Finding Accommodation
In Germany, most universities do not have their own student dormitories that they can offer to their students and researchers. Instead, most students and doctoral candidates live in private rooms, shared flats, or apartments they must find alone. Housing in Munich and the Greater Munich Area is especially expensive compared to other German cities. There are also significant differences in rental prices depending on the distance from the city center.
A cheaper alternative to the private housing market is living in a (private) student residence run, e.g., by church organizations. However, there is a great deal of demand for affordable rooms in student residences, and usually, there are very long waiting lists.
Therefore, starting your search for suitable housing early and also considering the private housing market is a good idea.
Most landlords and landladies in Germany prefer long-term tenants. The general rule is that the shorter your intended stay, the more challenging it is to secure a rental apartment. Renting an unfurnished apartment from abroad is often not feasible as landlords/landladies typically prefer to meet their tenants in person before finalizing an open-ended tenancy agreement.
To an apartment viewing, you should bring the following documents:
- Optional self-disclosure form (“Selbstauskunft”)
- Copy of passport/identification document
- Credit rating information from the General Credit Protection Agency (“Schufa”/”Schufa-Auskunft”); only for German nationals!
- Proof of income (e.g., scholarship, work contract, letter of intent, last three payslips)
For TUM's locations in Munich city, we also recommend looking in the suburbs of Munich since housing is often more affordable there than downtown, and there are usually convenient local public transit connections.
Also, it's essential for you to research the location of your chair/institute/research group in advance. Although we are the Technical University of Munich, the majority of TUM's institutes and research facilities are not in Munich city but in the Greater Munich Area like Garching bei München, Freising-Weihenstephan or Ottobrunn (and everywhere in between). Some chairs and research groups also have multiple offices and research labs distributed across the Greater Munich Area. Therefore, it's advisable to inquire about your exact place of work or research beforehand. Please also note that some chairs and research groups are located at TUM Campus Straubing or TUM Campus Heilbronn, several hundred kilometers from Munich!
The TUM-GS Welcome Office will gladly provide you with information material for your apartment search. You should contact the Welcome Office well before your planned move. You can also find helpful information and links about student residences and the housing market on the general on the TUM website regarding accommodation.
Cold rent ("Kaltmiete")
In Germany, the monthly rent for apartments is usually stated as cold rent in advertisements. Cold rent (“Kaltmiete”) refers to the basic rent for a room or apartment and does not include any utilities such as water consumption, heating, and waste disposal. You have to pay for these utilities and your cold rent to your landlord/landlady. Therefore, please remember to add at least 200-300 EUR for utilities to the advertised cold rent or check the advertisement for an estimation of the monthly warm rent.
Warm rent ("Warmmiete")
Warm rent (“Warmmiete”) means that the monthly rent includes the cold rent (“Kaltmiete”) plus additional costs (“Nebenkosten” in German). The additional costs usually include water, wastewater disposal, heating, waste disposal, and cleaning/maintenance of the rental building. Please note that the amount of the additional costs/warm rent mentioned in advertisements is based on calculations of consumption by the previous tenants. The actual amount of the additional costs is calculated in an annual service charge statement. Depending on your water consumption, heating habits, etc., you might be asked for an additional payment for higher consumption or receive a repayment for lower consumption.
Electricity
As a rule, other services, like electricity, are not part of the warm rent. As a tenant, you can choose your electric energy provider and pay your bill directly to that provider. Most rental buildings have a separate electricity meter (“Stromzähler”) for each unit that will be checked once per year. Usually, you will pay a fixed amount for a certain amount of time. The monthly amount will then be adjusted after the initial period to a calculation based on your energy consumption.
Telephone and internet connection
Landline telephone/internet connections are also your responsibility and not included in the rent. There are plenty of different providers to choose from that offer a variety of different services/combination packages. Therefore, it is best to compare the different providers and choose the best package for you. Before committing to one provider, please check with your (future) landlord/landlady what connections are available at your new apartment. Unfortunately, in Germany, many areas (even large cities) do not have access to fiber-optic lines, etc. It may also be possible for you to take over an existing connection from the previous tenant. However, you should pay attention to the contract details and payment conditions, as new contracts tend to have better conditions than existing ones.
Broadcasting fee
In Germany, every household must pay the mandatory broadcasting fee. You will be automatically registered for the broadcasting fee after your registration at your resident's registration office in Germany.
Accommodation types
There are different types of housing available for doctoral candidates coming to TUM. You have several options to consider depending on your individual preferences and available budget.
A shared flat (German “Wohngemeinschaft” or “WG” in short) is usually the cheapest option available to students and doctoral candidates. This option means a flat is shared between multiple tenants, usually sharing one bathroom and kitchen. The different rooms are either rented out as a sublease by one tenant with the main lease or rented out individually by the landlord or landlady. It is uncommon in Germany to share one room with unrelated persons, and renting one bed in a larger dorm or similar is not possible.
The rent given for a room in a shared flat is usually “Warmmiete”/”warm rent” (including utilities). There is typically no distinction between “Kaltmiete”/”cold rent” (without utilities) and warm rent as there are in full flats. Usually, if you rent a room in a shared flat, the room is not furnished unless the advertisement explicitly says so. There may be the possibility to buy furniture already in the room from the previous tenant for additional money. Please note that there may not be a larger price difference between furnished and unfurnished rooms in shared flats.
In contrast to regular apartments, the rent for shared flats usually already includes the internet/Wi-Fi and the mandatory broadcasting fee (“GEZ”), as both are shared between all tenants. If the advertisement is unclear, please ask your future landlady/landlord whether the rent already includes internet access and the GEZ.
Please be aware that there is usually a lot of competition for rooms in shared flats advertised online on portals like WG-Gesucht.de. Therefore, if you contact an advertisement, you might not get invited to a viewing; if you get invited to a viewing, you might not get the room. Please note that some landlords/landladies may only be looking for female or male tenants and/or have other specific requirements, e.g., non-smoking, no pets, love cats/dogs, etc. Usually, these requirements are also included in the advertisement.
A standard room in a shared flat may be between 7-10 to 20 square meters (sometimes even 30 or more square meters), not including a shared bathroom, kitchen, and other shared rooms. It is also relatively common for room sizes to vary in a shared flat. In this case, the room rent usually also varies according to the room size.
Estimated average prices for one room in a shared flat near TUM locations:
| Munich City | 700-1,000 Euros |
| Munich District (“Landkreis”) and communities close to TUM Campus Garching-Forschungszentrum | 600-800 Euros |
| Garching bei München | 750-900 Euros |
| Freising | 400-700 Euros |
| Straubing | 400-600 Euros |
| Heilbronn | 400-600 Euros |
A one-room or studio apartment is popular for single students and doctoral candidates. However, as one-room apartments are also very attractive to single professionals, they are highly sought after and expensive.
A classical one-room apartment features a bathroom and kitchen. However, sometimes the kitchen is only a kitchenette (“Kochnische” in German). In contrast to a full kitchen, a kitchenette is only a small cooking area with a small stove and refrigerator directly in the room. One-room apartments usually come unfurnished unless the advertisement states otherwise. Please note that “unfurnished apartment” often means renting the apartment without any kitchen appliances. Sometimes, it may be possible to buy the kitchen (and other furniture) from the outgoing tenant for additional money.
The rent for a one-room/studio apartment is usually given without utilities (“Kaltmiete”/”cold rent”), and utilities are listed separately and added (“Warmmiete”/”warm rent”).
A standard one-room apartment size may be between 25 and 50 square meters (though exceptions may apply), with larger apartments more expensive than smaller ones. The rent also depends on the location of the apartment, its proximity to supermarkets, child-care facilities, and schools, as well as its access to public transportation. Generally, the farther away from the city center, the cheaper it gets.
Depending on the apartment size, many landlords/landladies do not rent one-room apartments to couples or families but only to single persons.
Estimated average prices for an unfurnished one-room apartment near TUM locations:
| Munich City | cold rent: 800-1,300 Euros/ warm rent: 1,000-1,500 Euros |
| Munich District (“Landkreis”) and communities close to TUM Campus Garching-Forschungszentrum | cold rent: 700-1,000 Euros/ warm rent: 850-1,300 Euro |
| Garching bei München | cold rent: 800-1,100 Euros/ warm rent: 1,000-1,300 Euros |
| Freising | cold rent: 600-900 Euros/ warm rent: 800-1,000 Euros |
| Straubing | cold rent: 300-400 Euros/ warm rent: 400-600 Euros |
| Heilbronn | cold rent: 400-600 Euros/ warm rent: 600-800 Euros |
Many real estate companies and other private enterprises offer high-quality, furnished studio apartments. Some of these apartments are located in special complexes. They may also include additional offers like regular housekeeping services, an in-house sauna, a swimming pool, a fitness center, or shared recreational rooms. These apartments are more expensive than regular one-room apartments rented out by private landlords/landladies.
Additionally, various professional real estate companies and agencies offer short-term, furnished apartments for elevated prices. These apartments are high-end and fully furnished and may be available for flexible short-term leases (e.g., only one or two months). The rent may also vary according to season. In the summer months in Munich, during Octoberfest or significant international trade fairs, the rent tends to be much more expensive than in the lower season.
Both providers tend to focus on one-room apartments for single professionals, though there may also be two- or three-room apartments for couples and families available.
Estimated average prices for a furnished one-room apartment near TUM locations:
| Munich City | warm rent: 1,200-2,000 Euros |
| Munich District (“Landkreis”) and communities close to TUM Campus Garching-Forschungszentrum | warm rent: 1,000-1,500 Euro |
| Garching bei München | warm rent: 1,000-1,500 Euros |
| Freising | warm rent: 1,000-1,500 Euros |
| Straubing | warm rent: 700-1,000 Euros |
| Heilbronn | warm rent: 700-1,000 Euros |
A two-room apartment suits singles, a couple, or even a small family. Therefore, this option is especially relevant for doctoral candidates with a partner or family.
Two-room apartments usually come unfurnished, except if the advertisement states otherwise. The rent of a two-room apartment is generally given without utilities (“Kaltmiete”/”cold rent”), and utilities are then listed separately and added (“Warmmiete”/”warm rent”). Please note that “unfurnished apartment” may also mean renting the apartment without any kitchen appliances. Sometimes, it may be possible to buy the kitchen (and other furniture) from the outgoing tenant for additional money.
A standard two-room apartment size may be between 40 and 70/80 square meters, though exceptions may apply. The cost depends on the size, so larger apartments are generally more expensive than smaller ones. The rent also depends on the location of the apartment, its proximity to supermarkets, child-care facilities, and schools, as well as its access to public transportation. Generally, the farther away from the city center, the cheaper it gets.
Estimated average prices for an unfurnished two-room apartment near TUM locations:
| Munich City | cold rent: 1,000-1,300 Euros/ warm rent: 1,200-1,600 Euros |
| Munich District (“Landkreis”) and communities close to TUM Campus Garching-Forschungszentrum | cold rent: 1,000-1,300 Euros/ warm rent: 1,200-1,600 Euros |
| Garching bei München | cold rent: 1,000-1,300 Euros/ warm rent: 1,200-1,600 Euros |
| Freising | cold rent: 1,000-1,300 Euros/ warm rent: 1,200-1,600 Euros |
| Straubing | cold rent: 600-800 Euros / warm rent: 800-1,100 Euros |
| Heilbronn | cold rent: 700-900 Euros/ warm rent: 800-1,200 Euros |
Larger, three- or four-room apartments are suitable for families. Larger three- and four-room apartments are usually unfurnished, and only very few are furnished. The rent for a three/four room apartment is usually given without utilities (“Kaltmiete”/”cold rent”), and utilities are then given separately and added (“Warmmiete”/”warm rent”). Please note that “unfurnished apartment” may also mean renting the apartment without any kitchen appliances. Sometimes, it may be possible to buy the kitchen (and other furniture) from the outgoing tenant for additional money.
Prices depend greatly on the size– the larger the apartment, the more expensive. Sizes may start at around 60 square meters for a three-room apartment and go up to over 100 square meters for a large three-room or four-room apartment. The rent also depends on the location of the apartment, its proximity to supermarkets, child-care facilities, and schools, as well as its access to public transportation. Generally, the farther away from the city center, the cheaper it gets.
Estimated average prices for an unfurnished three-room apartment near TUM locations:
| Munich City | cold rent: from 1,300 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,500 Euros |
| Munich District (“Landkreis”) and communities close to TUM Campus Garching-Forschungszentrum | cold rent: from 1,300 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,500 Euros |
| Garching bei München | cold rent: from 1,300 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,500 Euros |
| Freising | cold rent: from 1,300 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,500 Euros |
| Straubing | cold rent: from 700 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,000 Euros |
| Heilbronn | cold rent: from 900 Euros/ warm rent: from 1,200 Euros |
Sublease (“Untermiete”)
Some people may sublease a room or a separate unit with a bathroom in their apartment or house. They need their landlord's or landlady's permission if they do not own their apartment or house. During a sublease, you might live in the same apartment or house as your landlord/landlady and may share a kitchen and/or bathroom with them and their family. Sublease sometimes also comes with additional requirements for the tenant, such as gender, age, language requirements, etc. Sometimes, especially for elderly landlords/landladies, they might welcome support in the household, etc., in exchange for cheaper rent.
Subleasing can be a convenient option, especially if you're looking for short-term housing. However, it's crucial to consider the personal compatibility and living styles of your potential landlord/landlady. As you'll be living directly in their apartment/house, it's important to ensure that your lifestyles and habits align. Subleases are usually furnished or partly furnished. The rent given is usually the warm rent, including utilities, and usually covers internet and broadcasting fees and electricity.
Please note that it is common in Germany to sign a regular rental contract for subleases.
Interim rent/Interim sublease (“Zwischenmiete“)
People leaving their apartments for a limited time, e.g., to go abroad for their studies, work, internship, etc., may rent their apartments for an interim sublease. These interim subleases are usually available for a few months, six months, and even a year.
Interim sub-leases are possible for entire apartments but are most likely for furnished shared flat rooms (“WG”). They may be available on relatively short notice and may be easier to get than a long-term flat. The rooms are usually advertised on platforms like WG-Gesucht or Facebook groups, and subleased by the renter, who needs the landlord's or landlady's permission to do so. The rent tends to be the same as the regular rent for a long-term lease.
It is advisable to also consider an interim sublease when first coming to TUM and then search for a long-term lease once settled.
Please note that in Germany, it is expected to sign a regular rental contract also for interim subleases.
Miscellaneous
- It's important to note that pets, such as cats or dogs, may not always be allowed by landlords/landladies. Therefore, if you're considering moving in with your cat or dog, it's your responsibility to ask your (future) landlord/landlady for permission. Smaller animals, like hamsters, guinea pigs, etc., typically do not require permission.
- Many landlords/landladies prohibit their tenants from smoking in the room/apartment. Violating this rule may result in fines or even eviction.
- Unfurnished and sometimes also furnished apartments do not include washing machines. If you wish to bring your washing machine, ensure your apartment contains a suitable connection for washing machines (often in the bathroom or the kitchen). However, some apartment buildings offer shared washing machines that the tenants can use, which can be a convenient and cost-effective option.