The most important things to know when you move to Hof: waste separation, city registration, health insurance, quiet hours and more — explained simply. German words you will hear are shown like this.
These fixed rules apply to all residents. They are part of your rental contract and make sure everyone feels at home:
Germany takes recycling seriously — and so does this house. Please separate your waste into the right bins. It only takes a few seconds and wrong separation can lead to fines for the whole house.
Plastic packaging, yogurt cups, cans, tetra packs, aluminium foil. Rinse briefly — no food inside!
Paper, cardboard, newspapers, delivery boxes (flattened!). No dirty pizza boxes.
Food scraps, fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags. No plastic bags!
Everything that does not fit elsewhere: hygiene products, dirty packaging, broken items.
Glass bottles and jars go to public glass containers in the street — sorted by white, green and brown glass.
Within 2 weeks of moving in, you must register your address at the city office (Einwohnermeldeamt) in Hof. You need:
The registration is free and you get a confirmation (Meldebescheinigung) that you need for your bank account, university and residence permit.
📍 Bürgerzentrum Hof, Karolinenstraße — book an appointment online at hof.de.
Health insurance is mandatory for all students in Germany — you cannot enroll at university without it. Public insurance for students costs roughly €120–130/month. We recommend DAK — see our Deals page for details and an easy English sign-up.
Every household in Germany pays a broadcasting fee of about €18/month — even without a TV. Good news: in this house the broadcasting fee is already included in your rent — you don't pay anything extra. If you still receive a letter from "ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice", don't throw it away — just send us a photo via WhatsApp and we take care of it.
German law and house rules require quiet between 22:00 and 06:00 and all day on Sundays and public holidays. Music, vacuuming, loud phone calls — keep it down during these times. Your neighbours (and housemates) will thank you.
Very German, very important: open your window fully for 5–10 minutes 2–3 times a day (called Stoßlüften), especially after showering and cooking. This prevents mold (Schimmel). Do not leave windows tilted open all day in winter — it wastes heating and still causes mold.