All of us have been in the situation where you need to find an apartment to live in. Whether you got a new job in another city, are about to start a university degree, or are simply moving in with your partner — one of the most important steps is finding a place you can call home for the next few months or even years. 🏡

I have moved a lot during my student life, from one city to another, sometimes 2 or 3 times within one city due to different circumstances. So, in this blog post, I’ve compiled a guide for you on how to find an apartment, with links to different websites.

STEP 1: DO YOUR RESEARCH 🔍

Start with some simple research on the city you’re planning to move to — what areas are the best, cheapest, family/animal-friendly? Maybe you need a kindergarten or school nearby, or good connections to the train station. The easiest way to do this is to visit official city portals, or, as an alternative, ask fellow expats.

Almost every city in Germany has its own official city profile, which, in many cases, is also available in English. Here are some examples:

• Munich — https://www.muenchen.de/int/en.html
• Cologne/Köln — https://www.cologne.de/
• Berlin — https://www.berlin.de/en/
• Bonn — https://international.bonn.de/
• Bremen — https://www.bremen.eu/
• Hamburg — https://www.hamburg.com/
• Düsseldorf — https://www.duesseldorf.de/international.html
• Frankfurt am Main — https://frankfurt.de/english
• Essen — https://www.essen.de/welcome_to_essen.en.html

As you can see, these websites provide a lot of information about the city of your choice — accommodation, entertainment, sightseeing, nightlife, and so on. This can be your starting point for research.

Another option is to ask someone who already lives there. No need to worry if you don’t know anyone yet — you can always find a dedicated community of expats in the city you’re moving to. Whenever I have a question or need a recommendation, I always ask a group of fellow expats who’ve already been through the same situation. As an example, I live in Cologne, and I find these communities extremely helpful:

• https://www.facebook.com/groups/expats.cologne/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/expatsincologne/

STEP 2: SEARCH FOR ACCOMMODATION 🏠

If you’re moving to Germany for your studies, my suggestion would be to rent a room in a student dormitory. It’s a great opportunity to immerse yourself in student life, connect with fellow students, and learn the language and culture. I, personally, have only positive memories of my dormitory life — my neighbors were always nice and polite, we exchanged presents on holidays, and cooked and partied together.

Usually, information about accommodation in your university dormitory is available on the website of the respective university, and you can apply anytime online. My strong recommendation is to apply as soon as possible. Some university dormitories don’t even require an enrollment certificate at the early stages of application — you only need to provide one once you sign a contract. Be sure to secure the room in time, since demand can sometimes be quite high! As an alternative, you can check the “Study in Germany” website to find dormitories in your city.

If you don’t want to live in a dormitory, or simply didn’t get a room, no worries — you can always try private dormitories or single apartments. Sometimes universities also provide a list of websites where you can search for suitable apartments.

I’ve put together the list of websites I used to find an apartment. These can be useful for anyone moving to a city, no matter the reason.

WG-Gesucht (https://www.wg-gesucht.de/) — in my view, one of the best websites for finding a dormitory room or single apartment. The site is available in three languages — German, English, and Spanish — although the ad headers and descriptions provided by owners are sometimes only in German. 💡 Tip: during periods of high demand, a premium membership can be worth it, since messaging quotas for free users can be limited.

The best approach is to browse the ads and send direct requests to owners to view an apartment. Sometimes, though, owners get too many messages and can’t get back to everyone. In that case, if possible, contact them by phone instead of messaging, or try WhatsApp — this shows genuine interest, and your message won’t get lost among the others.

WG-Gesucht also offers some helpful articles on the accommodation search:

• Example of a successful flat application: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/artikel/accommodation-search-example-of-a-successful-flat-application
• How to increase the scope of your ad: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/artikel/3-tips-for-your-search-how-to-increase-the-scope-of-your-ad
• 3 steps to help you find the flatshare of your dreams: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/artikel/these-3-steps-help-you-to-find-the-flatshare-of-your-dreams

If you have questions about the website, check their FAQ section: https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en/hilfe.html

Immowelt.de (https://www.immowelt.de/suche/) — another good website for finding an apartment, with a wider range of filters depending on your needs. Unfortunately, it’s only available in German. Simply select two things: under Was suchen Sie? (What are you looking for), enter Mieten Wohnung (Rent an apartment), and under Wo suchen Sie? (Where are you looking), enter your city of choice. Then press Suchen (Search) and you’re set! You can register for free and start your search, or contact owners directly by filling in your information.

Meinestadt.de (https://www.meinestadt.de/) — a very useful website with information on German regions and cities, unfortunately only available in German. Apart from accommodation, you can search for jobs, buy a car, and get information about tourist attractions and upcoming events. You’ll also find real estate agents, moving companies, and artisans to help with furniture installation. At the top of the website, under Ort oder Postleitzahl eingeben (Enter place or postal code), type in your city or postal code — it will redirect you to that city’s page. Then go to Rubrik auswählen (Choose category) → Immobilien (Real estate) → Wohnung mieten (Rent an apartment), and you’ll see all the available rentals!

Immonet.de (https://www.immonet.de/) — another great website for accommodation searches in German, with an app you can download for searching on the go. Apart from listings, it offers a wide range of information on rental services and moving companies. The search works just like the others — under Wo suchen Sie?, type your city and press Mieten (Rent). You can search not just for a room or shared apartment, but for newly built apartments, houses, single apartments, garages, or even office spaces. A nice extra feature is an approximate moving-cost calculator — just insert your Wohnfläche bisher (size of your current apartment) and Entfernung (distance to your future apartment). Here’s the link: https://www.immonet.de/umzug/umzugskosten.html

Immobilienscout24 (https://www.immobilienscout24.de/) — another great option, very similar in concept to the others, offering information for both renting and buying private apartments as well as office spaces. On the main page, press the Immobilien (Real estate) section, choose Mieten (Rent) on the left, write your city, and select the property type on the right — Wohnung (Apartment), Haus (House), Wohnen auf Zeit (Temporary living), WG Zimmer (Room in a shared flat), and so on.

Wunderflats (https://wunderflats.com/) — a slightly less popular website than the others, but definitely worth a look. It’s available in English, which is great, and has a nice selection of apartments for rent. The only downside is that listings are mostly limited to bigger cities and towns in Germany — smaller places like Schmalkalden or Meiningen aren’t covered yet.

Vonovia (https://www.vonovia.de/) — another accommodation option, offering a decent (though smaller) number of listings. The website is in German, but searching is easy and intuitive.

Ebay Kleinanzeigen (https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-wohnung-mieten/) — not as useful as the other sites, but worth a shot if you’re in need of an apartment and have already checked everywhere else.

Facebook — last but not least. Facebook isn’t just for connecting and sharing — it’s also good for accommodation searches. There are many dedicated groups called “Wohnung in Bonn/Cologne,” etc., where people post apartment ads for rent. The last time I lived in Bonn, Facebook was exactly where I found my apartment. You can also visit expat groups for Cologne/Bonn/Berlin and ask for input there too.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: If you’re renting from a private property owner, it usually comes down to a Kaution — a security deposit. By German law, this can be up to 3 months’ cold rent (Kaltmiete), though some landlords ask for less. Don’t worry — it will be returned to you after your rental period ends, provided the apartment is left in good condition with no damage. And you have the legal right to pay it in 3 equal monthly installments rather than all at once, if that helps your budget.

⚠️ PLEASE NOTE that in some cases, owners might require a Schufa-Auskunft (credit report) — this is easy to obtain. Schufa is simply your credit record, serving as proof to the owner that your credit is clean and that you’re able to pay rent. It costs around 29,95 euros, and you can apply for it through any of the apartment search portals listed above (except Kleinanzeigen and Facebook), or directly via the Schufa website.

Link to the Schufa website: https://www.meineschufa.de/index.php?site=7&via=menu. Simply scroll to the bottom of the page and click “Jetzt Bestellen” (“Order now”). Insert your personal data and wait for your certificate.

🚨 SCAM ALERT! Be very careful — there are multiple scammers who will try to trick you into sending money in advance. Don’t! Only complete money transactions once you have a signed contract in hand, detailed information about the owner, and have already visited the apartment in person.

Apartment hunting red flags:

• the landlord is “abroad”
• you can’t visit the apartment
• they ask you to transfer money before seeing/signing anything
• they ask you to pay viewing fee
• suspiciously cheap/low price
• pressure to make an immediate payment
• inconsistency in communication
• they ask you for personal documents, financial data and so on prior to verfying the validity of the listing

And:

If someone wants €3,000 before you’ve seen the apartment, this is not “being quick and efficient German way.” This is literally your first cue to run.

💡 USEFUL TIP: When you visit an apartment for the first time, check the condition of the rooms very carefully — scratches, visible damage, marks, etc. — so that the landlord can’t try to pin these on you later.

Thank you very much for reading my post. I hope it will be helpful for you. I know myself how big a struggle finding an apartment in Germany can be, so brace yourself, and good luck! 🍀

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Few extra tips from me

• Check the Nebenkostenabrechnung. Ask what’s included in the Nebenkosten (utility costs) before signing — heating, water, and building maintenance are sometimes included, sometimes billed separately, and it varies a lot by landlord.
• Don’t forget the Anmeldung. Once you move in, you’re legally required to register your new address (Anmeldung) at your local Bürgeramt within 14 days. Landlords must give you a signed Wohnungsgeberbestätigung confirming your move-in — you’ll need it for the appointment, so ask for it upfront if it isn’t offered.
• Bürgeramt appointments book up fast, especially in bigger cities — book yours online as soon as you have a signed lease, since slots weeks out are common.
• Ask about a Wohnungsübergabeprotokoll (move-in inspection report) — get everything documented and signed by both parties on move-in day, not just checked informally. This protects you far more than a mental note of “that scratch was already there.”
• Check the contract before signing carefully – this might sound straightforward, but contracts are rather long and have lots of weird lingo, and tiring to be honest. But please do invest some time to understand all costs and things you are responsible for. Believe me, I know what I am saying – getting quite a few surprises several time that I have to pay for the cleaning before moving out or paint the walls.