If you are interested in accommodations in a dormitory, there is quite a range of selections at the “StudentenwerK” and the “Bürgermeister Reuter Foundation”.

Should you prefer private accommodations to residency in a dormitory, contacting one of the apartment-sharing agencies on the following list could be helpful to you.

Of course you also have the possibility of finding housing on the free market yourself. In the Sunday issues of German newspapers such as the "Berliner Zeitung", the "Berliner Morgenpost," and the "Tagesspiegel", there are extensive advertising sections with housing offers. The same newspapers have current housing offers on a daily basis as well.

The magazines "Zitty" and "TIP", which appear every fortnight, as well as the newspaper „Zweite Hand“, which appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, also contain current housing offers. Rooms in apartment-sharing cooperatives (= Wohngemeinschaft/WG) are best found in the advertising sections of “TIP”, “Zitty” and the “Zweite Hand”, or on the bulletin boards of the various Berlin universities and educational facilities.

Student co-workers in the sector International Student Counseling will be glad to provide you with information concerning the alternatives for locating a room or an apartment in Berlin. However, the selection of housing opportunities is not very comprehensive here and usually involves single-room accommodations in a subtenant arrangement. The rent will typically cost EURO 250,--. Student co-workers can be contacted in the Main Building in Room H51 (Mo, Tue and Th
9 a.m. – 12 a.m. and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., Fr 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

In principle, foreign students may also apply for housing subsidies. However, three basic requirements must be met:

1. Students are not allowed to receive any form of scholarship or financial support already containing a rental subsidy (e.g. BAföG).

2. The long-term separation from one’s parental household – and not merely due to studies – must be substantiated (very difficult!).

3. Students must have adequate income at their disposal (approx. EURO 374,-- + rent), as housing subsidies can only supplement existing housing expenses.

The amount of housing subsidies which can be received depends upon the rent and income, and is calculated on an individual basis. Housing subsidies may also be applied for in the case of subtenant arrangements and student hostel accommodations. In any event, applications will require the following materials:

• a passport with a sufficiently long residency permit;

• a tenant’s or subtenant’s contract for the accommodations and a receipt of the last rental payment;

• income documentation (parental support, “TUSMA”, etc.), police registration, study certificates;

The Eligibility Certificate for Public Housing is intended to assist you in the search for housing. Due to a resolution of the Berlin Senate from December 1984, the possibilities for foreign students to rent an apartment have been expanded. Since 1 January 1985, it is also possible for foreign students to apply for an Eligibility Certificate for Public Housing (WBS).

What is a WBS? The WBS authorizes its recipient to occupy housing which has been constructed with public funds (social housing) or housing in the eastern part of Berlin which is subject to similar tenancy restrictions. However, the WBS is only an option for specific income groups.

Who can receive a WBS?The WBS can be acquired by an individual with an adjusted annual gross income of EURO 16,800 at the most. This means that certain sums are to be deducted from the actual gross income: such as child benefits, the deductible flat-rate for employees (EURO 920,--), as well as other deductible amounts, including the further possibility to deduct up to another 30% if pension and health insurance payments are also involved. Two persons are allowed to earn a joint sum of EURO 25,200-- in adjusted gross income, whereas for each additional person another EURO 5,740 -- and for each child another EURO 700 -- are permitted. Each person resident in the same household must occupy his/her own residential space. Additional residential space will be acknowledged if important reasons of a personal or professional nature exist.