For more detailed information, please change to the German version of this website.

Housing

Berlin is a very popular city. It is often difficult to find a flat and the process can take a long time. You should therefore start looking for accommodation as early as possible – ideally straight after you have received your acceptance letter. 

On this page, you will find general information on accommodation. There are also links to the private housing market, student halls of residence and hostels for short stays. You will also often find offers for shared flats (WGs) and apartments on the noticeboards and websites of Berlin’s universities.

Please note that this list of links is not exhaustive. We provide it only to help you get started. We accept no liability for the content of external links.

Please note that our university does not have its own halls of residence and does not rent out or arrange accommodation.

Types of accommodation and accommodation search websites

  • Here is an overview of the typical types of accommodation:

    Shared flats (WG)

    • A private flat in which several people live together
    • You have your own room, but the bathroom and kitchen are shared
    • The rent is usually quoted as a net rent (including utilities)
    • In addition to the rent, you will also need to pay for electricity, internet and TV licence fees, and possibly heating costs, if these are not included in the rent. A deposit is usually required.
    • Monthly cost: €350–750 +

    Student hall of residence (Studierendenwohnheim)

    • The cheapest option for students living away from home
    • Usually located near universities
    • Room or appartment
    • Often with a shared kitchen and bathroom
    • Waiting times are often very long (up to 18 months)
    • Monthly rent: €320–450
       

    Studio appartment (1-Zimmer-Wohnung)

    • Open-plan space with sleeping and living areas and a fitted kitchen or a separate kitchen
    • The term ‘Zimmer’ refers to the combined sleeping and living area.
    • Monthly rent: €700–1,300 + (more expensive if furnished)

  • StudierendenWERK BERLIN offers affordable rooms and appartments to students in almost all of Berlin’s districts. As soon as you have received your admission letter from the university(Zulassungsbescheid) and paid your semester fees, you can apply for a room via the online hall of residence portal.

    As the waiting time can be very long (up to 18 months), we recommend that you also look for other accommodation options at the same time.

    If you have not yet found a room, you can contact the StudierendenWERK’s InfoCenter Wohnen (Hardenbergstr. 34, Foyer).

    Further information on halls of residence and the StudierendenWERK portal can be found here: studierendenWERK BERLIN - Housing

  • Standard accommodation websites (shared flats, apartments, etc.):

    Alternative accommodation websites

    Temporary accommodation

    Beware of scams ! (see trental agreement section below).

What you need to know about accommodation

  • The rent index (Mietspiegel) shows the average basic rent per square metre in a city. You can calculate the typical rent for a specific street and thus check whether the rental price is reasonable. The Berlin rent index can be found here: www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.de/wohnen/mietspiegel/

     

  • If you are renting a flat or a room, please note the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmiete:

    • Kaltmiete is the rent excluding service charges.
    • Warmmiete is the rent including service charges, for example for heating, hot water and bin collection. The tenancy agreement specifies which costs are included.
    • In most cases, you will also have to pay for electricity, possibly gas, the TV licence (Rundfunkbeitrag) and internet on top.
    • A deposit is usually required for most flats and rooms. This is generally equivalent to two to three months’ Kaltmiete and is refunded after you move out, provided no damage has been caused.
    • Beware of scams: Do not transfer any money before you have signed the rental agreement! Some scammers offer flats that do not even exist and demand advance payments. Do not make any payment before you have viewed the flat in person or through a trusted person and have a contract signed by the landlord.
    • On the Berlin Tenants‘ Association website, you will find tips on applying for a flat, rental agreements, subletting and tenants’ rights (information in German).

     

  • The broadcasting licence fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) funds German public service broadcasting (ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio). It applies to radio, television and computers with internet access. Every household or flat must pay the monthly fee, including (international) students. Further information on the broadcasting licence fee for students can be found here: Informationen für Studierende - Rundfunkbeitrag (only in German).

    What counts as a flat?

    • A room in a student hall of residence (including rooms without their own kitchen or bathroom)
    • An apartment (a small flat with its own kitchen and bathroom)
    • Shared flat: The fee is paid only once per flat. One person registers the shared flat and pays the fee. The other flatmates pay their share to this person. They do not need to register separately for the broadcasting licence fee.

    Exemption from the broadcasting licence fee:

    Students do not have to pay if they receive BAföG or certain social security benefits and do not live with their parents.They must apply for the exemption, which also covers spouses or registered partners, but no other flatmates. Here is the link to the application for an exemption or reductiont:Befreiung oder Ermäßigung beantragen - Rundfunkbeitrag

    Exemptions or reductions can be applied for upon proof of certain disabilities or impairments. For further details, click here: Menschen mit Behinderung - Rundfunkbeitrag

  • Students must register their new address at a Berlin Bürgeramt (it doesn’t matter which one!) within 14 days after they moved in, if: 

    • You moved to Berlin from abroad,
    • You moved to Berlin from another city in Germany or
    • You moved to a new address within the city.

     
    This is obligatory for all citizens, regardless of their nationality (Meldepflicht). There are various ways to register your home address:

    • If you have an EU passport, you can carry out your Anmeldung directly online with a Bund-ID account
    •  You can book an appointment online (see section "für Sie zuständig" at the bottom of the website).
    •  If you cannot find an appointment, you can send an e-mail directly to your local Bürgeramt or go there early.

  • If you have any questions regarding your rental agreement, rent increases, modernisation works or protection against unfair dismissal, you can contact the following tenancy advice services:

  • Housing benefit ("Wohngeld") helps people on low incomes with their housing costs and must be applied for at the local housing benefit office ("Wohngeldstelle").

    However, it is only worth applying for housing benefit if students are not, in principle, entitled to BAföG.

    You must therefore have applied for BAföG before applying for housing benefit!
    Why? Only the BAföG office at your place of study can determine whether you are fundamentally ineligible for BAföG funding. The negative BAföG decision then serves as proof for the housing benefit office.

    You can find out in which cases it may be worth applying for housing benefit on the website of the German Student Services Organisation (Deutsches Studierendenwerk).

    However, anyone who does not receive BAföG because the income of their parents and spouse/partner or their own income/assets is too high is excluded from housing benefit. 

    If you have any further questions on this matter, you can also contact the Student Financial Counselling at studierendenWERK BERLIN:
    https://www.stw.berlin/en/counselling/student-financial-counselling/