Berlin, October 3rd, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – The new semester officially started on Thursday, but lectures usually begin a few days later. Lots of students from other German cities and from abroad arrive in Berlin. Many of them do not have a place to stay.
Berlin needs at least 100,000 additional apartments plus 20,000 more per year to cover the demand, but the construction of living space is not happening fast enough. For students, the situation is tough, as a report by the “Morgenpost” daily shows.
The “Studierendenwerk” student services provider runs more than 9,000 rooms in several dormitories, which sounds pretty good. But there is a waiting list that already contains thousands of students who are desperately waiting. Students who made it onto the list wait an entire year, on average, before they get a dormitory room.
One Hour Per Square Meter
Rooms in student dormitories in Berlin cost 352 Euro per month, while the rent per room in shared flats is almost twice this amount, on average. Besides, those rooms are not that easy to get either, since everyone is looking.
Students who have not found any place to stay, neither in a dorm nor in a shared flat or on the regular apartment rental market, have an alternative the “Morgenpost” reported on: It’s a program called “Wohnen für Hilfe Berlin”.
The idea behind this option: People give students a room to stay. In exchange they help the host with chores and errands. Per square meter, the tenant is supposed to help one hour per month. Of course, the coin has a flip side: The organization behind the program, “Sonay soziales Leben”, has received few applications.
Bulletin Board
Yet another option is Berlinovo, a state-owned real estate company which rents out countless apartments. They do have thousands of studios for students, but only a few hundred are vacant right now, according to the German-language newspaper report mentioned. It may be worth a try, though.
Websites that might be helpful for students who are looking for a place to stay in Berlin include ImmobilienScout24, WG-Gesucht and kleinanzeigen.de. On ImmobilienScout24, it might make sense to write to private landlords rather than real estate agents, as the chances may be higher.
By the way: Have you checked your university’s bulletin board?
