26 DAYS AGO • 6 MIN READ

Ban on amalgam tooth fillings in Europe, Terminate the rental contract correctly, and more...

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The European Council decided to phase out amalgam tooth filling from January 2025

  • As a rule, amalgam may no longer be used for dental treatments in the EU starting in January 2025.
  • Dentists can decide if treatment with amalgam is absolutely necessary on a case-by-case basis.
  • Earlier, public health insurance covered Amalgam tooth fillings. From Jan 2025, it will cover plastic/composite fillings.

If you are 35 and above, you should consider getting supplementary dental insurance. Here is why you shouldn't wait to develop dental problems.

  • Dental insurance doesn't cover existing diseases.
  • Many dental insurance companies don't accept customers with existing dental problems. So, your dental insurance options are reduced drastically.
  • You pay a higher premium. So, in the end, you don't save anything by postponing taking dental insurance.

We found Deutsche Familienversicherung AG*, and Feather* (Barmenia) the best dental insurance plans in Germany. You can read more about dental insurance in Germany here.


How do you terminate the rental contract correctly?

As a tenant

  • You can terminate the rental contract by giving a three-month notice period.
  • How long you have lived in the property doesn't matter.
  • You must give the termination in writing. An email or a WhatsApp message isn't enough. You should send a signed letter by registered post. You can use our sample letter to terminate the rental contract.
  • Your landlord should receive the letter no later than the third working day of a month. If the landlord receives the letter later, that month isn't considered in the notice period. Saturday is considered a working day.

Example:

You want to terminate your rental contract and move into a new property on 1 March 2025. In this case, you must give notice to your landlord by 3 December 2024 at the latest. In this case, the notice period is Dec, Jan, Feb.

If you are late even by a day (i.e., 4 Dec 2024), your notice period ends on 31 March 2025 (Jan, Feb, March).

As a landlord

  • The notice period for landlords depends on how long the tenant is been living in the property. The longer the tenancy period, the longer the notice period.
  • The notice period is
    • 3 months for a tenancy period of 0 to 5 years
    • 6 months for a tenancy period of 5 to 8 years
    • 9 months for a tenancy period of longer than 8 years
  • The same rules apply to the landlord when giving the notice. This means you must give a notice in writing.

When do you need the landlord's permission to cancel the rental contract?

  • Your rental contract has a period in which you cannot terminate the contract. If you want to terminate the agreement during this period, you need the landlord's permission.
  • You signed a fixed-term rental contract. In this case, early termination is also usually not possible without the landlord's consent.
Note: Exclusion of termination is permitted, but only for up to four years.

When do you have a special right to terminate the rental contract?

  • Modernization of the property: In this case, you can terminate the contract by giving a two-month notice.
  • Rent increase: If you receive a rent increase notice from your landlord, you can terminate the contract by giving two months' notice. You have two months from receiving the rent increase letter to terminate the contract. Learn your right as a tenant about rent increases in Germany.
  • Health hazards: If there is a serious health hazard, you can terminate the rental contract without notice.
  • Death of a tenant:
    • If you have rented a property jointly with your partner, you can terminate the contract within one month after their death. You must give a three-month notice period.
    • If only one spouse is the main tenant and they die, the tenancy automatically passes to the surviving spouse.
    • If the tenant lived alone, the tenancy passes to the heirs after their death. The heirs can terminate the rental contract by giving a three months' notice.

You can even use the special right to terminate the contract during the cool-down period.

Stop paying high health insurance premiums

95% of the services offered by all public health insurance companies are the same. The reason is that the government regulates health insurers and ensures they provide the same coverage.

This is why locals switch to a public insurance company that charges lower premiums.

You can compare the premium you pay with your current public insurer and potential savings here.

Change contracts to save money - Deadline is the end of Nov.

Switching your electricity, gas, internet, car insurance, and other contracts can save you money. Companies and comparison portals offer various discounts to attract new customers. Switching your contracts can save you more than 1000€.

How do you do it?

  • Simply compare plans on Check24 or Verivox.
  • If you find a cheaper contract, sign up for it.
  • The new company takes care of canceling your old contract.

Make the switch and save

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As per your feedback, we have launched a new tool to help you create a power of attorney online for FREE. The tool guides you through the whole process and explains the importance of each point.

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Learn something new about Germany every day. We cover every aspect of life in Germany: insurance, tax, real estate, schooling, scams, etc.