Finding a house or flat in Germany

MrJay · 10-27-2004, 07:26 PM

I recently moved to germany so i really needed this.
"He who looks, finds." The thought may be true, but unfortunately it doesn't include the "when." Looking for an apartment in Germany can be a time-consuming and nerve-wracking experience. Whatever you do, give yourself plenty of time to do it. It's best to start the process of looking for a reasonably priced flat before your trip. Living can be expensive in Germany and it's not at all unusual for one-half of a German's salary to go towards paying the rent. If you don't want to have to depend on striking it lucky, you should consider several options for your apartment search.

Newspapers and bulletin boards

There are ads for apartments for rent in local papers, mostly in the Wednesday and weekend editions. You can also put your own ad in the paper announcing that you're looking for a place to rent. Another possibility is to look at the specialized German publications that contain only ads ("Marktplatz", "Annonce"). It's often possible to find a place through your university or institute. Bulletin boards are good resources, and are often plastered over several layers deep with apartment notices. For those who are coming to Germany alone, so-called WG's (shared living arrangements) are often a good option. You can live cheaply this way and meet new people at the same time.

Apartment Finders, University Guest Houses, Realtors

In many university towns there are organizations who will find short-term apartments or roommates for you, for a fee. Sometimes university guest houses have flats available. And to those who opt to find a flat through a realtor, be aware that a commission of two months' rent is usual. That's a lot of money and isn't really worth it for a short stay. However, if it's got to be a realtor, make sure he or she is a member of the German Realtor's Association (Ring Deutscher Makler - RDM).

Hints

Your host will gladly help you in your apartment search. Don't hesitate to ask a colleague or acquaintance for help in formulating the text of an ad you place in the paper or when you sign a lease agreement. They'll be certain to understand your request, since everybody's experienced the hassle of looking for a new flat.

At first glance, deciphering the classified ads in the newspaper might seem like a task fit for a professional cryptographer, but you'll soon learn to navigate the countless abbreviations you see. Here are a few hints to help you along:

- "3 Zi.-Whg" means three-room apartment
- "3 ZKDB" stands for three rooms plus kitchen, hallway, bath
- "ZH" is central heating
- "zzgl. NK" means there are additional costs for heating, gas, and other services.
- "K" is the security deposit.
- "NR" is an abbreviation for non-smoker
- "WG" is a shared living arrangement
- "Kalt" means that the heating costs are not included.
- "NMM" means that additional costs for gas, heating, electricity, garbage and water will be added on.

TheEnd · 10-27-2004, 07:28 PM

Finding an apartment in Germany is really hard, especially if you go there for schooling. Maybe this will help someone. Thanks for the info.

grace · 02-24-2009, 08:54 AM

Thanks for the information but mostly in Germany you find usually two types of listed offers: Those from private people offering the house or apartment to rent, and those from agencies or brokers. Private people can either be landlords who own the house, or tenants who look for someone to take over and step into their terms of contract; or private people or companies who have actually rented a place and want to sublet it, either for commercial reasons or because they have to move to another place for a while. A last possibility would be property management institutions if you know any.

Barkri12 · 04-08-2009, 06:30 AM

As you probably already know, visiting Europe by train is one of my favorite proposals and I have planned lots of trips in this zone. Today's itinerary is an alternative proposal that will cover the countries of Germany, Austria and Denmark. The whole route is done by train, as the crossing with ferry is done with the train inside! Of course, my recommendation is taking one of the multiple country passes that exist either for Europeans and people coming from abroad.

tiffanyhammond · 05-08-2009, 10:19 AM

Trains are brilliant way to travel in Germany - always on time and not too expensive

10-27-2004, 07:26 PM	#1
MrJay Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 10	Finding a house or flat in Germany I recently moved to germany so i really needed this. "He who looks, finds." The thought may be true, but unfortunately it doesn't include the "when." Looking for an apartment in Germany can be a time-consuming and nerve-wracking experience. Whatever you do, give yourself plenty of time to do it. It's best to start the process of looking for a reasonably priced flat before your trip. Living can be expensive in Germany and it's not at all unusual for one-half of a German's salary to go towards paying the rent. If you don't want to have to depend on striking it lucky, you should consider several options for your apartment search. Newspapers and bulletin boards There are ads for apartments for rent in local papers, mostly in the Wednesday and weekend editions. You can also put your own ad in the paper announcing that you're looking for a place to rent. Another possibility is to look at the specialized German publications that contain only ads ("Marktplatz", "Annonce"). It's often possible to find a place through your university or institute. Bulletin boards are good resources, and are often plastered over several layers deep with apartment notices. For those who are coming to Germany alone, so-called WG's (shared living arrangements) are often a good option. You can live cheaply this way and meet new people at the same time. Apartment Finders, University Guest Houses, Realtors In many university towns there are organizations who will find short-term apartments or roommates for you, for a fee. Sometimes university guest houses have flats available. And to those who opt to find a flat through a realtor, be aware that a commission of two months' rent is usual. That's a lot of money and isn't really worth it for a short stay. However, if it's got to be a realtor, make sure he or she is a member of the German Realtor's Association (Ring Deutscher Makler - RDM). Hints Your host will gladly help you in your apartment search. Don't hesitate to ask a colleague or acquaintance for help in formulating the text of an ad you place in the paper or when you sign a lease agreement. They'll be certain to understand your request, since everybody's experienced the hassle of looking for a new flat. At first glance, deciphering the classified ads in the newspaper might seem like a task fit for a professional cryptographer, but you'll soon learn to navigate the countless abbreviations you see. Here are a few hints to help you along: - "3 Zi.-Whg" means three-room apartment - "3 ZKDB" stands for three rooms plus kitchen, hallway, bath - "ZH" is central heating - "zzgl. NK" means there are additional costs for heating, gas, and other services. - "K" is the security deposit. - "NR" is an abbreviation for non-smoker - "WG" is a shared living arrangement - "Kalt" means that the heating costs are not included. - "NMM" means that additional costs for gas, heating, electricity, garbage and water will be added on.

05-08-2009, 10:19 AM	#5
tiffanyhammond Junior Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 17	Trains are great Trains are brilliant way to travel in Germany - always on time and not too expensive

10-27-2004, 07:28 PM	#2
TheEnd Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 3	Finding an apartment in Germany is really hard, especially if you go there for schooling. Maybe this will help someone. Thanks for the info.

02-24-2009, 08:54 AM	#3
grace Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 24	Thanks for the information but mostly in Germany you find usually two types of listed offers: Those from private people offering the house or apartment to rent, and those from agencies or brokers. Private people can either be landlords who own the house, or tenants who look for someone to take over and step into their terms of contract; or private people or companies who have actually rented a place and want to sublet it, either for commercial reasons or because they have to move to another place for a while. A last possibility would be property management institutions if you know any.

04-08-2009, 06:30 AM	#4
Barkri12 Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 28	As you probably already know, visiting Europe by train is one of my favorite proposals and I have planned lots of trips in this zone. Today's itinerary is an alternative proposal that will cover the countries of Germany, Austria and Denmark. The whole route is done by train, as the crossing with ferry is done with the train inside! Of course, my recommendation is taking one of the multiple country passes that exist either for Europeans and people coming from abroad.


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