Information of the Accommodation Service

Please note that universities in Germany do not operate student dormitories themselves and that the acceptance for a study place or a research stay at Leuphana does not include accommodation. Once you have been accepted, you should immediately start looking for accommodation.

It is common for students to live in shared apartments (WGs) in which the kitchen and bathroom or bathrooms are shared. The rooms are usually single rooms (double/multiple rooms are not common) and depending on the number of people in the WG, there are usually several genders represented. The WGs are located in student dormitories, private apartments or private houses.

Due to the tourist popularity of the city and its proximity to Hamburg, living space in Lüneburg is in high demand and rental prices are comparatively high. Last year, rental prices rose again, so that a WG room currently costs an average of 425 EUR. Depending on the location, size and furnishings, the rent for a room here is between 320 and 530 EUR, and a few rooms are cheaper. If you want to live alone, you have to look for a single apartment, these usually cost 100 to 200 EUR more. Apartments for several people start at 700 EUR up to more than 2,000 EUR per month.

International persons are usually not familiar with the German housing market and its peculiarities. In addition, they often have difficult conditions due to language difficulties, time difference and no relatives in Germany. This is where Leuphana's Accommodation Service can help.

The Accommodation Service does not release from the obligation to look for accommodation by yourself, but it can sometimes speed up the search considerably.

The Accommodation Service puts you in touch with people offering free accommodation, such as students on a semester abroad or an internship, private individuals and, rarely, companies. However, there is no guarantee for an accommodation proposal. The service is free of charge and does not receive any commission. The Accommodation Service can also be contacted in case of questions, e.g. if there are ambiguities in an offer, it can inquire and thus prevent possible fraud.

Depending on the group of people, the processes for registration differ a bit:

You can only register for the service via the applicant portal. Only when the registration is complete, the support can begin.

Since furnished rooms are especially useful for exchange students, the Accommodation Service cooperates with Leuphana GmbH. Therefore, there are not only room proposals where you contact the offering person on your own, but also room offers for a small contingent of furnished and equipped rooms. These are in shared flats in student residences or private apartments.

Please do not apply directly to the dormitory operators, as the rooms there are furnished but not equipped, or completely unfurnished, they try to avoid renting for only one semester and often direct you to the Accommodation Service.

Please send an email to accommodation@leuphana.de including the information if you have already registered at the student dorm providers with your personal number, if already available.

Since you will be staying in Lüneburg for longer than one semester, we also recommend that you look for unfurnished rooms, as furnishing is usually cheaper compared to renting furnished rooms.

Register directly at the student dorm providers:

Studentenwerk OstNiedersachsen - furnished rooms are only available in the dormitories Willi-Watt-Straße and Salzbrückerstraße, in the dormitory Munstermannskamp a few rooms are furnished (if you are looking for a furnished room, it is best to note this in your application).

Campus Wohnen - homepage only in German, only unfurnished rooms.

Please inform the dormitory provider in the application that you are starting a regular study program and that you are studying at Leuphana in the same way as the German students.

Please send an email to accommodation@leuphana.de and you will receive an email with further information.

If you are enrolled and staying for more than one semester, we recommend that you also apply to the dormitories like regular students.

When searching for accommodation for a longer stay in Lüneburg, it is recommended to consider the following hints:

•  Rooms and apartments in Germany are often offered unfurnished. Read the offers carefully and, if in doubt, ask whether the accommodation is unfurnished or furnished. Even if the photos show furnished rooms, it may be that they are rented unfurnished.
•  For the rent, either a cold rent or a warm rent is indicated. With the cold rent, costs for heating and hot water are added, in the warm rent, these costs are already included. Costs for electricity and internet are usually extra.
•  In the case of online ads, the provider can be contacted by phone or e-mail. Introduce yourself briefly in writing or by phone and ask for a viewing appointment. If you are not yet in Germany, ask whether a viewing is also possible via video link.
•  You should arrive punctually at the agreed viewing appointment. Also make sure that you can answer any questions or e-mails quickly. After the viewing, you should quickly decide whether you like the offer.
•  With the acceptance you will usually also receive a rental agreement. Check it carefully before you sign. Transfer - depending on the agreement - the deposit and/or the first rent for the room. (Note: Transfer money only to Germany. If the account is in another country, be sure to ask why before paying).
•  Make an appointment to hand over the keys or the room. When you move in, you should document the condition of the room or the apartment in a handover protocol and especially take pictures of possible damages and inform the lessor.

As with all offers on the Internet, fraud can also occur with apartment offers. Therefore, only contact providers if the ads seem serious to you. Do not transfer money to an account outside of Germany! If you are unsure whether an offer is serious or notice something conspicuous, please contact the Accommodation Service.

For a stay of less than a month, we recommend (depending on the duration) a vacation accommodation, a hotel or a pension/B&B. You can find a variety of accommodation of this type on the website of the city of Lüneburg and on the relevant web portals.

We are glad that you have found an accommodation. Please now remember to inform the responsible offices at Leuphana about the new address:

•  Exchange students please inform the International Center about the address for the period.
•  Regular students please change the address in MyCampus and contact the Student Services if you have any questions.
•  Researchers, lecturers or persons otherwise employed at Leuphana should inform the Human Resources Department or the contact person at the institute.

If your stay exceeds three months, you are required to register. Please refer to the registration instructions in the information you received.

During the language and orientation program, there will be an information session by the Accommodation Service on general topics concerning living in Lüneburg and Germany. The topics range from waste separation to deposit systems to mobility in Lüneburg.

Participation in this event is free, exchange students will automatically receive the summary via PDF afterwards. All others, regardless of whether they participated or not, can request the PDF if they are interested. Simply send an e-mail to accommodation@leuphana.de.

We welcome offers from students who would like to sublet their room for the duration of a stay abroad or an internship, or from private individuals who offer rooms or apartments on a recurring basis. Companies please note that we do not mediate offers where costs are charged to the inquirer that are not directly related to the renting.

There is a demand for furnished rooms and apartments for the duration of a semester, but there are also requests for shorter or longer stays as well as for unfurnished rooms and apartments.

Please contact us by mail or phone at:

International Center - Accommodation Service
Tanja Schaefer
tanja.schaefer@leuphana.de
04131/677-2646

The Buddy Program offers the opportunity to support international students upon their arrival and afterwards. We are happy about every person who is willing to offer help to an international newcomer. You can find out how you can become a buddy here.