{
  "id": 11591618,
  "title": "Berlin: How Do Students Find Places to Stay?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/berlin-how-do-students-find-places-to-stay",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-03T03:15:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Berlin Spectator",
    "slug": "the-berlin-spectator",
    "url": "https://berlinspectator.com/2026/10/03/berlin-how-do-students-find-places-to-stay/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 3rd, 2026, the new academic semester commenced in Berlin, although lectures typically start a few days later. An influx of students from other German regions and overseas arrived in the city. Many of these students struggle to secure accommodation. Berlin requires at least 100,000 additional apartments annually, alongside 20,000 more per year, to meet the demand; however, construction lags behind. A report by the \"Morgenpost\" daily indicates that the \"Studierendenwerk\" student services provider manages over 9,000 rooms across multiple dormitories. This seems promising, yet there exists a waiting list containing thousands of students who anxiously wait to be accommodated. On average, students who secure a spot on the list endure a one-year wait before moving into a dormitory. Dwelling spaces in student dormitories in Berlin rent for 352 Euro monthly, while shared flat rooms command nearly double this price, averaging around 700 Euro per month. Moreover, these rooms are scarce and hard to come by due to high demand. Students without accommodation either in dormitories or shared flats on the conventional apartment rental market have one final avenue, as the \"Morgenpost\" reports: the \"Wohnen für Hilfe Berlin\" program. This initiative involves individuals offering students a room to reside in, provided the host helps with minor tasks. For each square meter of space, the tenant is obliged to assist one hour per month. In return, they earn a room. However, the demand for such accommodations remains low. An alternative is Berlinovo, a state-owned real estate entity that rents out numerous apartments. Though they offer thousands of studio apartments suited for students, only a few hundred remain vacant. The mentioned German-language newspaper reports the figure. Students can explore websites like ImmobilienScout24, WG-Gesucht, and kleinanzeigen.de to find a suitable place to stay. On ImmobilienScout24, it may be advantageous to contact private landlords directly rather than real estate agents, as the chances could be higher. Lastly, the story advises readers to check their university's bulletin board for potential listings.",
  "summary": "Are you moving to Berlin to study? Do you need an accommodation? This is what you can try.",
  "key_points": [
    "9,000+ rooms managed by Studierendenwerk across dormitories",
    "Waiting list of thousands of students for dormitory accommodation",
    "Wohnen für Hilfe Berlin program offers room exchange with minor task assistance"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The shortage of student accommodations in Berlin forces many to explore unconventional options, such as the Wohnen für Hilfe Berlin program, or scour online platforms and university bulletin boards for available spaces.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}