International Office

Accommodation in Germany –
Information and helpful hints for international students
Finding accommodation is one of the first tasks international students have to face at the beginning of their
studies in Germany. This can often be difficult und frustrating. Therefore, we would like to support you by
sharing some information and tips with you.

Please be aware that that finding long-term accommodation in Germany might take several weeks. For this
reason, we advise you to start looking for accommodation as soon as possible after you have received your
letter of admission. One of the most likely difficulties in your search can be the language barrier and
communicating with potential landlords.

General Information

• The monthly rent for accommodation is divided into Kaltmiete and Warmmiete.
Kaltmiete or basic rent, is the part of your rent that covers the use of one or several rooms. Warmmiete
or total rent is the sum of Kaltmiete + Nebenkosten. Nebenkosten or utility costs are in most cases
composed of i.e.: waste collection, water, gas, heating and other amenities in the house.
• Usually you will be required to pay a Kaution or deposit, which can be the amount of up to three times
your monthly basic rent. This money serves as security for your landlord. If you leave the accommodation
in good condition, the deposit is returned to you when moving out. However, the deposit is often withheld
until the utility costs have been balanced out and no other debts/bills remain.
• Another fee you need to consider in your monthly living costs is the licence fee for public broadcasting in
Germany, called Rundfunkgebühr. The current fee is € 18.36 per month. Please also notice that the
amount is levied for each residence and has to be paid regardless of whether you are watching or listening
of what is being broadcasted or not. If you live in one household together with others, the fee can be
shared. You can find further information at: www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/welcome/englisch/index_ger.html.

• Depending on your personal needs and financial resources, you have the following housing options: Living
in a small apartment or studio by yourself or living in a shared flat, also known as Wohngemeinschaft
(WG). WGs are very popular amongst students in Germany. They can either be organised privately or
administered by a public entity like the Studierendenwerk Paderborn in terms of university student
housing (Studierendenwohnheim). In a WG several people share one apartment, but each flat-mate has
his/her own room. The kitchen, bathroom and sometimes a living room are used communally and the
costs for rent, electricity and internet are shared.

• For a room in a shared apartment on the free market 1, you can expect a monthly rent of € 260-440
(Hamm/Lippstadt) – depending on the room’s size and location. A room in a Studierendenwohnheim will
cost approx. € 410/month (Lippstadt) and € 165-440/month + utility costs (Hamm). Both above-stated
and estimated price ranges include utility costs as well.

1
Prize range according to www.wg-gesucht.de, accessed June 2023.
* Blankets, pillows, linens and towels are not provided in students’ residence halls.
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University Student Housing / Residence Halls

Beside the residence halls which are administered by the Studierendenwerk Paderborn in Hamm and
Lippstadt, there is one additional and privately-run residence hall in Hamm. It one is called SCI:Q CampusLiving
and located across the road from the HSHL Campus in Hamm.
As renting a room in a residence hall has many advantages, we recommend to apply for one of them first.

What are the ADVANTAGES of a residence hall?

 All rooms are furnished and usually reasonably priced.

 Internet access is included.
 You can apply for and accept a room offer even before arriving in Germany.
 You will get in touch with other students easily.

Please note: As there is a limited number of rooms, not every applicant will receive an offer! You might be
placed on a waiting list and receive an offer in a later semester. Therefore, we strongly recommend looking for
accommodation on the free housing market parallel to your application for students’ residence halls.

How to APPLY for a room at the Studierendenwerk Paderborn?

• Visit the website: www.studierendenwerk-pb.de/en/housing/

Please check the campus-location of your study program in advance and according to this choose one of
the residence halls!

• You can hand in several applications for different residence halls at the same time.

• After submitting the housing application online, make sure to click on the link which is sent to your
private e-mail address in order to complete the application process fully.

• Once you have accepted an offer and signed the contract, the Studierendenwerk Paderborn will ask you
to pay the deposit and the first month’s rent in advance.

How to APPLY for an apartment at SCI:Q CampusLiving in Hamm?

• Visit the website: http://sci-q.de/campusliving.html, have a look at the different apartments / studios
and use the provided contact form to ask for further information.
Although the website is only in German, you can still request to receive information in English.

Housing on the private market

Usually landlords like to meet their future tenants before signing a contract. Therefore, you will probably not
be able to rent a room before your arrival in Germany. Nevertheless, you can still look for housing and arrange
viewing appointments in advance.

Where can I find offers on the free housing market?

There are many websites that list room and apartment offers. The most common ones are:

• www.studierendenwerk-pb.de > Wohnen > Privatzimmer suchen

• www.jungeswohnen-hamm.de (Hamm)

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• www.wg-gesucht.de
• www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de > Immobilien > Auf Zeit & WG
• www.bwg-lippstadt.de/kontakt.php > personal visit of office hours recommended
• www.hgb-hamm.de > personal visit of office hours recommended
• www.immobilienscout24.de > „Wohnung“ oder „WG Zimmer“

Also, check local newspapers which print housing ads regularly:

• Der Patriot - www.derpatriot.de > Wochentip (Lippstadt)

• Westfälischer Anzeiger (Hamm)
• Stadtanzeiger (Hamm or Soest)

Besides this, there will be offers on the notice boards on campus:

• Hamm: Building H1.1-E00 and in the canteen

• Lippstadt: Building L2.1-E00 next to the lockers.

Here, you can find an explanatory list of abbreviations that are most commonly used in rental ads 
https://vegetarische.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/abbreviations-used-in-apartment-ads/

Further Hints
First contact & First steps of renting a room

 When contacting the landlord, write a little bit about yourself to make a nice first impression. E.g. tell
them about your age, country of origin, purposes of your stay in Germany or study program.

 Since not everyone in Germany speaks English, we recommend you to also translate your text to
German 2 and hand in both versions. Here you can find a template HSHL has prepared already:
www.hshl.de/en/accommodation-in-hamm-and-lippstadt.

 If you are in first contact with a landlord and discussing a potential lease, we advise to make it clear that
you require a written rental agreement with signatures. Otherwise, an e-mail or even a verbal
agreement can be valid as a contract and oblige you to pay rent.

 You should not pay fees or deposits in advance 3. It is not advisable to transfer money for viewing
appointments and suchlike. Payments are only due after you have agreed on renting an apartment/room
and the starting date of the rental contract has begun.

What if I can’t find a room on time or in the right city? – Short-time options

If you did not find a suitable housing, before your arrival, you should still arrange accommodation for the first
few weeks in a hostel, hotel, holiday apartment or airbnb. This gives you a place to stay while looking for long-
term accommodation.

2
You can use DeepL as a translator: https://www.deepl.com/translator
3
This may be different for official bookings, e.g. when you are making a reservations at a hostel or hotel.
Further Sources:
www.daad.de/deutschland/nach-deutschland/bewerbung/en/6222-renting-a-room
www.polizei-beratung.de/themen-und-tipps/betrug/scamming

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• Addresses of youth hostels nearby:

Soest: www.soest.jugendherberge.de/en
Paderborn: www.paderborn.jugendherberge.de/en

• Zwischenmiete/Wohnen auf Zeit (short-time rental)

Another possibility for short-time rental is the so-called Zwischenmiete or Wohnen auf Zeit. Here, you can
rent a room (usually fully furnished) over a limited time period. This offer is often provided by students
who are going on a semester abroad or doing an internship in a different city/country.

Further hints and information:

• Post your request on Facebook and into local groups, e.g. “HSHL- Offizielle Gruppe der Studenten”
“Hamm-Lippstadt University” or other local groups.
• Also consider forming a new WG with others. In order to do so, you will need to search for an entire
apartment instead of looking for a single room.
• Ask your friends and fellow students to keep their eyes and ears open. Often times somebody knows
someone who is looking for a roommate.
• Consider living in a city or town close by – at least for the first semester. Since you get the semester
ticket, you can easily use trains and busses to commute to HSHL. However, make sure to check the
train and bus connections between the city and the location of your study program (Hamm/Lippstadt)
in advance.
• Once you move in, remember to inform the local residents’ registration office and HSHL student services
about your new address.
• When moving out, keep in mind that there is generally a legal period of 3 months’ notice for terminating
a lease – if the contract does not provide other terms.

Last but not least: Be patient, do not give up and stay positive. 😊😊 Good Luck!

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