the provisions of the Articles of Association.

The General Meeting of Representatives decides on a dividend after the end of the financial year. A dividend payment and its amount are therefore not guaranteed. We publish the current resolutions together with the results of the General Meeting of Representatives.

KAIFU members elect their representatives. The Representatives’ Assembly decides on important matters concerning the co-operative and elects the Supervisory Board.

We publish information on the elections and the work of the Representatives’ Assembly on our website and in ‘Meine KAIFU’.

“Meine KAIFU” is the secure digital portal for our members. There, you can submit enquiries, access documents, view your usage data and keep up to date with the latest news regarding your tenancy.

You can access ‘My KAIFU’ in your browser via the members’ portal, or on your smartphone and tablet via the app.

No. You can also access the members’ portal via your computer’s web browser. If you’d like to use ‘My KAIFU’ on a smartphone or tablet, you can download the app from the App Store or Google Play.

Via ‘My KAIFU’, you can, amongst other things:

• Report repairs and other issues
• access personal documents and contract details
• View and download service charge statements
• View consumption data
• View vacant flats and apply for them
• Receive updates on repairs, maintenance and special offers
• Save or update your bank details

Please report repairs via the members’ portal or the ‘Meine KAIFU’ app. Select the ‘Damage and Repairs’ section there. Describe the damage as accurately as possible and add a photo if necessary. Your report will be sent directly to the relevant department.

Please call the emergency service centre if immediate action is required outside our office hours. This includes, for example, significant water damage, a complete power cut in your flat, or a heating failure in cold weather.

You can reach the emergency service centre on 040 345 110. Please report less urgent repairs, such as a dripping tap, via ‘Meine KAIFU’.

Keep the rooms at a consistent temperature and don’t block the radiators with furniture or curtains. To air the rooms, turn down the thermostats and open the windows fully for a few minutes. Windows left tilted open all the time will cause the rooms and walls to cool down.

Would you like to know more about this topic? Then have a look here: Heating and ventilating properly

Only switch on the lights where you need them, and avoid leaving appliances on standby. When doing a wash, 30 or 40 degrees is often enough. Taking shorter showers and turning off the tap whilst soaping up reduces hot water consumption.

Would you like to find out more about this topic? Then have a look here: Saving energy in everyday life

Packaging and items made of plastic or metal go in the yellow recycling bin. Clean paper and cardboard go in the blue bin. Kitchen and garden waste without plastic or bioplastic bags goes in the organic waste bin. Residual waste goes in the black bin.

Packaging must be empty. There’s no need to rinse it out.

Would you like to know more about this topic? Then have a look here: Sorting your rubbish correctly

Glass bottles and other glass packaging should be sorted by colour and placed in the public glass recycling bins. Red, blue, yellow and black glass goes in with the green glass. Window glass, mirrors, drinking glasses and ceramics do not belong in these bins.

Please only use the containers on weekdays between 7 am and 8 pm.

Would you like to know more about this topic? Then take a look here: Sorting glass correctly

You can drop off furniture, mattresses, electrical appliances, batteries, light bulbs, paint and other hazardous waste at a recycling centre run by Stadtreinigung Hamburg. Please do not leave these items next to the rubbish bins or in communal areas.

You can find Stadtreinigung Hamburg’s recycling centres here