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Housing in Hamburg

You have decided on your course of study – secured a spot – packed your suitcase!
The only thing missing is an apartment at your new place of study so that the chapter “study in Hamburg” can finally start.

The Hamburg housing market is known for being highly competitive. Do students have any chance at all of finding a room or their own apartment? Yes! But to keep the search stress-free, it makes sense to start looking early and, if possible, on site.

Here is some advice on which options are particularly suitable for students:

Student Resicences of the Studierendenwerk Hamburg

The 26 student residences of the Studierendenwerk Hamburg, with around 4,400 dormitory places, are spread all over the city and are a popular option for student living. Here, friendships with like-minded people can be made quickly – it certainly won’t get lonely in the dormitory.

The type of accommodation can be quite different: from furnished single rooms, where you share kitchen and bathroom with the other students on your floor, to 1-bed and 2-bed apartments. Accordingly, the cost of rent also varies. The cheapest rooms start at around 250€ per month including utilities.

You can apply for a room or apartment starting three months before the desired move-in date. Our advice: Since the rush for dormitory places is often great, especially at the beginning of the semester in October and April, you increase your chances by applying to all houses in Hamburg and not just those near Brand University.

Click here for the online application.

Shared apartment (WG)

Would you rather live in your own room with your own furniture? A popular alternative to furnished dorm rooms are shared apartments, or WGs for short.

Here you share the costs of a privately rented apartment with several students, whereby the amount of your rent is usually based on the size of the room. You and your flatmates have to take care of the incidental costs, such as electricity and internet contracts – in return, you can organize yourself freely and have control over who moves in. That’s why it’s common to get to know your flatmates personally during a chat in the kitchen when viewing a WG room. After all, it’s important that the chemistry is right!

You can find some platforms for finding a WG room here:

Private student residences

In addition to the state-run dormitories, Hamburg also has a large number of privately run student dormitories at various locations. They are usually slightly more expensive, but offer a high level of comfort and modern facilities.

Learn more about the different providers:

Housing cooperatives

You can get relatively inexpensive rental apartments in Hamburg through housing cooperatives. These have a long tradition in Hamburg and offer properties all over the city.

However, in order to be accepted, you first have to make an advance payment and purchase cooperative shares. The waiting lists of most cooperatives are long, but once you have been accepted, you have a good chance of renting your own affordable apartment, even as a student.

Short term housing

The apartment search didn’t work out, but the start of your studies is just around the corner?
Don’t panic! There are various ways to find a place to stay for the first few weeks of the semester, so that you don’t miss the first lectures and seminars and continue your search for accommodation on site.

In addition to dormitory places for permanent living, the Studierendenwerk Hamburg also offers rooms for short-term rent. Here you can live in fully equipped rooms for up to six months to get settled in Hamburg initially.

On the platform WG-gesucht, you can also look for temporary intermediate rentals, if it does not go so well in the search for permanent WG rooms. These rooms are available, for example, because their residents are currently doing an internship in another city or are on a semester abroad. Again, you usually enjoy the comfort of a furnished room and gain time to look for a longer-term place to stay.

If it is only a matter of bridging a few days or weeks, the numerous hostels in Hamburg also offer a good and inexpensive way to buy time on site when looking for accommodation at the start of the semester.