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Housing International Office

We help international degree-seeking students look for accommodation

We are pleased that you have decided to study at TU Darmstadt. To make your move to Darmstadt easier, we will provide you with all the information you need to find a place to live.

Get to know Darmstadt better!

As an international student of TU Darmstadt you can come by during our office hours to receive advice and support with regard to your housing questions.

Bleichstrasse 2, 3rd floor, Room 307

  • Monday from 13:00 to 15:00
  • Thursday from 13:30 to 15:30

If our consultation hours don't suit your schedule or you are not in Darmstadt, send us an . We will offer you other options to assist you.

Accommodation search

We advise international students who are newly enrolled at TU Darmstadt in their search for a room.

  • We explain things about the housing market in Germany that might be new to you.
  • We advise you on how to go about your search for accommodation in or near Darmstadt.
  • We support you in writing your application for a room in a shared accommodation.
  • We share with you accommodation offers received through our many good contacts with private landlords (if available).
  • We let you know the signs of a possible scam to look out for.

It is good to become familiar with the names and locations of the city’s districts and the towns that surround it. From the districts Kranichstein, Arheilgen and Wixhausen north of the city centre to Bessungen and Eberstadt to the south, you can get to the city centre in 5 to 20 minutes with public transport. New and improved bike paths also make cycling a good option for getting around.

Your address does not have to be in Darmstadt in order for you to be close to the university. With public transportation, towns like Griesheim, Mühltal and Roßdorf are not much further away than some of the districts in the city. Ober-Ramstadt, Weiterstadt, Bickenbach, Seeheim-Jungenheim and others are only 20-35 minutes away. The advantages of looking outside of Darmstadt include an increased selection of housing options, often at lower prices, particularly to the east of the city.

Sign up with us!

your university acceptance ≠ you have a room

TU Darmstadt does not have its own student residences and will not provide you with a room. You will have to find your own accommodation.

Don't delay your room search!

The sooner you start looking, the better. Demand for apartments in Darmstadt is high! Be well prepared and increase your chances of finding a suitable room.

What a room in Darmstadt costs

Although we are happy to help you find accommodation, it will not always be possible to find a room or apartment that meets your wishes. Please remember that we are here to support you, but you will need to take an active role in your search for accommodation.

Rents in Darmstadt are relatively expensive compared to the rest of Germany. Prices vary. A room in a shared apartment in Darmstadt currently costs EUR 500. Outside of Darmstadt, rents are often slightly lower. To find an affordable room, you need to invest time in your search and be patient.


Type of Cost Frequency When is it due? How much?
* Deposit one-time after signing the lease, before moving in as stated in the lease, generally 1 to 3 times the cold rent
** Purchase items from previous tenant one-time usually when signing the lease or shortly afterwards Usually listed as a cost for the room in the advertisement, this money allows you to take over ownership of shared items in the flat from the tenant moving out, e.g. the kitchen or other shared purchases.
Purchases for your room as needed as needed If a room is unfurnished or does not have everything you need, you will have to purchase those things for it.
Rent every month at the start of the lease as stated in the lease
Utility costs (either an estimate or a fixed price) every month at the start of the lease as stated in the lease
Settlement of the utility costs (when an estimate has been paid) once a year After the landlord has received the annual settlement for the utilities that are covered in the lease. Can be an additional payment, if the costs/usage was higher than expected, but can also be a reimbursement, if they were lower
*** Additional utility costs every month at the start of the contract as stated in the utility contract
German Broadcast Fee (sometimes referred to as GEZ), mandatory for every household quarterly 4 times per year currently 18.36 EUR/month or 55.08 EUR/quarter, normally shared by all flatmate
when applicable, final cleaning charges one-time at the end of the contract as stated in the lease
when applicable, renovation expenses one-time when moving out as states in the lease
* Deposit is a term for the rental security on which the landlord can fall back if the tenant does not comply with their obligations to pay rent or compensation for damages. The tenant can make claims for repayment of the rent deposit at the earliest after handing over the apartment to the landlord, as a general rule after the expiry of the settlement period of six months to be granted to the landlord. ** Purchase of items from previous tenant As you will now be part owner of these items, you should be able to recover some of the money you spent when you leave by selling your share to the tenant who replaces you. *** Additional utility costs refers to utilities you would need but which are not provided by the landlord. These would usually be something like electricity or an internet provider. You would need to get your own contract for these. These costs are normally shared among the people living in the flat.

While it does not happen often, there are scammers out there, trying to get your money without providing you with a place to stay.

There are some signs that you should be on the lookout for to help protect yourself from them. Here are a few examples:

  • Online ad looks too good to be true.
  • Asking for money to show you a place to live.
  • Requiring a payment in order to get a contract.
  • Payment is to a bank outside of Germany.
  • The landlord says that the key will be sent by mail upon payment. Photos of ID cards are sent to build trust, but the documents are fake.

If you feel unsure about a situation during your room search, get in touch with us and tell us about it. We will look at the situation with you to try to assess the risk involved.

Have you received a rental agreement? Then here are a few things you should look for. But first find out if you will receive a confirmation of residence from your landlord.

  • Check the start and end dates of the contract. Do they match what you agreed to?
  • Check the prices stated in lease, e.g. rent, deposit and utility costs.
  • Which utility costs are covered by the lease? Which will you have to find a service provider for? If this is not clear, ask the landlord to clarify this.
  • Will there be an annual settlement for the utilities paid to the landlord? Or are these fixed costs?
  • There is usually information regarding minor repairs, with an upper limit on the cost that you would be expected to pay yourself. If a small repair is needed that can be done without a specialist, you will be expected to do it. Keep the receipts for these.
  • There is also an annual upper limit for the total of minor repair costs in one year. If your costs approach the annual limit, let the owner know. At that point, even minor repairs would become his responsibility for the rest of the year. (Clarify if this a calender year or one year from the start of the lease.)
  • You will find information about your responsibility for cosmetic repairs. Be sure to understand this, particularly whether you are responsible for renovating when your lease ends.
  • Normally, you pay rent for a whole month. Even if you move in on the 15th of the month, for example, you often will have to pay rent for the full month.

If you have any questions about your rental agreement, please contact us. We will review it for you and let you know if anything needs to be clarified.

Abbreviation German terminology Meaning
N-Zi-Whg N-Zimmer-Wohnung N room apartment (not N bedrooms!)
N-ZKB N-Zimmer + Küche + Bad N rooms, kitchen and bathroom
N-ZKBB N-Zimmer +Küche + Bad +Balkon N rooms, kitchen, bathroom, balcony
N-OG N.Obergeschoss Nthfloor (NOTE: The ground floor in Germany is the 0th floor.)
Abstellk Abstellkammer storage space, usually outside of the apartment, e.g. in the cellar
Blk / Balk. Balkon balcony
DG Dachgeschoss under the roof / attic rooms
DU Dusche shower (can be separate or in the bath tub)
EBK Einbauküche fitted kitchen
EFH Ein-Familie-Haus single-family home
EG Erdgeschoss ground floor
EB Erstbezug first occupancy
HK Heizungskosten heating costs
HH Hochhaus high-rise building
Kaution Kaution deposit
Keine zusätzl. Prov. Keine zusätzliche Provision (Maklergebühren) no additional commission
KDB Küche, Diele, Bad kitchen, hall, bathroom
KM Kaltmiete cold or basic rent (rental cost without heating or other utility costs)
MM Monatsmiete monthly rent
NB (Nbk.) Nebenkosten extra monthly costs such as heating, water, cable TV, cleaning of shared areas, garbage removal, etc.
NF Nutzfläche useable area (incl. storage and other, non-living spaces) in m²
NR nicht Raucher non-smoker
NSH Nachtspeicherheizung an electric heater that emits heat during the day after converting inexpensive electricity into heat at night and storing it in special storage blocks
OG Obergeschoss top floor
RH Reihenhaus row / terrace house
Sout. / ST.-W Souterrain / Souterrain-Wohnung Apartments or rooms whose floors are below ground level but which have windows if they are used as living space. Usually less expensive.
Stellpl. Stellplatz parking space
TG Tiefgarage underground garage
TL Tageslicht bathroom with daylight
WM/warm Warmmiete rental fee incl. all extra monthly costs such as heating, water, cable TV, cleaning of shared areas, garbage removal, etc.
Wfl./WF Wohnfläche floor space (excluding some defined areas) in m²
WG Wohngemeinschaft flat-sharing is accepted
WK Wohnküche large kitchen (can be used as communal space)
ZH zentrale Heizung central heating