Housing

Find a room you can trust

Most GJU students live in a Studierendenwerk dorm: cheap, furnished and with bills included. If you miss out, use the trusted portals below, start early, and never pay before you have seen the room.

Search rooms in your host city

Timeline

When to do what

01
Day 1 of placement
Apply to the Studierendenwerk
Applications usually open several months before the semester. It is first come, first served, so watch your city's Studierendenwerk website.
02
Same week
Message last year's GJU students
Rooms are often handed from one GJU cohort to the next, so ask in the German Year group chats.
03
6–8 weeks before
Start private searches
Set alerts on WG-Gesucht and Kleinanzeigen, and write short, friendly messages in German.
04
On arrival
Sign and register
Sign the contract, get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, then book your Anmeldung within the legal deadline.

Trusted portals

WG rooms and private flats

WG-GesuchtMost usedWG rooms. The main shared-flat portal in Germany. Turn on email alerts and message fast.KleinanzeigenRooms, sublets, furniture. Classifieds for rooms, sublets, bikes and cheap furniture.ImmoScout24Whole flats. The largest listing site for flats. Landlords often ask for a SCHUFA credit report.ImmoweltWhole flats. The second big listing site for flats.Studenten-WG.deStudent rooms. Student-only room listings.WG-Suche.deWG rooms. A smaller WG portal, worth checking in smaller towns.HousingAnywherePayment protectionBook from abroad. Book a room from Amman with payment protection. Prices are higher; few listings in small towns.WunderflatsFurnished, monthly. Furnished flats for 1–12 months. Good for the internship half of the year.Facebook groupsCommunity. Search "[City] WG" and "[University] students". Ask GJU students from last year: they often hand their rooms on.

Avoid scams

Never send a deposit before you have seen the room in person or on a live video call.
Never pay through Western Union, MoneyGram, crypto or gift cards.
A "landlord abroad" who will post you the keys is always a scam.
Check the listing's photos with a reverse image search.
Sign a written rental contract (Mietvertrag) and get the landlord confirmation (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung). You need it for the Anmeldung.

Words in every listing

Warmmiete: Rent including heating and usually water
Kaltmiete: Rent without heating, water or electricity
Nebenkosten (NK): Extra running costs on top of cold rent
Kaution: Deposit, usually 1–3 months of cold rent
WG: Shared flat (Wohngemeinschaft)
Zwischenmiete: Sublet for a fixed period, perfect for one semester
möbliert: Furnished
Besichtigung: Viewing appointment
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: Landlord confirmation, needed to register your address
Studierendenwerk: The public student service that runs dorms and Mensas