Finding a place to stay during your studies is a very important part of preparing for your educational journey abroad. This aspect of your preparations should not be underestimated. You want to find a place where you feel comfortable, that is affordable and, if possible, comes with instant friends in the shape of open and friendly roommates. Guess what: you’re not the only one with this kind of a wish list. And that’s why you need begin thinking about this as early as possible.
Taking on the challenge
Hamburg is Germany’s second largest city with a student population of almost 100,000. While this makes going out and connecting with people of your own age fun and easy, it makes the hunt for a suitable apartment or room in a shared apartment a bit of a challenge.
Most students in Germany either stay in a student residence hall or they share an apartment with other students (these shared apartment are called Wohngemeinschaft or WG). Some students who have a bit more money at their disposal may choose to live in a smaller apartment by themselves but most prefer to live with others. The Master of Law and Business students generally share, unless they bring their partner along with them and therefore prefer to have more privacy.
As finding a room or an apartment in strange city in a country whose language you may not speak can be a bit daunting, the Master of Law and Business team helps you as much as possible.
Option 1: Student Residence Halls
The MLB Team reserves 23 rooms in two different student residence halls that are about 15 minutes away from campus by public transportation. In Hamburg, this is a very short commute. In one residence hall, students will generally stay with one other student from the Master of Law and Business program and two other international students. The allocation of rooms is decided by the landlord of the residence hall. Rent is approx. €340/month. In the other residence hall students can rent apartments for one or two persons. Rent per person is approx. €440/month.
Option 2: Sublet Rooms
Another option is to sublet a room or an apartment from friends and students of Bucerius Law School. The Master of Law and Business team is often approached by individuals looking to sublet their apartment or room while they spend a semester or year abroad.
Option 4: Independent Housing
If you prefer to look for accommodation independently, we provide a list of accommodation websites to assist you in starting your search. In case you need guidance regarding appropriate rent prices, specific neighborhoods or trustworthy offers, don’t hesitate to ask me.
One important advice: if you come across an offer that requires you to transfer a deposit in order to receive the key by mail because the landlord or main tenant supposedly doesn’t live in Germany anymore, do NOT do this under any circumstances. This is a scam.
Although we recommend some housing sites, please be aware that the administrators of these sites aren’t always able to delete these kinds of offers right away.
When in doubt, ask Maite! Good luck with your search!
