You are planning a research stay in Germany and want to find out where you and your family can live while you are here?

Housing in Germany is in short supply and, at least in the big cities, very expensive. You frequently have to spend 40% of your salary on rent. One of the ways of finding accommodation is by applying to the Foreign Students' Advisory Office ("Akademisches Auslandsamt") at your university or research institution for a flat in a university guest house. Sometimes the Foreign Students' Advisory Offices, or whichever office is responsible for foreign guests, will arrange for flats with private landlords. Read the advertisements in the local newspapers (list of abbreviations to help you with your search). In addition, there are notice boards ("schwarze Bretter") at universities where advertisements are posted. In many university towns there are agencies arranging "shared accommodation" ("Mitwohnzentralen"). Estate agencies ("Maklerbüros") are certainly the most expensive option. Last but not least, your can post your own small-ad.








Further information:

Searching for accommodation - general
Criteria for the search, housing advertisements, estate agencies, deposits, lease agreements, moving in and out.
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

Guest houses and international meeting centres for scientists and scholars (IBZ)
Guest houses and international meeting centres for scientists and scholars (IBZ) at 49 institutions of higher education in the whole of Germany.
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation