Private housing

Please start searching for an accommodation as early as possible and do not underestimate the time and effort it takes to find a room! Accommodation offers are usually made public 2-3 months at the earliest before the room or apartment becomes available.

Please note that finding an accommodation in Germany is a bit like searching for a job. It’s advisable to write more than “I want the room”. Some tips on how to “apply” for a room on the private housing market can be found here.

Private landlords offer rooms and apartments for rent. Most rooms are not furnished, so please always double check if any furniture is included. Sublease agreements (Zwischenmiete) usually include furniture.

Websites for searching accommodation

When looking for private accommodation in Göttingen and the surrounding areas you can find lots of offers online. Most common websites for finding accommodation are:

Facebook groups for finding accommodation

There are several Facebook groups you can use to search for accommodation. Some were specifically created for the accommodation search in Göttingen. The members of the groups can give helpful tips.

Rooms are also advertised on the notice board located close to the Central Cafeteria (Zentral Mensa) in the main lecture hall building (ZHG).

Buying furniture | used (second-hand)

If you are renting a place without furniture, you need to buy furniture. Therefore, it can sometimes be helpful to fall back on cheaper, used ones (second hand). Below you will find a small selection of suppliers of used furniture and goods:

Buying furniture | new

In the northern part of Göttingen (Lutteranger / Große Breite) you will find several large furniture stores, where you can buy all necessary furniture. There is also an IKEA in Kassel, about 50 km away.

Shared apartments (Wohngemeinschaft, or WG) are popular among students. A WG is a living arrangement in which several people share the lease costs for a flat. Each person has his/her own bedroom, whereas the kitchen and bathroom are shared.

The number of people living together in a flat-share can vary. There are flat-shares of only two people but there are also houses in which there are eight to ten people living together.

The rent usually depends on the location of the flat, the number of flatmates and the size of the room/apartment. You will be expected to participate in cleaning duties, as well as maintaining your own space in an orderly fashion.

It might be helpful to know how the allocation of rooms in WGs work and what matters most when applying for a room: Some advice on how to apply for a flatshare

Don’t be surprised if your potential future roommates ask you lots of questions! They are just trying to get to know you and find out if you would fit into their WG life.

And a list of the terms used in housing offers can be found here.

With a single room in a private house you have your own furnished room in a flat or house, often let by a family. Kitchen and bathroom are most often used communally; rarely with en suite bathrooms or separate kitchens or kitchenettes are available. Some form of socializing with the family/landlord may be expected, as well as chores (light cleaning tasks, for instance) in addition to maintaining your own space in an orderly fashion.

You will have your own room with bathroom and a kitchenette. The monthly rent for a studio apartment is between 400 and 600 €. It is more challenging to find an apartment than a room in a shared flat, especially if your budget is limited. If you are already in Göttingen, you could reach out to a Hausverwaltung (property management). The most firm by students is: Göttinger Hausverwaltung

Flats with multiple rooms, whether furnished or unfurnished, are challenging to find.

Contact:

The International Office
Incoming Office
Accommodation Service

Von-Siebold-Straße 2
37075 Göttingen

Office Hours:
Mondays 10am -12 pm

Julia Zimmer
Accommodation service for international students

Von-Siebold-Straße 2
37075 Göttingen

Email: accommodation@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: 0551 39-21790

Helena Hoffmann
Accommodation service for international exchange students

Von-Siebold-Straße 2
37075 Göttingen

Email: accommodation@uni-goettingen.de
Phone: 0551 39-21338