Advice for finding Accomodation in Munich

Hi!

Having just finished my very stressful flat-search I thought I would post some things that I learnt along the way to help other people in the same position :)

Firstly it goes without saying that if you are moving to Munich you need to be prepared for the stress of finding accommodation. It goes without saying, that you should start long before you actually NEED to be there. I have rented in London before, which is also a difficult city to flat-search in, but both times I searched I was a home student, had plenty of friends there and was living in the city at the time of searching. In Munich, I was an International Student, with few contacts and unable to visit the city to flat-search in person. I was pretty cocky that Munich couldn't be that hard compared to London- it was. Having said that, try not to stress out too much, its not like it speeds up the process! It took me about 3 weeks to find something (I didn't physically visit Munich- I found my place via Skype). Here are some tips that helped me:

Apply to the studentenwerk first, but dont expect to get anything.

Its worth applying due the insane difference in rent prices, but the system is corrupt (like others in Germany) so you only really have a good chance if you are doing the official Erasmus scheme. There's a small chance you can get something with the Studentenwerk by a) visiting in person and trying to guilt trip them b) ringing them constantly until they get annoyed enough to give you something c) illegally subletting from another student (Yes this does happen, students will sublet their rooms for profit, and move out to live in alternative accomodation- I got offered this but rejected it).

Search for other halls of residence.

There are other Wohnheims, some are mentioned on the studentenwerk website, others not. Loads of them are Catholic but there are a few non-religious ones. It's really worth spending a while on Google to check them out, because they are also super cheap. The bonus with these is that they are privately owned so you might have a better chance at getting a room if you ring them up and are super polite and let them know how stressed you are etc. etc.

The Privatzimmervermittlung on the Studentenwerk website is actually worth using

Annoying to have to apply for the password, but worth it. There are some pretty cheap offers, if you are willing to search through the families-trying-to-rent-you-their-spare-box-room type things.

The main flat-searching website is WGgesucht.de

Ask any German student, they will tell you to use WGgesucht. I checked out other websites occasionally but they were nowhere near as good and had nowhere near as many viable offers, so you may as well just stick to the most popular website. You can set up a saved search filter, and get emails each time a new offer appears- this is really useful since timing can be crucial. Always add your phone number (Germans love calling people? ) and Facebook, and keep any messages you send short and personal- you can attach a search profile with more detailed information (see below). I originally thought that messages needed to be detailed and convincing, almost like applying for a job, but turns out that was a bad idea- I never got any answers after sending this type of message. However, don't forget to include move in dates, profession and how long you want the flat for.

Make a 'search' on WGgesucht

I never thought this would be useful, because I didn't think anyone with a spare room would bother reading through this part of the website. However, it was probably the most useful thing I did. I made a detailed profile with some writing about myself, photos etc. I got loads of phonecalls and emails from Landlords/ Potential Flatmates, and eventually I found a really nice, reasonably priced flat with a girl who emailed me.

Use Facebook

There are countless Facebook groups, they seem to have more offers than WGgesucht.de and you get answers more quickly. Also try nationality-based groups for help eg. English in Munich, Americans in Munich...

Use all the contacts you have, and if you don't have any, make them!

One of the most useful moves I made was to post on Erasmus/Accomodation groups on Facebook asking for help. Loads of people got in touch, and a couple of them were super useful and provided me with advice the whole time I was searching.

Finally.. If you are subletting (in a WG), make sure the landlord is ok with you moving in

I heard horror stories about people moving in, then the Landlord trying to kick them out :/ Don't rely on signing a 'contract' with the Flatmate who sublets the property to you.

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