Most international students in Germany live in a room in a shared flat (a WG) or a student hall run by the local Studierendenwerk. A WG room cost about €510 a month on average for the winter semester 2026/27, and about €850 in Munich. Halls are cheaper, at about €330, but around 106,000 students were on waiting lists in September 2026. Whatever you rent, three rules matter from day one: register your address within two weeks, a deposit can be at most three months' rent and you may pay it in three parts, and you should never pay before you have seen the room.
Student halls: cheapest, but apply early
The Studierendenwerke run about 196,000 places in student halls. The average rent is about €330 a month, compared with about €510 for a WG room. That is only enough for about one student in ten.
In September 2026, 106,045 students were on hall waiting lists. The longest lists were in Aachen (11,170) and Munich (10,812). Each Studierendenwerk sets its own rules: some allocate by lottery, some by date of application. So:
- Apply as soon as you are admitted, or earlier if your Studierendenwerk allows it.
- Apply to every hall that fits, and keep looking for a WG room at the same time.
- Ask about service packages. About 40 Studierendenwerke offer packages for international students that usually include a room.
WG rooms and flats: what they cost
A WG (Wohngemeinschaft) is a flat shared by several people, each with their own room. It is the most common way students live. Typical rents for a WG room, including heating and running costs:
| City | Average WG room, per month |
|---|---|
| Munich | €850 |
| Berlin | €650 |
| Hamburg | €650 |
| Cologne | €640 |
| Frankfurt | €630 |
| Germany, average of 90 university towns | about €510 |
Winter semester 2026/27 medians from the Moses Mendelssohn Institute and WG-Gesucht.
When you read an advert, check which rent it means:
- Kaltmiete (cold rent): the rent for the room or flat only.
- Nebenkosten (running costs): water, rubbish, building cleaning and so on, usually paid as a monthly advance.
- Warmmiete (warm rent): cold rent plus the advances, including heating.
Advances are settled once a year. Your landlord must send the yearly statement within 12 months after the billing period ends, otherwise they usually can't ask you for more. You then have 12 months to object.
The Anmeldung: register within two weeks
Everyone who moves into a flat in Germany must register the address within two weeks of moving in (§ 17 of the Federal Registration Act). You need:
- your passport or ID card;
- the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, a short confirmation from your landlord with their name and address, your move-in date, the address of the flat and the names of the people moving in. In Berlin, for example, a rental contract does not replace it.
You register at your city's registration office (Bürgeramt or Bürgerbüro), usually with an appointment booked online. In many places you can now register online, but this often only works with a German or EU ID card that has the online function, so most students from outside the EU go in person.
Registering late, or not at all, can cost a fine of up to €1,000. A landlord who refuses to give you the confirmation can also be fined; if that happens, tell the registration office. Register early anyway: banks and the immigration office usually ask for your registration.
The deposit (Kaution)
Under § 551 of the German Civil Code:
- The deposit can be at most three months' rent, not counting the running costs (in practice, three months' cold rent).
- You may pay it in three equal monthly parts: the first when the tenancy starts, the other two with the next two rents.
- The landlord must keep it separate from their own money, in a bank account that earns interest, and the interest belongs to you. Student halls don't have to pay interest.
There is no fixed deadline for getting the deposit back. Courts generally allow the landlord up to about six months to check the flat, and the landlord may keep back a reasonable part until the yearly running-cost statement is ready.
The broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag)
Every flat in Germany pays the broadcasting fee: €18.36 a month (€55.08 a quarter), however many people live there. In a WG one person registers and pays, and the flatmates are covered; agree in the WG how you share it. A hall room off a shared corridor counts as its own flat and pays the full fee.
Students who receive BAföG (the German student grant) and don't live with their parents can apply for exemption. International students usually can't, because they had to prove they had enough money for their residence permit.
SCHUFA and what a landlord may ask for
Many landlords ask for a SCHUFA credit report. SCHUFA is a private credit agency, and as a newcomer you won't have a record yet. Landlords often accept other proof instead, such as a parent's guarantee, a scholarship letter or proof of income.
You can get a free copy of your SCHUFA data under the GDPR, and SCHUFA also has a free online account. According to the German data protection authorities' guidance of January 2026:
- At a viewing, a landlord may look at your ID but should not copy it.
- A landlord may ask for a credit report made for renting, not your full GDPR data copy.
- Proof of income, with unneeded details blacked out, should only be needed once you have been chosen.
- A landlord can't insist on a "Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung" (proof of no rent debts), because your previous landlord doesn't have to issue one.
Subletting and temporary rooms
Short-term sublets (Zwischenmiete) are common between semesters. If you sublet your room, you need your landlord's permission (§ 540), and you stay responsible for the person you let in. If you need to let part of your flat because your situation changed after signing, you usually have a right to permission (§ 553).
Furnished rooms inside the landlord's own flat, flats let only for a short, temporary use and student halls have less protection: the rent brake and most of the protection against notice don't apply (§ 549).
The rent brake
The Mietpreisbremse (rent brake) was extended until 31 December 2029. In areas the state has designated, the rent for a new tenancy may be at most 10 % above the local comparative rent. Flats first let after 1 October 2014 are exempt. If you think your rent is too high, a tenants' association (Mieterverein) can check it.
How to spot a rental scam
The consumer centres (Verbraucherzentrale) and the police warn about these signs:
- The "owner" lives abroad and offers to send the key by post after you pay.
- You are asked for a deposit or a fee before any viewing.
- You are asked to email a copy of your ID or passport.
- Payment "through Airbnb, eBay or booking.com" outside the real platform.
- A rent far below others in the area, or a bank account (IBAN) that doesn't start with DE.
Never pay before you have seen the room in person, or by a live video call from the street to the room, and signed a contract. If you have paid a scammer, ask your bank to recall the transfer at once, report it to the police and tell the website where you saw the advert. Our guide to renting safely covers more warning signs.
Money: BAföG, the blocked account and housing benefit
- Blocked account (Sperrkonto): for a student visa you usually show €992 a month (€11,904 a year). The amount follows the BAföG rates, so check the German mission's current figure when you apply.
- BAföG housing allowance: students who receive BAföG get €380 a month for housing. A rise to €440 has been proposed but is not law yet.
- Housing benefit (Wohngeld): students who are eligible for BAföG in principle usually can't get Wohngeld.
Our free currency converter turns euros into your home currency, and the image compressor shrinks scans of your documents for online forms.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and figures change — check the official pages below, and ask a Mieterverein or your university's international office if you are unsure.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a student room cost in Germany?
About €510 a month for a WG room on average in the winter semester 2026/27, including running costs. Munich is the most expensive at about €850. A room in a student hall costs about €330 on average.
How long do I have to register my address in Germany?
Two weeks from the day you move in. Bring your passport and the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung from your landlord to the registration office.
How much deposit can a landlord ask for in Germany?
At most three months' rent without the running costs, and you may pay it in three monthly parts.
Do I have to pay the broadcasting fee in a shared flat?
The fee is €18.36 a month per flat, not per person. In a WG one person registers and pays, and the flatmates can share the cost between them.
Is it safe to pay a deposit before viewing a room in Germany?
No. Paying before a viewing is the most common rental scam. Pay only after you have seen the room and signed a contract.
Sources
- Federal Registration Act, § 17 (registration within two weeks), § 19 (landlord's confirmation), § 54 (fines) — gesetze-im-internet.de
- Register your address in Berlin — service.berlin.de
- German Civil Code, § 551 (deposit), § 556 (running costs), § 556d (rent brake), § 540, § 549, § 553 — gesetze-im-internet.de
- Student halls: about 105,000 students on waiting lists, press release of 25 Sep 2026 — Deutsches Studierendenwerk
- Applying for a student hall — Deutsches Studierendenwerk
- WG room rents, winter semester 2026/27 — WG-Gesucht and Moses Mendelssohn Institute
- Broadcasting fee for students — rundfunkbeitrag.de
- Fake flat adverts and how to recognise them — Verbraucherzentrale
- The new SCHUFA score — Verbraucherzentrale
- Renting in Germany — DAAD
- BAföG rates — bafög.de
- Housing Benefit Act, § 20 (students) — gesetze-im-internet.de
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