Student Housing in Germany: Halls of Residence, Shared Flats and Costs
Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.
German universities do not allocate rooms with the study place. You look for housing yourself, and in the big cities you should start the day you decide to apply. This guide covers the two main options and the formalities that follow.
Halls of residence
Student residences are run by the local student services organisation, the Studierendenwerk, not by the university. They are the cheapest option. For the 273 residences with a published price in our catalogue, a room typically costs between €214 and €535 a month, usually including heating, electricity and internet.
- You apply online to the Studierendenwerk of your city. Many accept applications before you have an admission letter.
- Waiting lists in Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt and the university towns of the south are long, often longer than a semester.
- Some places are reserved for international students, and some universities hold a contingent for their first-year students from abroad. Ask the international office.
Prices and addresses by city are on our Germany pages.
Shared flats
Most students live in a shared flat, a Wohngemeinschaft or WG: each person rents a room and shares the kitchen and bathroom. Rooms are advertised on dedicated websites and university notice boards, and flatmates choose the new tenant after a short meeting, in person or by video.
Terms you will meet:
- Kaltmiete is the basic rent; Warmmiete includes heating and service charges. Electricity and internet may be extra.
- Zwischenmiete is a sublet for a limited period, useful for the first months.
- Möbliert means furnished. Unfurnished can mean without a kitchen.
Deposit and contract
The deposit (Kaution) for a rented home is limited by law to three months' basic rent, and you may pay it in three monthly instalments. The landlord must keep it separate from his own money and return it after you move out, minus justified claims. Always have a written contract, and never transfer money before you have seen the room, or had someone see it for you, and signed.
Registration
Within two weeks of moving in you must register your address at the residents' registration office. You need the landlord's written confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). The registration certificate is required for the residence permit, a bank account and the health insurance. Check before signing that the landlord allows registration at the address: offers that exclude it are a warning sign.
The broadcasting fee
Every household pays the public broadcasting contribution, €18.36 a month, whether or not you own a television. A shared flat pays once and splits it. Recipients of the state student grant can apply for an exemption.
The first weeks
If you have no room when the semester starts, book temporary accommodation for a few weeks: a hostel, a short sublet, or the emergency beds some student services open in October. Searching on the spot is far easier than from abroad, because you can attend viewings.
Budget
Rent takes the largest share of the monthly amount that the visa rules require you to prove; see student visa for Germany. In the most expensive cities a room on the private market costs more than the typical residence prices above.
Where to look next
Official sources
- Deutsches Studierendenwerk: find the student services organisation of your city
- DAAD: studying in Germany
- Rundfunkbeitrag: broadcasting contribution
Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.