Student Halls of Residence in Germany
Please note that universities in Germany do not operate student halls of residence themselves, and an admission for a place on a degree program or a research placement at Leuphana does not include accommodation. Once you have received your admission, you should start looking for accommodation straight away
Finding accommodation on your own
It is common for students to live in shared flats (WGs) where the kitchen and bathroom or bathrooms are shared. The rooms are usually single rooms (double or multi-bed rooms are uncommon) and, depending on the number of people in the flat, there are usually people of both genders living together. These shared flats are located in student halls of residence, private flats or private houses.
Due to the city’s appeal to tourists and its proximity to Hamburg, accommodation in Lüneburg is in high demand and rents are comparatively high. Rents rose again last year, meaning that a room in a shared flat currently costs an average of 425 EUR. Depending on the location, size and facilities, the rent for a room here ranges from 320 to 530 EUR; very few rooms are cheaper than this. Anyone wishing to live alone will need to look for a studio flat; these generally cost between 100 and 200 EUR more. Flats for several people start at 700 EUR and can go up to more than 2,000 EUR per month.
- WG-Gesucht.de (Portal in German, listings in German and English )
- WG-Gesucht.de (Post a room wanted advertn)
- Kleinanzeigen.de (in German, mainly studio flats)
WG Match App for finding accommodation based on the “swipe” principle, developed by a student start-up with the involvement of Leuphana students
If you are looking for accommodation for a longer stay in Lüneburg, it is advisable to consider the following points:
- Rooms and flats in Germany are often advertised as unfurnished. Read the listings carefully and, if in doubt, ask whether the accommodation is unfurnished or furnished. Even if the photos show furnished rooms, the property may actually be let unfurnished.
- The rent quoted will be either a ‘Kaltmiete’ (basic rent) or a ‘Warmmiete’ (all-inclusive rent). With a ‘Kaltmiete’, costs for heating and hot water are added on top, whilst these costs are already included in a ‘Warmmiete’. Costs for electricity and internet are usually payable separately.
- For online adverts, you can contact the landlord by telephone or email. Introduce yourself briefly in writing or by telephone and ask for a viewing appointment. If you are not yet in Germany, ask whether a viewing is also possible via video call.
- You should arrive on time for the agreed viewing appointment. Also ensure that you can respond promptly to any enquiries or emails. After the viewing, you should decide quickly whether the property suits you.
- Once you’ve accepted the offer, you’ll usually receive a tenancy agreement. Check this carefully before signing. Depending on what’s been agreed, transfer the deposit and/or the first month’s rent for the room. (Note: Only make transfers to Germany. If the account is in another country, be sure to ask why before making the payment).
- Arrange an appointment to collect the keys or take over the room. When you move in, you should document the condition of the room or flat in a handover report and, above all, take photographs of any damage and inform the landlord.
As with all online listings, fraud can also occur with accommodation offers. You should therefore only contact landlords if the adverts appear to be legitimate. Under no circumstances should you transfer money to an account outside Germany! If you are unsure whether an offer is legitimate, or if you notice anything suspicious, please feel free to contact Accommodation Support.
We are glad that you have found accommodation! Please now remember to inform the relevant departments at Leuphana of your new address:
Exchange students please inform the International Center of their address for the duration of their stay.
Regular students please update their address in MyCampus and contact Student Services if they have any questions. Researchers, lecturers or anyone else employed at Leuphana should inform the Human Resources Department or their contact person within their department.
If your stay is longer than three months, you are required to register at the Residents’ Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt). Please refer to the registration instructions in the information you have received.
During Orientation Week, Accommodation Support will hold an information session on general topics relating to living in Lüneburg and Germany. Topics range from waste separation and the deposit system to transport in Lüneburg.
Attendance at this session is free; exchange students will automatically receive a PDF summary afterwards. Anyone else who is interested may request the PDF, regardless of whether they attended or not. To do so, simply send an email to accommodation@leuphana.de.
Support with finding accommodation
International students are usually unfamiliar with the German housing market and its peculiarities, and often face additional challenges due to language barriers, the time difference and the fact that they have no relatives in Germany. This is where Leuphana’s Accommodation Support comes in.
Accommodation Support does not relieve you of the need to look for accommodation yourself, but it can sometimes speed up the search considerably.
It puts you in touch with people offering private accommodation, such as students on a semester abroad or work placement, private individuals and, on rare occasions, companies. However, there is no guarantee that a suitable accommodation option will be found. The service is free of charge and does not receive any commission. You can also contact the Accommodation Support if you have any queries; for example, if there is anything unclear about an offer, they can enquire on your behalf and thus help prevent potential fraud.
The registration processes vary slightly depending on whether you are an exchange student, a regular student or a member of staff.
You can only register for the service via the applicant portal. Support can only begin once your registration is complete.
As furnished rooms are particularly suitable for exchange students, Accommodation Support works in partnership with Leuphana GmbH; consequently, there are not only room suggestions where you contact the landlord yourself, but also a limited number of furnished and equipped rooms on offer. These are located in shared flats in student halls of residence or private flats.
Please do not apply directly to the hall of residence operators, as the rooms there are furnished but not equipped, or completely unfurnished; they try to avoid letting them out for just one semester and often refer applicants to Accommodation Support.
Please apply directly to the hall of residence providers:
Studentenwerk OstNiedersachsen – furnished rooms are only available in the halls of residence on Willi-Watt-Straße and Salzbrückerstraße; there are a few furnished rooms in the Munstermannskamp hall of residence (if you are looking for a furnished room, it is best to state this in your application)
Campus Wohnen – website available in German only; unfurnished rooms only
Please inform the hall of residence provider in your application that you are commencing a standard degree programme and will be studying at Leuphana in the same way as German students.
Please send an email to accommodation@leuphana.de stating that you have already registered with the hall of residence operators and providing your personal identification number, if you have one.
As you will be staying in Lüneburg for longer than one semester, we also recommend looking for unfurnished rooms, as renting unfurnished accommodation is usually cheaper than renting a furnished flat.
Please send an email to accommodation@leuphana.de and you will receive an email with further information.
If you are enrolled and plan to stay for more than one semester, we also recommend that you apply for accommodation in the halls of residence in the same way as regular students.
For stays of less than a month, we recommend (depending on the length of your stay) holiday accommodation, a hotel or a guesthouse/B&B.
You will find a wide range of accommodation of this kind on the City of Lüneburg’s website and on the relevant online portals.
Providing accommodation for international students
We look forward to receiving offers, whether from students wishing to sublet their room for the duration of a study abroad programme or work placement, or from private individuals who regularly offer rooms or flats. Companies should please note that we do not act as an agent for offers where enquirers are charged costs not directly related to the letting.
There is particular demand for furnished rooms and flats for the duration of a semester, but there are also enquiries for shorter or longer stays, as well as for unfurnished rooms and flats.
Please contact us by email or telephone at:
International Center – Accommodation Support
Tanja Schaefer
tanja.schaefer@leuphana.de
04131/677-2646
The Buddy Programme offers the opportunity to support international students on their arrival and beyond.
We welcome anyone who is willing to offer help to an international student; you can find out how to become a buddy here.