diff --git a/doc/source/doc/models/building_ctmcs.ipynb b/doc/source/doc/models/building_ctmcs.ipynb
index ff3222952..50a0e180d 100644
--- a/doc/source/doc/models/building_ctmcs.ipynb
+++ b/doc/source/doc/models/building_ctmcs.ipynb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
     "## Background\n",
     "\n",
     "In this section, we explain how Stormpy can be used to build a simple CTMC.\n",
-    "Building CTMCs works similar to building DTMCs as in [Discrete-time Markov chains (DTMCs)](building_dtmcs.ipynb), but additionally every state is equipped with an exit rate.\n",
+    "Building CTMCs works similar to building DTMCs as in [Discrete-time Markov chains (DTMCs)](building_dtmcs.ipynb), however instead of transition probabilities we use transition rates.\n",
     "\n",
     "[01-building-ctmcs.py](https://github.com/moves-rwth/stormpy/blob/master/examples/building_ctmcs/01-building-ctmcs.py)\n",
     "\n",
@@ -100,33 +100,13 @@
     ">>> state_labeling.add_label_to_state('full', 3)"
    ]
   },
-  {
-   "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "metadata": {},
-   "source": [
-    "## Exit Rates\n",
-    "\n",
-    "Lastly, we initialize a list to equip every state with an exit rate:"
-   ]
-  },
-  {
-   "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {
-    "hide-output": false
-   },
-   "outputs": [],
-   "source": [
-    ">>> exit_rates = [1.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3.0]"
-   ]
-  },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
     "## Building the Model\n",
     "\n",
-    "Now, we can collect all components, including the choice labeling and the exit rates.\n",
+    "Now, we can collect all components, including the choice labeling.\n",
     "To let the transition values be interpreted as rates we set rate_transitions to True:"
    ]
   },
@@ -138,8 +118,7 @@
    },
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
-    ">>> components = stormpy.SparseModelComponents(transition_matrix=transition_matrix, state_labeling=state_labeling, rate_transitions=True)\n",
-    ">>> components.exit_rates = exit_rates"
+    ">>> components = stormpy.SparseModelComponents(transition_matrix=transition_matrix, state_labeling=state_labeling, rate_transitions=True)\n"
    ]
   },
   {
diff --git a/doc/source/doc/models/building_mas.ipynb b/doc/source/doc/models/building_mas.ipynb
index b4f177fb3..5d0a2377e 100644
--- a/doc/source/doc/models/building_mas.ipynb
+++ b/doc/source/doc/models/building_mas.ipynb
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
     "Markov automata use states that are probabilistic, i.e. like the states of an MDP, or Markovian, i.e. like the states of a CTMC.\n",
     "\n",
     "In this section, we build a small MA with five states from which the first four are Markovian.\n",
-    "Since we covered labeling and exit rates already in the previous examples we omit the description of these components.\n",
+    "Since we covered the labeling already in the previous examples we omit the description here.\n",
     "The full example can be found here:\n",
     "\n",
     "[01-building-mas.py](https://github.com/moves-rwth/stormpy/blob/master/examples/building_mas/01-building-mas.py)\n",
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@
     "nbsphinx": "hidden"
    },
    "source": [
-    "## Labeling and Exit Rates"
+    "## Labeling"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -115,9 +115,7 @@
     ">>> for label in choice_labels:\n",
     "...     choice_labeling.add_label(label)\n",
     ">>> choice_labeling.add_label_to_choice('alpha', 0)\n",
-    ">>> choice_labeling.add_label_to_choice('beta', 1)\n",
-    "\n",
-    ">>> exit_rates = [0.0, 10.0, 12.0, 1.0, 1.0]"
+    ">>> choice_labeling.add_label_to_choice('beta', 1)\n"
    ]
   },
   {
@@ -141,6 +139,29 @@
     ">>> markovian_states =  stormpy.BitVector(5, [1, 2, 3, 4])"
    ]
   },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {
+    "nbsphinx": "hidden"
+   },
+   "source": [
+    "## Exit Rates\n",
+    "\n",
+    "Lastly, we initialize a list to equip every (Markovian) state with an exit rate > 0:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "metadata": {
+    "nbsphinx": "hidden"
+   },
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "\n",
+    ">>> exit_rates = [0.0, 10.0, 12.0, 1.0, 1.0]"
+   ]
+  },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
    "metadata": {},
diff --git a/examples/building_ctmcs/01-building-ctmcs.py b/examples/building_ctmcs/01-building-ctmcs.py
index 0fd0702d0..c2603a1c1 100644
--- a/examples/building_ctmcs/01-building-ctmcs.py
+++ b/examples/building_ctmcs/01-building-ctmcs.py
@@ -35,13 +35,9 @@ def example_building_ctmcs_01():
     state_labeling.add_label_to_state('empty', 0)
     state_labeling.add_label_to_state('full', 3)
 
-    # Exit rate for each state
-    exit_rates = [1.5, 4.5, 4.5, 3.0]
-
     # Collect components
     # rate_transitions = True, because the transition values are interpreted as rates
     components = stormpy.SparseModelComponents(transition_matrix=transition_matrix, state_labeling=state_labeling, rate_transitions=True)
-    components.exit_rates = exit_rates
 
     # Build the model
     ctmc = stormpy.storage.SparseCtmc(components)
diff --git a/examples/building_mas/01-building-mas.py b/examples/building_mas/01-building-mas.py
index d68374179..a7e4bcc27 100644
--- a/examples/building_mas/01-building-mas.py
+++ b/examples/building_mas/01-building-mas.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ def example_building_mas_01():
     choice_labeling.add_label_to_choice('alpha', 0)
     choice_labeling.add_label_to_choice('beta', 1)
 
+    # Provide exit rates (for Markovian states)
     exit_rates = [0.0, 10.0, 12.0, 1.0, 1.0]
 
     markovian_states = stormpy.BitVector(5, [1, 2, 3, 4])
diff --git a/tests/storage/test_model_components.py b/tests/storage/test_model_components.py
index 40e12618c..223402d5e 100644
--- a/tests/storage/test_model_components.py
+++ b/tests/storage/test_model_components.py
@@ -357,9 +357,6 @@ def test_build_ctmc(self):
         choice_labeling.set_choices('loop2b', stormpy.BitVector(nr_choices, [6, 9]))
         choice_labeling.set_choices('serve2', stormpy.BitVector(nr_choices, [10, 11]))
 
-        # state exit rates
-        exit_rates = [201.0, 200.5, 200.5, 201.0, 200.0, 1.5, 200.5, 200.5, 1.0, 200.0, 1.5, 1.0]
-
         # state valuations
         manager = stormpy.ExpressionManager()
         var_s = manager.create_integer_variable(name='s')
@@ -391,7 +388,7 @@ def test_build_ctmc(self):
         components = stormpy.SparseModelComponents(transition_matrix=transition_matrix, state_labeling=state_labeling,
                                                    reward_models=reward_models, rate_transitions=True)
         components.choice_labeling = choice_labeling
-        components.exit_rates = exit_rates
+        # exit_rates are not required due to using a rate matrix
         components.state_valuations = state_valuations
 
         # Build CTMC