Accommodation Guide

for exchange students

Preparing your stay Finding accommodation in and around Darmstadt

Photos: 1. Martin Stenger, 2.-4. Thomas Ott

Dear Exchange Student!

Coming to Darmstadt as an exchange student, but you dont have a room yet?
Or you have to move out of your student dormitory and need accommodation for a further semester?
Dont panic! This guide contains a lot of hints and useful internet links for your housing search.

ESHA Exchange Student Housing Assistance wishes to support all incoming exchange students in
finding an affordable place to live. This is not easy, so begin your search on time.

It is very difficult to find affordable accommodation in walking distance to the university or in the
city center. The rents in the city center are extremely high, especially for short-term rental periods. In
the case you do find accommodation in the city center, you are one of the lucky few!

Most students extend their housing search to the city districts Bessungen, Eberstadt or Arheilgen or to
smaller towns outside of Darmstadt, i.e. Rodorf, Dieburg, Nieder-Ramstadt. The Darmstadt city
districts and the surrounding towns are very popular living areas, with the flair of a typical German
town and the comforts of a city. Here you will find Bauhaus, Art Nouveau or Fachwerk architecture,
parks and woody areas, bicycle lanes and pedestrian side-walks and a large variety of shops, bakeries,
schools, cafs and restaurants.

The transportation system in Darmstadt and the Rhein-Main region is excellent, so that commuting to
the university from these city districts and surrounding towns usually takes less than 20 minutes.
Please note: Your student ID card allows you to use public transportation in Darmstadt and the Rhein-
Main region for free! Connections are usually fast and frequent.

(Disclaimer: TU Darmstadt neither endorses nor maintains the following websites listed and thus is not responsible for their availability,
quality or content.)

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1. Accommodation for short-term stays:

The following list contains a small selection of hotels and youth hostels in Darmstadt and the
surrounding region you might wish to use when searching for short-term accommodation. It is not
meant to be a recommendation. Please always check the websites of the hotels and compare their rates
before you make your choice. And remember to book in advance!

1.1. Youth Hostels (Jugendherbergen):

Die Jugendherberge Darmstadt

www.darmstadt.jugendherberge.de/

Die Jugendherberge Zwingenberg

www.zwingenberg.jugendherberge.de/

Haus der Jugend (Jugendherberge Frankfurt)

www.jugendherberge-frankfurt.de/en/

1.2. Low and mid-priced Hotels/ Boarding Houses/ B&B:

ACHAT Comfort Darmstadt/Griesheim

www.achat-hotels.com/en/hotel/darmstadt-griesheim

Boarding House Haus Martin

www.ach-da.de/

Bed & Breakfast Darmstadt

www.bed-and-breakfast.de/regional_e/darmstadt/index.php

Hotel Contel Darmstadt

www.contel-darmstadt.de
They also have rooms for long term stays.

B&B Hotel Darmstadt

www.hotelbb.de/en/darmstadt/overview

Die kleine Bed & Breakfast Oase

www.bedandbreakfast-darmstadt.de/

Ramada Darmstadt
www.h-hotels.com/en/hotels/ramada-hotel-darmstadt/welcome.html

Hotel Atlanta
www.hotel-atlanta-darmstadt.de/?skd-language-code=en

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 Ibis Hotel Darmstadt City
www.ibis.com/gb/hotel-3287-ibis-darmstadt-city/index.shtml

Appart-Hotel Rodorf
www.apparthotel-rossdorf.de

Student Boarding House Rodorf

Herr Rolf Koch
Phone: +49 (0) 151 46195656
E-Mail: rolfjkoch@web.de

1.3. More expensive Hotels:

Welcome Hotel Darmstadt

www.welcome-hotels.com/en/welcomehotel-darmstadt/info/

Best Western Plus Hotel Darmstadt

http://www.hotel-darmstadt.bestwestern.de/

Maritim Rhein-Main Hotel Darmstadt

www.maritim.com/en/hotels/germany/rhein-main-hotel-darmstadt/hotel-overview

2. Student dormitories in and around Darmstadt

2.1. Student Dormitories of the Studierendenwerk Darmstadt

The Studierendenwerk Darmstadt is a non-commercial, non-profit and federally funded student

accommodation organisation that services all three universities in Darmstadt and is in charge of a
large number of student dormitories and cafeterias in town.
It is advisable to apply as early as possible, because they have long waiting lists.
www.studierendenwerkdarmstadt.de/wohnservice

2.2. Student Dormitories of the HEAG Wohnbau GmbH

Student apartments

Phone: +49 (0) 6151 3600300

E-Mail: info@heagwohnbau.de
www.heagwohnbau.de/studentenwohnen

HEAG is a commercial student accommodation provider. HEAG offers a wide range of student
housing in and around Darmstadt. In order to apply, please send an informal application (with a
photo, a description why you are applying and the date you want to move in) to the email address
above or call their number to arrange a site visit / an interview.

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 Premium Student apartments Stolze Haus

Phone: +49 (0) 6151 3600330

www.stolzehaus.de/en/

Stolze Haus is a commercial student accommodation provider that is owned by HEAG Wohnbau
GmbH. It offers fully furnished apartments for students and professionals. Each apartment is
equipped with a kitchenette and a modern bathroom. In order to apply, go to the Stolze Haus
website and complete their online form.

2.3. Student Dormitory THE FIZZ in Darmstadt

Phone: +49 (0) 89 2126880201

www.the-fizz.com/student_accommodation/locations/darmstadt.html

The FIZZ is a commercial student accommodation provider. It offers attractive and fully
furnished student apartments equipped with a kitchenette and a modern bathroom. The dormitory
has a very high safety standard, it is new and modern and offers a lot of extras, for example high-
speed internet, Sky TV, a concierge service, a laundry room, lounge areas, study rooms for
collaborative learning, an in-door parking garage, a central voice-operated door system and
video monitoring. In order to apply, go to their website and fill out an application.

2.4. Student Dormitory Headquarters in Darmstadt

Phone: +49 (0) 69 13307654

headquarter.de/standorte/darmstadt/

The HEADQUARTER is run by the Uninest Student Residences and is a commercial student
accommodation provider. It offers attractive and fully furnished student apartments equipped
with a kitchenette and a modern bathroom. The dormitory has a very high safety standard, it is
new and modern and offers a lot of extras, for example a lounge area, a roof-top patio, modern
elevator systems, a laundry room, an in-door parking garage, high-speed internet and many other
services for a reasonable flat rate. In order to apply, go to their website and fill out an application.

2.5. Student Dormitories of the Catholic Student Union Darmstadt (KHG)

Contact Person: Ms. Rita Weber

Phone: +49 (0) 6151 891084
www.khg-darmstadt.de

The KHG is a non-commercial student accommodation provider. It offers shared apartments for
students enrolled at TU Darmstadt. The 6 to 7 roommates share a kitchen, a bathroom and TV-
room and a common area. In order to apply, go to their homepage and fill out the application
form.

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2.6. Student Dormitories Emanuel von Kettler e.V. Darmstadt

Phone: +49 (0) 6151 291462

www.ketteler-wohnheim.de

The student dormitory Emanuel von Kettler e.V. is non-commercial and co-ed. It is managed by a
catholic non-profit organization. The dormitory building houses 41 rooms on 3 floors. Each room
is fully furnished with a bed, a desk, a chair and a closet and has a sink. Each floor (approx. 13
rooms) shares a bathroom and a kitchen. In the basement you can find a lounge area. In order to
apply, please fill out an application form and send it per postal mail.

2.7. Student Dormitories VEGIS Apartment rentals

Studentenwohnheim in Darmstadt-Kranichstein

Contact Person: Herr Holger Schreiber

Phone: +49 (0) 6102 7503257
Email: h.schreiber@vegis-immobilien.de
www.vegis-immobilien.de/studentenwohnheime/darmstadt/darmstadt-
kranichstein/#.VzR6_pNB_qU

Studentenwohnheim in Dieburg

Contact Person: Herr Holger Schreiber

Email: h.schreiber@vegis-immobilien.de
Phone: +49 (0) 6102 7503257
www.vegis-immobilien.de/studentenwohnheime-
appartementvermietung/dieburg/#.VzR75JNB_qU

The VEGIS student apartments are fully furnished and each student has his/her own apartment
with a fridge and a bathroom. In the common area you can find a kitchen, a laundry room and
some other shared rooms. In order to apply for a room, you can contact the contact persons via e-
mail or phone.

2.8. Student Dormitories Quartier 56 in Dieburg

Contact person: Ms. Anke Kretschmar

Tel.: +49 (0) 6071 3019129
www.quartier56.com/

The Quartier 56 is a commercial student accommodation provider. It offers shared apartments for
4 to 6 students for a minimum rental period of 12 months. Each student has his/her own furnished
room with a sink and mirror. Each apartment unit shares showers, toilettes and a kitchen. In order
to apply, send an e-mail to the rental manager.

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3. Further links

Couch surfing - www.couchsurfing.com/

Airbnb - www.airbnb.com/?locale=en

Notification board - Notices with offerings of rooms and flats can be found on the notice boards
(Schwarze Brett) all over the university

Tourist Information Darmstadt You can find a list of current accommodations on their website
www.darmstadt-tourismus.de/en/visit/overnight/

WG-gesucht - This is a real estate portal where you can find rooms in flat shares and rental apartments
www.wg-gesucht.de/

Echo Darmstadt This is a local newspaper. On Wednesdays and Saturdays you can find room
notifications www.echo-online.de

Immobilien Scout 24 and Immowelt They are real estate portals where you can find housing
www.immobilienscout24.de
www.immowelt.de

Wohngemeinschaft.de This is an online portal where you can find and search flat shares, rooms and
roommates
www.wohngemeinschaft.de/

ebay Kleinanzeigen This is an online portal for classified ads where you can also find private
housing (please select Immobilien > Auf Zeit & WG and Darmstadt)
www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de

4. Average Rents and Additional Cost

The housing market in Darmstadt is really tight and finding adequate and affordable accommodation is
very difficult. Darmstadt is a university city with an increasing number of students and young people
who are living here. Due to this large fluctuation of students, furnished and temporary rooms or
apartments are scarce.

Germany and especially university cities like Darmstadt are experiencing a rise in real estate prices. At
the moment the average monthly rent for student housing in Darmstadt is 400 Euro or higher.

Type of Accommodation Approximate cost per month

Flat Sharing (public provider) 320-450 Euro
Flat Sharing (private) 380-550 Euro
Hall room (public provider) 300-370 Euro
Apartment hotel 480-600 Euro
Private room rental 480-550 Euro

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5. A list of the abbreviations commonly used in rental advertisements is translated here.

German English translation

abbreviation
2-Zi-Whg 2 room apartment (not 2-bedrooms!)
2 (3) ZKB 2 (3) rooms, kitchen and bathroom
2 (3) ZKBB 2 (3) rooms, kitchen, bathroom, balcony
Abstellk storage space
Blk / Balk. balcony
DG under the roof / attic rooms
D hallway / corridor
DU shower (can be separate or in the bath tub)
EBK fitted kitchen
EFH one-family house
EG ground floor
EB first occupancy
G-WC separate toilet for guests
HK heating costs
HH high-rise building
Kaution deposit
Keine zustzl. Prov. no additional commission
KDB kitchen, hall, bathroom
MM basic monthly rent
NB (Nbk.) extra monthly costs such as heating, water, cable TV, cleaning of shared areas,
garbage removal, etc.
NR non-smoker
OG top floor
RH row / terrace house
Stellpl. parking space
TG underground garage
TL bathroom with daylight
warm / MM rental fee incl. all extra monthly costs such as heating, water, cable TV,
cleaning of shared areas, garbage removal, etc.
Wfl. floor space (excluding some defined areas)
WG flat-sharing is accepted
WK large kitchen (can be used as communal space)
ZH central heating

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6. Further Information

Living in a dormitory - The German National Association for Student Affairs (Deutsches
Studierendenwerk DSW) has compiled a lot of information about accommodation in student residences
for foreign students in the guide Living at a student dorm an illustrated dictionary
studentenwerke.de/de/content/illustriertes-wohnheimw%C3%B6rterbuch

Living in Germany What to expect

www.research-in-germany.org/en/discover-germany/

Stay realistic What should you do before you begin your house hunt and what you should expect
www.newcomers-network.de/germany/newcomers-guide/housing/the_hunt_for_housing.php

House Hunting What should you do before you start to find an apartment and what to expect
www.newcomers-network.de/germany/newcomers-guide/housing/how_to_apartment_hunt.php

Your Housing contract Everything you should know about a housing contract
www.newcomers-network.de/germany/newcomers-guide/housing/your_housing_contract.php

Recycling and the law What you should know about the laws in Germany
www.newcomers-network.de/germany/newcomers-guide/housing/recycling_rules.php

Housing in Germany: What You Need to know - www.howtogermany.com/pages/housing.html

Contact

ESHA Exchange Students Housing Assistance

Technische Universitt Darmstadt

Department for International Affairs

International Student and Housing Services

Postal Address: Visitor Address:

Karolinenplatz 5 Carree 3 - S4/21/Room 307
64289 Darmstadt 64283 Darmstadt

Tel.:+49 6151 16-20197

Fax: +49 6151 16-26688

E-Mail: housing@pvw.tu-darmstadt.de
Webseite: www.tu-darmstadt.de/exchange-housing

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