The prospect of discovering a house can appear daunting, especially if you're coming from beyond Germany. On this page, we will give you a run-down of essential details and pointers you'll require for protecting accommodation in Berlin. The market is competitive, so make sure to start early!

We also prompt you: be cautious! Do not concur to something prematurely, make large payments without having actually gotten the essential or agreement, and do not sign anything without reading and understanding the entire document initially. You can never be too safe, and if it sounds method too good to be real, it probably is.

Location

Where in Berlin should I live?

Finding long-term lodging in Berlin can be challenging, however with the right approach and a bit of versatility, you can protect an excellent place to live. Many students face this obstacle, however here you will find all the essential details to begin with your search.

The Hertie School lies in the heart of Berlin, in the Mitte district. Berlin is a large city divided into twelve districts, each with its own smaller sized areas. If you choose to live close to the school and budget is not a significant concern, focus your search on central locations such as Mitte, Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, Neukölln, Charlottenburg, or Schöneberg. These districts are popular, which often makes them costly, crowded, and loud.

However, we always recommend our trainees think about less central districts like Steglitz-Zehlendorf, Spandau, Tempelhof, Reinickendorf, Pankow, Lichtenberg, and Köpenick. These areas offer budget friendly trainee dorms, are less crowded, offer access to Berlin's greener side, are typically cheaper in all elements, and you won't need to deal with the traffic noise of the city centre. This will be the ideal description for "Far from Campus, but close to everything!".

Remember that Berlin has a well-connected and trustworthy public transport network, allowing you to reach the Hertie School from practically anywhere in less than 45 minutes, which implies you will be able to "Study in the heart, however stay/live in the soul". You can inspect travel times and paths utilizing public transport at www.bvg.de. so you can "Live smart and travel easy!"

Types of accommodation and where to discover them

Short term

Especially as a global trainee, it might be most convenient to book short-term accommodation initially and after that look for something long-term when you have actually gotten here in Berlin. Going for watchings spontaneously and even visiting a location multiple times is much easier when you're here face to face.

You could have a look at the following choices:

- Hotels
- Hostels - see, for instance, www.hostelworld.com for many hostel listings with user reviews
- Furnished flat firms - www.uniplaces.com; www.thestudenthotel.com; www.visionapartments.com; www.crocodilian.de; www.lieblingsmieter.de; www.white-apartments.com; www.siliconallee.com; www.nena-apartments.de; www.ota-berlin.de; www.belvillage.com; www.schoenhouse.de; www.smartments-business.de; www.vondereurope.com; www.berlin99.com
- Private short-term rentals - www.wefindflats.com; www.nestpick.com; www.housinganywhere.com; www.exberlinerflatrentals.com; www.coming-home.com; www.tempoflat.de

Long term

There are different options depending on your requirements:

Student dorm rooms - Student halls or Student dorm rooms in Berlin variety from some of the most low-cost kinds of housing on the borders of Berlin, to elegant freshly built dorm rooms with many facilities included in the structure. For nearly all of these dormitories, you might need to get on a waitlist to secure your area. Overall, it's an excellent option if international, dormitory-style living with students from other Berlin universities is what you're looking for. StudierendenWERK, House of Nations, Berlinovo and StudentHouse Plänterwald in der Eichbuschallee|HOWOGE are some examples.
Modern options to trainee dormitories - Some private housing companies like the The Social Hub, the Urban Club and Neon Wood use an alternative to conventional student dorms. They can serve as a combination of student accommodation, long-term leasings, hotel spaces and communal/co-working spaces. Their contemporary concepts for trainee lodging and smooth styles can be really appealing but also more expensive than routine student dormitories.
Furnished/unfurnished room in a shared flat ("WG") - A Wohngemeinschaft or WG is a shared apartment or condo. Sometimes students on a year-long exchange or working professionals opting for a job abroad will sublet their spaces and post openings on housing search websites and social networks groups. By subletting a space, you also minimize having to provide the house yourself.

You can likewise create a WG of your own if you're looking for a place with other individuals. You can obtain empty houses that you can then provide with the people you're relocating with. This might be nice if you want to stay put in the same apartment or condo throughout your research studies and even after finishing. This normally would involve a long-lasting contract and consequently more effort on your part, but it would also mean not having to think of moving every year. Do note that leasing provided flats can be far more expensive than renting an unfurnished one.

You could try browsing Wg-gesucht, craigslist, immowelt, immobilienscout24, ebay-kleinanzeigen or uniplaces.

Once you get to Berlin it can also be beneficial searching in local papers like Berliner Morgenpost, Berliner Zeitung (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and Tagesspiegel (Saturdays). Zitty and Tip are regional culture publications which also have some listings for lodging.
Studio home (furnished/unfurnished) - If you 'd rather have your own space altogether, studio apartments are the method to go. These tend to be a little bit more costly considering that you 'd be bearing all the costs. But if your budget enables, leasing a studio may be an excellent alternative. As with furnished WGs, renting pre-furnished studio houses will be more costly, but you would save the difficulty of providing it yourself.

Possible locations to browse consist of: https://www.thelocal.de/rentals?city=berlin (an English search version of Immobilienscout); https:///www.immobilienscout24.de - German just; https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de - German only classifieds; https://www.lieblingsmieter.de; https://www.wohnungsboerse.net; https://www.woloho.com - weekly newsletter of local listings

Hertie-specific housing markets

After you register at the Hertie School, these two closed groups for our neighborhood are great resources:

Hertie Housing and Marketplace - A Facebook group especially developed for Hertie students to discover housing and purchase and offer furniture. It's safe and reliable. Search for much shorter sublets and send the owners messages when you discover something that fits you.
Hertie School Connect - Our internal networking platform, where members of the Hertie School neighborhood post both professional chances and housing schedules!

Necessary files

What files do I need to secure a house?

Finding a free apartment is half the battle won. To prove you can lawfully rent a location, landlords in Germany typically want to see the documents listed below. It's great to keep them useful so you can proceed with any potential deals without hold-up. Note, though, that depending on the type of housing, not every document may be required (especially for short-term or trainee housing).

SCHUFA-Auskunft (credit check) - SCHUFA is a German company that offers main credit checks. Many rental firms and property owners will ask you to provide one, particularly if it's for a long-lasting agreement. You can quickly request one on this website. Some short-term and student-focused locations don't require a SCHUFA, however.
Einkommensnachweise (evidence of earnings) - Most rental companies and property owners will need proof that you have steady, routine income, e.g. your last three paychecks, a verification of scholarships payments, and so on.
Bürgschaft (guarantor) - If you don't make enough money yourself, you can ask somebody to be your guarantor and pledge to pay your rent if you do not. They would sign an official file and supply an ID to guarantee this (you can discover design templates online or get a kind from the property owner or housing firm).
Mietschuldenfreiheitsbescheinigung - Confirmation from your former landlord that you are not in financial obligations.
Ausweis (picture identification) - Your passport or a national identification card.

Tips: what you need to know

For your search

These pointers might help you get replies from property managers and make the process more satisfying:

Begin your look for a long-lasting spot after you remain in Berlin - This is a sure-shot method of understanding what you're entering. In-person watchings and meetings with possible property managers and flatmates will increase your possibilities.
Have a message template so you can send requests rapidly - Time is of the essence here. Keep search engine filters and alerts on and your message design template for proprietors ready. As quickly as a home turns up, make sure to customise it a bit and hit send!
Take your time drafting the first message - The only way for potential property managers to get an excellent concept of who you are is through your first message. Be sure to consist of not only the expert side of your life but also the more personal aspects. What are your pastimes? How do you invest your downtime? When can you move in? It need not be too long; just an elevator pitch is fine.
Include a social media manage - It can help to let individuals understand that you're a real individual. Including social networks deals with might increase your chances of getting replies. Read the full ad - Often people see pictures of a place and send out a message without reading the description. Not only can you miss out on important information this way, but also in some cases individuals include code words at the bottom for you to utilize in your message so that they know if you actually read the ad or are simply sending out messages to everyone. Also, it's generally a good concept to check out everything before applying, so you know what you're entering into.
The lodging should enable an Anmeldung (city registration). You want this in order to have a signed up address in Berlin and to be able to proceed with other governmental processes in Berlin (e.g. opening a savings account, requesting your house license if you need one).
Make the home hunt your priority - Be consistent and commit at least 2 weeks, if not a month, to discovering an apartment. Also, be versatile with meeting times and locations.
Don't forget to follow up - The competitors is high! Each property manager gets lots of messages. Don't get lost in the crowd, and follow up regularly (not excessively) with places that you really like. This will keep you on top of an inbox and show that you're interested.
Keep all essential documents convenient - Having all files on hand and not spending excessive time scrambling for them will assist you be fast and flexible when the best place happens.
Find groups and get in touch with individuals - Sometimes you can avoid messaging the property owner if you understand the previous renter who can put in a great word for you. This conserves energy and time for everyone included. Social network groups can be great for this.
Once you've received a deal ...

Look out for step-up leases - Sometimes property managers consist of a step-up lease in their agreement, meaning your rent would increase regularly over a period of time or per year. Take note of this when you're going through the agreement.
If you're seeking to lease a whole apartment together with other students and develop your own WG, be conscious that a person or more of you will probably be asked to function as the main tenant or Hauptmieter. The Hauptmieter pays the whole of the lease to the proprietor and is therefore likewise accountable for the other flat mate( s). Therefore, just pay extra attention and believe over who will be the primary occupant.

Navigating German terminology

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers a useful list of housing-specific German terms here.

Legal resources

In Germany, tenants have numerous legal defenses. Should you face issues with your house or have disagreements with a proprietor, roommate, or neighbour that need legal mediation, you may desire to sign up with among Berlin's renters' associations.

For a small annual fee, members of the occupants' association can consult with attorneys who can evaluate rental agreements, offer counsel on rental conflicts, and legal recommendations.

Berliner Mieterverein
www.berliner-mieterverein.de

Berliner MieterGemeinschaft
www.bmgev.de

A couple of other organizations in Berlin offer totally free counsel for renters in Berlin

Mieterservice at ASUM
Multiple places in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
Tel: 030 293 431.
[e-mail secured] www.asum-berlin.de.
DE - Free

Kiezladen Zusammenheit.
Dunckerstraße 14.
10437 Berlin.
DE - Free

Mietrechtsberatung.
OH: Tuesday, 18 - 19 Uhr.
No visit required, just come by (early)

Finding accommodation in Berlin

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- Data policy.
- Imprint

When it concerns discovering accomodation in Berlin, it's really crucial to begin your search early.

Please note that the presented lists are not meant to be extensive and are attended to informational purposes just. The Hertie School accepts no obligation or liability for any provider listed on this page or for any services offered by them.