You are ready for your first steps in Germany and are looking for an accommodation? An Accommodation is essential, but not always that easy in Germany, especially in bigger cities. Here I collect some information for you. to help you with the first steps in Germany. To avoid stress I recommend to start looking in advance.
1. Fast solutions for accommodation: AIRBNB
If you look for a fast solution for the first few days www.airbnb.com can be an option. Sometimes you can find rooms or apartments that are rented for long terms. Keep in mind that this option comes with a big disadvantage. Normally they won’t give a rental contract that means you can’t register your address and get mails. To register your address is very important in Germany eg. for Visa issues or other bureaucratic steps like getting your German ID (Aufenthaltsgenehmingung) or your tax ID or getting German health insurance etc.
2. Shared apartment: WG
Another option is to share an apartment. I recommend this website: www.wg-gesucht.de This is a very convenient option if you don’t want to live alone and don’t want to deal with a lot of organizational stuff. Basically you rent a room and share the kitchen and the bath. To get this room often you have to pass several interviews.
Normally you get a rental contract with which you easily register your address (famous Anmeldung). In general it is a cheaper option and can be fun, but please keep in mind that problems can come up with the cleaning or with privacy eg. noise.
3. Options for students: student halls
If you are a student you may check out the student halls of your university or cities where you want to live. As a matter of fact they are cheap accommodations and perfect to make friends. You can apply to the student halls without being already accepted to the university. I recommend applying to all the student halls of all the universities you applied to – just in case, as they are very popular.
4. Rent an accommodation on your own
The last option I would like to suggest is to rent an apartment on your own or with the help of an agency (if you have the budget, because the agency needs to be paid – otherwise it is an easier option). I recommend the website: www.immoblienscout24.de – there is an option to have a premium account which comes with benefits. To rent in Germany means that you apply with hundreds of other interested persons. You have to have your papers in order (work contract or a guarantor, Schufa-Auskunft – that means you don’t have debts). Normally if you rent out an apartment. they ask you for the 3 last payments slips. This can be difficult if you start a new job. Please, ask your employer for help in this case.
Normally apartments are not furnished. A very important piece of information is that a lot of apartments don’t come with a kitchen, so please don’t be surprised 🙂 This adds thousands of euros to your initial budget. Ask, if the kitchen is included or not. Furthermore you need to contract your own internet. Sometimes it takes weeks that the company installs the internet.
Cold vs. warm rent
You can rent an apartment cold or warm (Kaltmiete vs. Warmmiete). Cold means without water, electricity and heating, warm means these costs are somehow included in advance with an average amount. Normally once a year you get a complete bill of the cost of water, heating and electricity. Your landlord checks if you consumed more or less of these resources. You get money back (Rückzahlung) or you have to pay the difference (Nachzahlung). The difference can be huge and can add up to hundreds of euros, please ask in advance your landlord.
Finally you get a rental contract with which you register your address – the famous Anmeldung.
Last tipps
All this information is based on my own experience: I lived in student halls, shared apartments (WG), furnished apartments and apartments I rented alone. I think a nice place to live depends a lot on your own budget. The higher your budget is, the easier you find something in a neighborhood you like. Especially in the first time it can be frustrating. Please, don’t sign any rental contract without seeing the apartment, they are a lot of scams. They take your money and disappear. Also be aware of the registration issue like Anmeldung. Some persons rent their rented apartments, so you never get any rental contract nor the paper for Anmeldung. They just keep promising and you end up with legal problems, as it is mandatory in Germany to register.
Any questions left for your first steps in Germany? Please write me a comment with you doubt and your own experience!
