Accommodation

Looking for an affordable apartment can be very difficult and time-consuming. If you need help, do not hesitate to ask the visitor support.

On the Internet

http://www.immobilienscout.de

In newspapers

Large sections of all kind of accommodation are advertised in the weekend editions of various local newspapers. You can also place an advertisement in a paper yourself. Below you find a list of some newspapers with local housing market. Please note that you have to be quick to get your favourite flat – call the contact person on Saturday morning as soon as possible.

Potsdam and Berlin:

Der Tagesspiegel	Saturday edition, most offers in Berlin, few in the surrounding area
Berliner Morgenpost	Saturday edition, most offers in Berlin, few in the surrounding area
Berliner Zeitung	Weekend edition, most offers in Berlin, few in the surrounding area
Märkische Allgemeine	Saturday/Sunday edition, offers in and around Potsdam
Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten	Weekend edition, offers in and around Potsdam

Hannover:

Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung

Weekend editions, offers in and around Hannover

Some useful terminology and abbreviations

The indications about the level of rent in most cases refer to basic rent (Kaltmiete) which means that you have to pay additionally for electricity, water, heating and waste disposal. In contrast, these subsidiary charges (Nebenkosten) are normally included in the rent for furnished flats (Warmmiete). When you read descriptions of accommodation, note that "Warmmiete" or "warm" includes additional costs, and "Kaltmiete" or "kalt" does not.

In Germany you can rent furnished, partly furnished or empty flats. Empty flats are really 'empty', which means that they do not even have carpets, curtains, lamps or kitchen equipment – often there will simply be wires hanging out of the ceiling. Partly furnished rooms have at least some furniture and kitchen equipment. Flats are rarely offered with furniture, whereas single rooms or rooms in dormitories (residence halls) are generally furnished.

Some abbreviations and terminology, useful for reading accommodation small ads:

• 2Zi.-Whg = Zweizimmerwohnung: flat with two rooms
• 5ZKDB = 5 Zimmer, Küche, Diele, Bad: 5 rooms, kitchen, corridor, bathroom
• AB = Altbau: older-style building, with high ceilings and thick walls, but not necessarily modern conveniences
• ab = from, when the apartment becomes available
• Bad = bathroom
• Bk = Balkon: balcony
• EBK = Einbauküche: kitchen with built-in cabinets, an oven, a sink… It's probably useful.
• EG, 1.OG, 2.OG,…, DG = Ground floor, first floor, second floor,…, top floor
• Etage = Floor, which floor the apartment is on
• Etagenzahl = numbers of floors in the building
• G-WC = GästeWC: separate toilet
• IMM/RDM = Immobilienmakler and Ring Deutscher Makler (association of German real estate agents): This means you must pay a fee of up to two months' rent on conclusion of the lease
• inkl. = inklusive: includes all costs (see Warmmiete)
• Kaut. = Kaution: deposit or security
• k./KM = kalt, Kaltmiete (see above)
• KN = Kochniesche: small kitchen, often with fridge, oven and a sink
• komplett = includes all costs (see inkl.)
• Küche = kitchen
• Maisonette = penthouse
• Maklergebühr = Fee which you would have to pay to an agent for finding you an apartment.
• NK = Nebenkosten (see above)
• NMM = Nettomonatsmiete: monthly rent without additional costs (Nebenkosten)
• NR = Nichtraucher: smoking is forbidden, often in WGs (see below) or single rooms
• Parkett = wooden floor
• Prov. = Provision: An amount that you pay to the real estate agent in advance. At present most apartments are provisionsfrei: they are rented without Provision.
• ruhig = quiet
• saniert = renovated (if you decide to rent an Altbau, you have to be cautious of ones that are not saniert)
• so. = sofort: immediately
• TG = Tiefgarage: underground car park
• Wfl. = Wohnfläche: floor space, measured in square meters. Note that for attic (DG) apartments with sloping walls, the German law requires that they only count some fraction of the floor space, so such an apartment can often be larger than the number indicates.
• w./WM = warm, Warmmiete (see above): the total (estimated) rent, including heating and all other Nebenkosten.
• WG = Wohngemeinschaft: people sharing an apartment; a roommate/flatmate situation
• ZH = Zentralheizung: central heating