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Private housing market

Compared to other university towns, there are plenty of available flats in Bochum and rents are not very high. If you don't want to live in university residences, or could not get a place there, you can look for accommodation on the private housing market. Prices are only slightly higher than are residences.

Finding flats and rooms

Flats and rooms can be found through:



Advertising in the papers
On Wednesdays and Saturday you can find housing ads in local newspaper. You can advertise for flats there yourselves.


Housing exchanges on the internet
On the internet you can find various exchanges advertising accommodation in Bochum. Many sites are specialised in procuring flat shares (Wohngemeinschaften=WGs).

    Internet portal and housing exchange: http://www.studenten-wohnung.de
    Houseshare-exchange: http://www.studenten-wg.de
    Internet portal and housing exchange: http://www.studentenbrett.de
    Houseshare-exchange: http://www.wg-gesucht.de
    Houseshare-exchance:  http://www.wohnung-jetzt.de

Blackboard at RUB (Bild: Thilo Machotta)Blackboards
On the blackboards near the student residence provider service of the AKAFÖ, in the student unions (ASten) of the universities and in university buildings you can often find housing ads. You can also leave an ad describing what you are looking for.

Building societies
Over the last few years building societies, too, have started to recognise students as potential customers.

    VBW Bauen und Wohnen GmbH: http://www.vbw-bochum.de

Hints for flat-hunting

    Start looking for a flat or a room as early as possible. Expect the search to require a fair amount of time. As rooms become harder to get in students residences at the beginning of the semester, it is advisable to fill in an application with the AKAFÖ or providers of private residences early on.

    It is helpful if someone from Germany can assist you when searching for a flat, advise you or help you to translate adverts or tenancy agreements.

    Check in advance what the distance to university is, and whether all necessary facilities (Kindergarten, school, shopping sites) are nearby.

    In close proximity to the university, affordable appartements and flats are rare. They are cheaper a little further towards the city-centre (around the Oskar-Hoffmann-Straße) or in the north of Bochum. In general, it is somewhat more expensive living right near the U35 than it is a ten minute walk away from the underground station. Small flats are more expensive than big ones, that is why sharing flats is fairly affordable.

    The rent index facilitates comparing the rents. Within the rent index owners and tenants associations state the height of the local average rent which must only be exceeded within certain limits – thus the tenant is secure from arbitrary raises.

    If you have problems with your landlord, the tenants' association can help.
http://www.mieterbund-bochum.de

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