# Student housing in Germany

> How student housing works in Germany, including providers, queues, deposits, contracts and practical risks to check before signing.

Source of record: https://versityspot.com/study-abroad/germany/housing
Confirmation: 26 of 26 sections confirmed against their official source (last 2026-08-08).

## Housing

Housing is the hardest part of studying in Germany, and in Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne and Berlin it borders on brutal. Apply for a Studentenwerk hall of residence the day you are admitted, because the waiting lists run for semesters, and the rent is a fraction of the private market.

The common alternative is a WG, a shared flat, where a room is advertised and the existing residents interview candidates. It is a social process rather than a commercial one, and being interviewed in German helps.

Expect to pay a deposit, the Kaution, of up to three months of cold rent, held in a separate account and returned after you leave. Rent is quoted cold, kalt, meaning without heating and utilities. The warm figure is what you actually pay.

Never transfer a deposit for a flat you have not seen, and be sceptical of any landlord who cannot meet you. Fake listings target arriving international students every September.

*Source: https://www.studentenwerke.de/en*

## Common questions

### What should international students know about housing in Germany?

Apply for a Studentenwerk hall the day you are admitted. Otherwise expect a WG, a deposit, and a search.