Option 3: Own flat

If you prefer to live alone, you can rent your own flat. This is the most comfortable, but also the most expensive form of accommodation. Students pay on average 475 EUR per month for their own flat.

++ Plenty of freedom and privacy
-- High costs, little day-to-day contact with other students

How it works: To find your own flat you can use specific websites and search the local paper in your university town for advertisements. Or you can post your own wanted ad in the paper.

The interim solution

If you don't yet have accommodation when the semester begins in Germany you can try an interim let: many students sublet their rooms for a limited period when they themselves go abroad or complete a placement elsewhere. In some cities, student services and student communities also offer overnight accommodation for the first few days. You can also rent a room in an independent hostel, a youth hostel or a private B&B until you have found permanent accommodation.