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CENTRE PLUS NEWS No. 3, 2012Social issues

One of the major challenges that you may encounter in Lithuania is the searching of accommodation. Often the owners of accommoda-tion are looking for long-term ten-ants (at least for one year period), and also very often they prefer couples or young families to lonely people.

Meanwhile, foreigners may face the difficulties of finding a place of residence without help. Center PLUS offers alternative support. The social worker of the Center PLUS consults, mediates and rep-resents during the housing search. It is important to note that the hous-ing prices increase in major Lithu-anian cities before the start of the new school year. During this period to find an accommodation becomes extremely difficult.

When looking for the accommo-dation in Lithuania, it also may be useful:

• searching for ads in local news-papers (e.g. “Alio reklama”. It is published twice a week: Mondays and Thursdays);

• view the ads on notice boards in staircases of blocks of flats;

• consult with local real estate agencies. All real estate agen-cies in Lithuania can be found on: www.118.lt (details: http://118.lt/veiklu-sritys/nekilnojamojo-turto-biurai-ir-agenturos/401 )

• on these websites you can find houses, flats and rooms for rent in Lithuania: www.aruodas.lt ;

www.skelbiu.lt ; www.alio.lt ; www.skelbikas.lt ; www.bustonuo-ma.lt ; www.butonuoma.lt ; www.skelbimai.lt ; www.nts24.lt .

You can rent an accommodation by the following ways:

• be a tenant: to live in a house along with a private house / apart-ment owner;

• share a house with other people having only a bedroom for your-self. In that case you should always share the amenities of the house. This type of accommodation is not as expensive as the other and in addition all utilities are reckoned into the rent, so you do not have to pay any extra fees. On this web-site you will find ads, where people are looking for roommates: http://www.ieskaukambarioko.lt/ ;

• you can also rent a house or apartment in private and to be the only resident but it can be quite expensive and depends on the area

you are moving to. (Expensive apartments are closer to the center, cheap are near the station area or further away from the city center). Municipal accounts usually are not included into the rental price.

It is also important to know that home owners usually require a de-posit, which you have to pay with the first rent money. The amount of deposit is usually equal to one or two months’ rent and is assembled by the house / apartment owner or a person authorized by the agency during the period of the lease, and it will not be returned, if the tenants or their guests do financial damage to rental property. This cash payment deposit can be used as the last pay-ment for a rent. You will get your cash payment, if no damage occurs.

When you decide to rent an ac-commodation, before signing a contract or any other relevant docu-

SEEKING HOME – HELP ME PLEASE...

Centre Plius News No.1, 20122

ment, read the document from start to finish and ask for a copy of this document. Do not sign a rent con-

tract, if you do not understand it fully. If you need help with legal is-sues, you could get help and advice

from the staff of Centre PLUS. Good luck looking for new and

cozy home!

Migration

More and more young people are breaking into wide world looking for own happiness, adventures and dreaming about a better life. The citizens of any state by selecting a country, where they would like to link their own destiny should be at least minimally aware of their responsibilities and comply with them.

One old proverb says: “East or West home is best!” Then, where is the “home”? Is this the place, where you were born and grew up, or the place, where you feel good now?

In previous newsletters we

SECOND HOME ABROAD

introduced the information about the basic requirements for a residence permit, and in this article we are going to present the Law on declaration of the Residence after granting a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania.

Declare their place of residence must all the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania, citizens of a foreign state other than a European Union Member State or an EFTA Member State who have a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania and stateless persons who have come to live in the Republic of Lithuania, those who are changing their

place of residence in the Republic of Lithuania or those leaving the Republic of Lithuania for a period longer than 6 month. The place of persons who have not reached the age of 16 shall be declared by their parents, adoptive parents, guardians or any other persons, who, under laws or any other legal acts, must take care of them, defend their rights and legitimate interests.

Who is the resident of the Republic of Lithuania and what is the declaration of the place of residence? The resident of the Republic of Lithuania shall mean a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania

Centre Plius News No.1, 2012 3

residing in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, a citizen of a foreign state or a stateless person, who has to submit address of the place of residence to a declaration institution which keeps records of the date in municipality, where he lives. The resident of the Republic of Lithuania shall declare only one place of residence at a time even if he lived in several places. Person who must to declare his place of residence shall declare it within 7 working days from the day, when he was granted a resident permit.

There is no requirement to inform Migration Department about that, but aliens who are changing their place of residence must inform local police authorities of immigration office and keep in mind that leaving Lithuanian Republic for a period longer than 6 month is must to declare. Migration Department

must be informed about any change of the place of residence.

A foreigner has the right to choose his place of residence in Lithuania, to change it, to leave the Republic of Lithuania and return back during the time stated in a residence permit. A foreigner can stay in a hotel, to rent a house, apartment, cottage or room; to buy a cottage, an apartment or a house, but it is necessary to have a documentary evidence that the alien has his own place of residence or is under a contract not less than the requested residence period or has the permission of a person or legal entity to give him the living place during the time of residence permit.

By decision of a declaration institution, the data of declaration shall be removed if: 1) A residence permit in the

Republic of Lithuania issued to an alien is revoked.2) It is refused to issue or renew a residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania to an alien.3) The term of validity of a temporary residence permit in the Republic of Lithuania issued to an alien expires.

The residents of the Republic of Lithuania, who must declare their place of residence but have broken the law or submitted false information of the declaration, must answer according to the law of the Republic of Lithuania. It should be noted that it could be a reason to abolish a resident permit.

Pleasant and legal residence in Lithuania!

Psychological issuesHOW TO TAME A NEW HOME?

Over the lifetime a person usual-ly has not only one home. One place which becomes our home itself is a place, where we were born and grew up. The other places we make homes ourselves - we create them and tame up. Upon arrival to a new country a home is needed very bad because everyone needs a place, where he can regain his strength, calm down or stay alone with his thoughts and dreams. The lack of such a place and the feeling of not having a home for a long-term in stressful conditions can cause ex-haustion and negatively affect both physical and mental health. How to make it easier to build a home in a new country?

● It is important not to be afraid to appeal to someone for help in finding accommodation because to

do it alone can be challenging. You can get an advice not only from the staff of Center PLUS but also from center visitors i.e. the foreigners al-ready living in Lithuania.

● Usually the first home on ar-rival to a new country is temporary, and someone has often to move in and live with a little familiar peo-ple. You should be prepared for that and to think in advance, how to make removals less stressful. It is also important to find a place, where you can regain your strength before you will settle down at your own home.

Maybe you like nature and it can be a place to calm down and to have some time for yourself, or maybe you feel peace listening to a live music. The most important

thing is actively and consciously to look for soothing, safe and relaxing places and activities which can give you the sense of being yourself.

● It is worth to have at least a few small but very important items related with the precious memories. You can pick up something impor-tant on leaving for a new country and also consider, whether you will be able to find some specific tools or household utensils which have become part of your daily habits.

● Home is not just your apart-ment or house, but also the places which you often visit and the en-vironment which you know and where you are recognized. It is im-portant to find places that are most attractive to you in a new city and to visit them more often, to get ac-


quainted with people who are there and also to show these places to new interesting people you meet.

● If possible, at the beginning try to visit your home, family members and friends who where left by you more often. According to research the frequency of contacts is particu-larly important for well-being not only of those who left but also of those who stayed at home. Com-munication with family members as often as possible alive and by modern means of communication is very important for the better feeling of all family members.

In general, the feeling of home in a new environment forms in a really long time. It depends on a human personality, individual char-acter, and it may require several years. However, this process can be speeded by your own efforts and the efforts of people who are near you, and it can be creative, soothing and energizing process.

Cultural issuesWANT TO UNDERSTAND LITHUANIA AND LITHUANIANS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? BECOME A PART OF LOCAL LIFE!

If you settle down in the coun-tryside or a small town, then con-tact an administrative division of the country. Villages and small towns have cultural or community houses, which not only organize events, but also are responsible for leisure. The smaller the town, the higher the chance that the infor-mation posted up on information stands at the municipal, township or community houses will be in Lithuanian language.

For that reason, in addition to state agencies and non-governmen-

Those of you, who have come to Lithuania not for tourist pur-poses and plan to settle here for shorter or longer period of time, should know a few things, espe-cially if you want to join the so-cial life in Lithuania as soon as possible.

At first glance the Lithuanians may seem a little chilly, but noth-ing unites and breaks the ice better than a joint activity.

Looking for special events? Like dancing or singing? Belong to any

religion? Interested in sports? May-be want to be a volunteer? Do not abandon your interests and make inquiries in the nearest public ad-ministrative agency about cultural centers, sports clubs and non-gov-ernmental organizations which op-erate in your city, town or village.

If you live in the city, contact the city council. You will find the cultural, sporting and non-formal education departments, which pro-vide you with information about cultural events and other forms of leisure.


tal organizations, it is recommend-ed to ask local people or neighbors (a great opportunity to speak to somebody and to broaden the circle of friends!).

The most popular sport in Lithu-ania which sometimes humorously is treated as the second religion of the state is basketball, but other sports (from yoga, pilates to wres-tling, fencing, or kering) also take place.

Coaches do not always speak Eng-lish or Russian languages, but you can really find one of the athletes who will help you to understand. In addition, it can be a great motiva-tion for you to start learning Lithu-anian language.

Those who cannot live with-out music, theater and dance will definitely be able to extend their activities in Lithuania. The choice is wide: from musical groups to individual lessons; from theater studies to various dance clubs. The widest choice is for those who are interested in sport or linear dances. Various dance studios work with professionals and nonprofessionals as well.

Those who are practicing religion should be aware that the dominant religion in Lithuania is Roman Catholic, but you can find the plac-es of worship for Orthodox, Old Be-lievers, Evangelicals, Jehovah's Wit-nesses, Muslims, Charismatics, Jews

or even Old Balts Believers.

Of course, the everyday life in the capital city, big cities and small towns is different, because it is natu-ral that the options are much higher in the capital city. If you cannot find anything, contact us and we will be happy to help you in finding, what you are looking for. If not, then at least we will be able to offer an al-ternative. New activities may reveal undiscovered passion in you, or even a talent.


Law issuesBASIC PRINCIPLES OF A LEASE AGREEMENT Rent is one of the most frequently chosen ways to have a home. If you decided to rent a house or a flat, in case to avoid troubles, it would be im-portant to pay attention to at least the following basic princi-ples of a lease:1) Form of contract.Although the law of the Repub-lic of Lithuania does not require a permanent rent contract in writ-ing, it is recommended in all cases to have a simple written contract (not certified by a notary) with the key conditions discussed. A ten-ant is advised to register a written lease in the public register, because that will help to protect his rights, if disagreements arise, i.e. on the validity of the rent after the change of a landlord.

2) Procedure for the review of rent and utilities.It is important to determine not only the rent but also a review

procedure of a contract because it can help to avoid the rotations in rent caused by unilateral decision of a landlord. It should be noted that the rent amount can be re-viewed no more often than once a year. The landlord has no right to ask for more than one month in advance. It is important to agree on a utility tax, determining who will pay these fees. Usually the pay for utilities is paid separately from the rent and the landlord himself pays for provided services to companies.

3) Assessment of the state of housing.

It is recommended to describe in detail the state of housing be-fore moving in. This information is provided in the Annex to the contract: the Report of Acceptance and Assignment. It helps to prevent possible unwarranted claims for the inappropriate use of things.

4) Termination of contract.It is advisable to the parties of con-tract to discuss the options of ter-mination. It should be noted that under the law of the Republic of Lithuania the tenant has the right to terminate a contract inform-ing the landlord within a month. In turn, the landlord must inform the tenant within 6 months (if the contract is indefinite). Also it is needed to discuss the other options of the termination of a contract.

5) Persons who are allowed to live with the tenant in a rented housing.

Lithuanian law provides that to live with the tenant in a rented housing have the right those family members and former members of the family, who are identified in the contract. Other people may tempo-rarily reside in with the permission of the landlord, but it is important to note that the tenant is responsi-


OtherHousing

Housing is a problem that we all face not only in Lithuania but also in our countries after a big crazy increase in the prices of real estate which happened in 2006. So housing is a problem for the Lithu-anians themselves also, as it is for the foreigners. Foreigners who live in Lithuania have the right to rent, buy and sell apartments and homes. But here I will tell you about rent-ing apartments because it concerns the most of us.

When you are looking for a flat to rent, the first step you should take is to look on one of these web sites: www.city24.lt, www.edomus.lt, www.remax.lt.

There you will find all, what you need: starting from a room sharing and ending with buying houses all over Lithuania.

The average rent price in Lithu-ania for the flat of 50 sq. m is 600 litas per month plus utilities.

I want also to indicate the heating price in winter. It will be about 100 litas for every room you have. That will raise your utilities price for more than 30 %.

For low budget arrivals the best way is to share a room in an apart-ment. It is very hard to find a Lithu-anian person who can accept a for-eigner to be his roommate but you can always find your own nation-ality and foreign friends who also need roommates. The only place

ble for their actions. For more information on lease

agreement, the basic conditions and other related issues, visit the

Lithuanian Civil Code, Book 6 Chapter XXXI.


The newspaper is published, implementing the project “Consultation and information centre PLUS” according the European Fund for the

Integration of third-country nationals, annual Programme 2011

CENTRE PLUS · A.Smetonos street 5, room No 302 · VilniusTel.: 85 261 74 82 / 8 605 77 245

Email: [email protected] · www.facebook.com (search for: Centre Plus)Working days: Monday to Friday · Opening hours: 11:30 to 15:30

and 16:30 to 20:30

in the capital, where you can meet all nationalities is the Multicultural Center and Center PLUS. They are two centers which are giving ser-vices and information for foreign-ers who arrived from non European countries for free.

Also there is another way, if

you want to keep all the troubles and you are able to pay extra fees. Then you could use one of real es-tate agencies. You have only to tell them, what you are searching for and they will find you all what you need.

Finally, I would like to say

that you should do the final deci-sion related to housing issues by your own because you know your personal needs for accommodation best of all: what a flat or a room you need, how much you can pay for it, in what district you would like to live and other things. I wish you to find a nice and safe place for living.

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