Finding Student Accommodation in Germany
Foreign students can begin the search at their university's international office. This office can advise students and provide them with information on local accommodation, but will not usually provide a room-finding service. Some housing associations will also offer affordable student accommodation. In addition, many students' unions offer a property service with a range of suitable accommodation options for students.
If you want to share a property with other students, it is important to read the property advertisements in newspapers, student magazines and on the student notice boards. You can also post a notice on these boards requesting a place to stay. International students who are not on site will need to search accommodation websites for available properties, or contact the staff at the international office and ask them to post an advertisement on their behalf.
In order to find a place in student accommodation, that is, accommodation designed for, and available only to students, you will need to visit or contact the relevant students' union. The union is responsible for numerous different properties, some offering accommodation for students with children and for disabled students. For an overview of students' unions, as well as useful information on student accommodation, see studentenwerke.de.
It is impossible to describe a typical student home in Germany, at least in terms of location, number of residents and furnishings. It is common to find student accommodation with shared bathrooms and kitchens, but also common for students to live in individual apartments. Although sharing facilities is common, it is unusual to share a bedroom. Most student homes will offer furnished rooms, but this furniture will usually be basic. Although student homes offer many advantages for students who are moving to a new city and wish to make new friends, there is no reason why newcomers to the university must live here. There is certainly no reason to believe that a shared apartment is a worse option than a designated student home, nor should you feel that as a student you need to live as near as possible to the campus.
There are also places available for students at halls of residence run by private organisations; to apply for a place you should contact the relevant student home directly. Details and contact addresses are generally offered by the AStA (Allgemeiner Studierenden-Ausschuss), a branch of the students' union found in every university. Some student accommodation and student advice services offer a registration service, via which you can apply for a place in a student residence. If you browse your university's website, there will usually be information on finding accommodation in the area; most student homes will also have websites.
