Before I moved to Germany, I had spent nearly 24 years living in various cities in southern China, where I was “waited on hand and foot.” The convenience of city life and a home environment where I didn’t need to worry about daily necessities made it easy to get everything I needed. However, this also meant I overlooked developing some basic self-care skills.While I’m comfortable navigating city life and can easily access convenient resources in different places, I realize that in less convenient situations, I still need practice managing various aspects of daily life independently. For instance, I know how to choose healthy restaurants to meet my nutritional needs, but if they’re closed, I find myself uncertain about preparing a quick, nutritious meal on my own. Living on my own, especially as I pursue education abroad, will undoubtedly require me to develop these skills further. I believe that this experience will help me build these essential qualities in advance, better preparing me for an independent life.
When I arrived in Germany as a visiting student, I had no connections to the school or anyone there. One of my first challenges was finding an apartment. In fact, I only confirmed my plans to come to Germany at the end of August, after initially thinking I had completed all the necessary steps. I began searching for an apartment in early September, thinking it was early enough—only to realize it was actually quite late, as the semester in Germany starts in October. My apartment search stretched over two months, as I was also busy with my PhD applications and preparing for the APS exam.
I hope this thread will serve as a record of my personal experience, and besides relying on a bit of luck, I hope that the lessons I’ve learned can also help others who find themselves in a similar situation.
Here are the five main methods I used to find housing:
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German Rental Websites
Considering my schedule, I mainly used two websites: Immo Scout24 and WG-Gesucht (without subscribing to premium). This method involved two parts:
First, I responded to listings by landlords, sending private messages and emails to inquire about availability. On Immo Scout24, I sent 10 messages: I received 1 reply, visited 1 apartment, 2 landlords hadn’t enabled online messaging, and 7 didn’t respond at all. On WG-Gesucht, I sent 18 messages, receiving 2 replies—one was unsuitable for my preferred rental period, and by the time the other offered a viewing, I had already secured housing. The other 16 inquiries went unanswered.
It’s kind of funny that I ended up deleting 260 rental ad emails, most of which I had skimmed. -
International Booking Platforms: Booking, Airbnb, and Agoda
Unless a trusted friend or relative can confirm the housing conditions in advance, I recommend waiting to rent long-term housing until after arriving in Germany to personally evaluate options. Because of this, temporary stays in hotels or other short-term accommodations may be necessary. Booking, Airbnb, and Agoda are good choices for this purpose, but finding a comfortable, longer-term home in a timely manner is still worth carefully considering.
Before arriving, I reserved two nights in a hotel. After landing in Frankfurt, I received an invitation to view an apartment the following day. However, I found that it was a new, single-occupant apartment with poor ventilation, which didn’t meet my needs, so I chose not to proceed. I then extended my hotel stay by several weeks to continue searching. Since students in Germany need to register at the town hall within three months of arrival, some classmates, after struggling to find housing, opted for pricier, registerable Airbnb rentals in the city center. I reached out to five Airbnb hosts but ultimately didn’t rent any due to unsatisfactory room conditions. Nonetheless, it remains a viable option. -
Social Media Platforms in My Home Country
Social media options are plentiful. Here, I’ll highlight the Chinese app Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book). Young people often share their experiences here and check for updates, making it useful for housing searches. International students could also apply a similar approach on social media.
During my search, many Chinese students shared housing difficulties or leads on Xiaohongshu. Using search terms like “time + university or area + rental period,” you can find relevant posts or contacts. While this may not lead to a roommate, it can at least help find others facing similar struggles, which may even lead to new friendships. -
University Group Chats
Fortunately, I found a helpful upperclassman through one of these group chats. Initially, I thought it was solely a housing group but later discovered that it also provided other useful campus information (thanks to the anonymous senior who assisted me).
If you’re invited to an official student group, they may request verification of your identity. If this happens and you really need access, make sure to protect your privacy. I sent a redacted version of my acceptance letter, omitting my name and student ID, to confirm my identity without risking my information. Once in the group chat, you’ll see posts from students seeking roommates or advertising available housing. Based on your preferences, you can then politely reach out for more details. This approach can be easier than searching alone. And as mentioned, even if you don’t end up living in the same area, you may still find a good home. -
Assistance from the International Office or Student Affairs
At my university, student housing requires a wait of about a year. I asked the International Office about options and received a similar response. However, some students found luck by visiting the department in person and quickly securing a short-term room in a six-person dorm for one month. If you’re in urgent need, it’s worth asking the International Office or Student Affairs about such short-term options. Personally, I opted out of this option due to my need for an independent space and the potential high wait time.
These are my experiences and reflections on finding housing. Best of luck to everyone in their search!
#It's just an experienceLast modified on 2024-11-01