Private market for accomodation

In Göttingen there is a lively private market for rooms, single or shared apartments.

WG
Shared apartments (Wohngemeinschaft, or WG) are especially popular among students. A WG is a living arrangement in which several people share the costs of living in one flat. Each person has his/her own bedroom, whereas the kitchen and bathroom are shared.


Sublet rooms
Most of the rooms are not furnished, so please always double check if any furniture is included. The exception to this rule would be sublet rooms (Zwischenmiete). Zwischenmiete is a good option when you arrive in Germany. It is a short-term accommodation possibility, with fixed start and end dates. The most important advantage is that these rooms are usually furnished. Since the person who offers the room plans to come back, he/she leaves their furniture in the room. And, although subletting is for a limited period only, it will give you enough time to have a look around for more permanent accommodation once you have arrived in Göttingen.

Looking for a room on the private market
If you decided to search for a room on the private market, the following websites will be useful for finding offers of accommodation:

Looking for a room on the private market
If you decided to search for a room on the private market, the following websites will be useful for finding offers of accommodation:
www.wg-gesucht.de(in English)
www.studenten-wg.de(in German)
www.zwischenmiete.de(in German)
www.goettinger-tageblatt.de/Anzeigen/Immo(in German)
www.facebook.com/wohnungsmarktgoettingen(in German)

This will help you to understand of what is being offered

If you are already in Göttingen, then you can find further offers in the weekend issue of the local newspaper (Göttinger Tageblatt) and on notice boards in the university buildings.

It might also be a good idea to check if your department or study programme runs a Facebook group. Facebook groups are a good opportunity to get in touch with people who are already in Göttingen or who have been there. They may be able to give you some hints regarding accommodation, or may even have heard about a room which is available.

You can also consult a local real estate agent (Immobilienmakler). However, it is important to know that they will charge a commission fee (Provision) of up to 2.38 times the monthly rent (excluding utilities; Kaltmiete), for their services.

In general, please do not underestimate the time and effort it takes to find accommodation in Göttingen, especially at the beginning of the semester (in September/October and March/April)!

Getting a room
Most of WGs want to get to know their future flatmate. For most flatmates it is very important that the people sharing the flat get along well.
Therefore, if you are searching for accommodation from abroad, you can contact the WG via email, introduce yourself and tell them a little bit about yourself (for example, your hobbies or why you are coming to Göttingen). A great means of communication is Skype because in this way you could ?meet? the possible flatmates and also see the room. Likewise, Skype offers the WG a chance to get to know you.
If you are already in Göttingen, please try to arrange viewings of the rooms once you have found an offer you like.

Since the housing market is very competitive, it is important to look for the most recent offers and react quickly.

Temporary Accommodation
If you did not have any luck in finding suitable accommodation before you arrive, you can find temporary accommodation in one of the youth hostels in and around Göttingen, bed and breakfasts, or hotels. Please refer to this list of temporary accommodation offered by the Accommodation Service: