The Hausordnung

I know you are familiar with that hit reality television show Big Brother, where strangers live under one roof where they deal with each other and Big Brother's house rules. Hausordnung is kind of like that. House rules, I mean. Since Germans favor regulations in their day to day life,
the idea of house orders is something that they willingly embrace.

Hausordnung is basically a list of rules apartment residents must abide by. There are rules for partying, cleaning the stairs, heaping the snow and taking out the garbage. If you are not aware of the rules, the guy next door would gladly inform you. But even though Germans live for rules, it doesn't mean they don't break them. While some like breaking the rules, others take delight on reprimanding the offenders. Some of the cases filed in courts are because of petty neighbor spats.

I wouldn't dream of living in an apartment where my actions are limited and dictated by niggling rules. Yeah, it makes sense, but come on, you have to be allowed to have a party! You have to admit, that is pretty ridiculous. But anyway, to each his own, and if this is how rule-abiding Germans want it, then I guess it's how it should be.