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Living in Marburg
Free living space is usually scarce in Marburg and generally not particularly cheap. As a rule, the more central the accommodation, the higher the rent.
The earlier you start looking for accommodation before the start of the semester, the more options you will have. When looking for accommodation, it is best to consider different types of accommodation, for example halls of residence, rooms or shared flats. Incidentally, shared flats are the most frequently chosen form of accommodation in Marburg.
It is quite normal to move again in the course of your studies. It's therefore not a problem if you don't have the perfect flat or room straight away. The more people you get to know in Marburg, the easier it will be to find the right accommodation for you.
Many parts of Marburg are within walking distance, so you don't have to live in the city center to get to university quickly and easily. In addition to the city center and old town, districts such as Wehrda or Cappel as well as suburbs such as Cölbe, Niederweimar, or Fronhausen are also ideal places to live.
The International Office has produced a Handbook for international students which provides detailed information on finding accommodation in Marburg as well as general information on student housing in Germany. We recommend you read it carefully and use the variety of tips provided in your search for accommodation.
Dormitories
Most halls of residence for students in Marburg are run by the Studierendenwerk. It also maintains a private room exchange on its website, including offers of private guest rooms as a temporary solution for students.
Halls of residence of the Studierendenwerk Marburg
On the website of the Studierendenwerk Marburg you will find information about the halls of residence run by the Studierendenwerk, as well as the application portal and the private room exchange:
Further halls of residence and accommodation:
Search and find flats and shared flats - analogue and digital
In addition to searching for accommodation on the internet, there are other ways to find accommodation in Marburg. Room and flat adverts can be found here, among other places:
Analogue, on notice boards in and around the campus
- on the notice boards in the canteen (Erlenring 5) or
- on the notice boards in the Mensa Lahnberge,
- on the ground floor of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities,
- on the ground floor of the lecture hall building (Biegenstraße 14),
- in various pubs and cafés
- in some of Marburg's shopping malls
In local newspapers
It is worth taking a look at the weekly event magazine ‘EXPRESS’, which is available free of charge in many places in Marburg. People looking for flats and rooms often find good offers here.
The Marburg newspaper Oberhessische Presse offers up-to-date information on the housing market in Marburg; the printed edition regularly includes an additional sheet with property adverts.
Helpful websites for finding accommodation
You can find a few examples of online platforms here:
Further Tips and Information
Registration at City Office
Remember: If you are studying in Marburg and also live here, you usually also have your main residence (1st residence) in Marburg and must register at city office (Stadbüro). Even if you move within Marburg, you must register your new address. You must register at the city office within two weeks of moving to your new address. The best way to do this is to make an appointment online.
When registering, you must also present a confirmation from the landlord in addition to your identity card. The tenancy agreement is not sufficient, as in most cases it does not contain all the necessary information.
Confirmation from the landlord
In accordance with § 19 of the Federal Registration Act (BMG), a landlord's confirmation of residence is required for registration with the registration authority. This confirmation must be issued by the person who actually provides the accommodation. As a rule, this is the landlord.
In cases of subletting, however, this can also be the main tenant - provided that the tenant is authorized to sublet and has the landlord's consent to do so.
The landlord's confirmation of residence serves to avoid bogus registrations and must contain the following information: Name and address of the landlord, type of accommodation, move-in date and names of the persons moving in. A mere rental certificate or rental agreement does not replace the landlord's confirmation of residence.
It is important to note that the landlord is legally obliged to issue the certificate within two weeks of moving in. Failure to comply with this obligation may result in administrative offence proceedings. The person subject to registration is also obliged to present the landlord's confirmation of residence when registering.
In cases where a main tenant issues the certificate, it must first be checked whether they are legally authorized to do so. According to Section 553 of the German Civil Code (BGB), the tenant is generally entitled to permission to sublet if a legitimate interest arises after the tenancy agreement has been concluded. The landlord may only refuse permission if there is an important reason for refusal in the person of the subtenant or if the flat would be overcrowded as a result.
Whether a main tenant acts as a ‘landlord’ within the meaning of the Registration Act therefore depends directly on whether subletting is legally permissible.
Further assistance
“Wohngeld”
Wohngeld is a monthly rent subsidy that does not have to be paid back. Whether and to what extent housing benefit is granted depends on
- the number of family members in the household
- the amount of total income
- the amount of rent and
- the place of residence.
Housing benefit is only granted after an application has been submitted. Before you apply for housing benefit, you should clarify whether you have a basic entitlement to BAföG - by applying for BAföG. If you receive BAföG or are entitled to it in principle, it is not possible for you to receive housing benefit. However, if your BAföG application is rejected, the housing benefit authority can recognise whether housing benefit can still be granted.
Reasons for granting housing benefit would be, for example, a change of subject not accepted by the BAföG office or exceeding the maximum funding period. If BAföG is only paid as a loan, housing benefit can also be granted.
Students who are bringing up their own child/children should also try to apply for housing benefit if they are receiving BAföG. It is advisable to seek advice from the housing benefit office of the city of Marburg in advance.
“Wohnberechtigungsschein” (WBS) Housing entitlement certificate
The WBS entitles the holder to move into a publicly subsidized flat ("social housing"). Income limits and the number of household members are taken into account. A certificate of eligibility for housing does not guarantee a flat, but only a place on the waiting list. Applications must be submitted to the Housing Department of the City of Marburg.
Emergency accommodation
Temporary accommodation in the Studierendenwerk's emergency accommodation is available in some semesters. This is usually only possible before the start of the winter semester
In case of urgent need, an individual enquiry may be useful - in this case, please contact wohnen@stw-mr.de directly by email.
Further information can be found on the Studierendenwerk website.
Wohnen International
Further information on the specific needs of our international students can be found here
International students: Peer consultation
The International Office offers a consultation to which international students are invited in order to obtain comprehensive advice and information on the topic of housing. Details of the consultation hours can be found in the International Office calendar.
Housing support: Tandem housing search
Together with the Marburg Volunteer Agency, the University of Marburg has set up a tandem project in which volunteers from Marburg support international students in their search for accommodation. You can find a detailed description of the project and the link to register here.
Fraud in the search for accommodation
Due to the high demand for housing, there are scams in many German cities when it comes to finding accommodation - and Marburg is unfortunately no exception. Especially before the start of the winter semester, it becomes increasingly difficult to find a flat, which scammers take advantage of. Here we would like to give you some tips on how you can protect yourself from scammers.
The most important thing - view the flat
A personal viewing is the safest way to ensure that the flat actually exists. Attention - an online viewing alone is not enough to check the authenticity of the flat. Phone the landlord by video or meet them in person, if possible - scammers usually avoid personal contact.
Watch out for irregularities
Check the address of the flat to make sure it exists and matches the offer. Then you should read the flat description carefully and look at the pictures. Fraudsters often use pictures from the internet. If the pictures seem suspicious to you, you can easily check whether they come from other sources using an image search.
Money transfers, prices, and third-party providers for payment services
Do not transfer money before signing a contract. Transfers to foreign accounts or other unusual methods such as Western Union, PayPal or even cryptocurrencies are also particularly suspicious. Reputable payments are usually made by bank transfer. If the platform (e.g. Airbnb) allows a direct payment method, only use this, otherwise you will not be able to get your money back.
Rental agreements in Germany
Do not sign anything without checking it thoroughly, read the rental agreement carefully. Check that all the information is correct, such as the name of the landlord and the address of the flat.
Be careful with particularly long contracts (20+ pages) as important details may be hidden.
As a rule, rental agreements should be concluded in writing. A typical tenancy agreement contains the following information:
- Name of the tenant and landlord
- Rental property
- Amount of rent
- Rental period
- Periods of notice
- Regulations on the use of the flat
- House rules
Deposit
The deposit serves as security for the landlord against possible damage or loss of rent. According to German tenancy law, the deposit may amount to a maximum of three times the monthly basic rent (excluding ancillary costs) (Section 551 BGB). As a rule, the deposit must be paid at the beginning of the tenancy. However, you have the right to pay it in three equal instalments. However, the first instalment is due at the latest at the beginning of the tenancy, i.e. when the flat is handed over or when the tenancy officially begins. At the end of the tenancy, the landlord has time to check the flat for damage. The deposit is usually repaid within six months if there are no outstanding claims or damage.
In addition to the basic rent, there are also additional costs, for example for heating, water, waste disposal, etc. These are billed either as a fixed sum or according to consumption.
Pay attention to the price
If the price is too low, it could be another conspicuous feature. The average rent for a shared flat in Marburg is around 350 euros. Fraudsters often lure you in with unusually low rents.
Fraud can happen anywhere
Even on the university's private exchange it could be possible, as there are sometimes too many adverts and some are not so easy to check
Document everything
Keep a written record of all communications, payments, and agreements so that you can provide evidence in the event of fraud.
If you are unsure
Contact someone with experience or seek advice from the contact persons at the university. You can also contact the International Office.
Here you can find everything summarised once again in an overview from the Consumer Advice Centre Germany.