Wohnen

How to find a flat in Cologne auf deutsch

Houses of residence, not run by the Kölner Studentenwerk

You will find advertisements for different types of accomodation :
  • In local newspapers:
     Kölner Stadtanzeiger and Kölner Rundschau (Wednesday and Saturday). You can already get the papers the evening before on Tuesday and Friday starting at 8:30 Uhr pm from the printing center (Druckerzentrum), Friedrich-Karl Str. 280, Köln - Niehl, at the entrance gate
  • in advertising papers:
    Marktplatz (Tuesday und Friday) and Annonce (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
  • in free weekly papers:
     Kölner Wochenspiegel (Wednesday)
  • on pinboards at university:
    Here you will mostly find rooms in shared flats
  • in the Internet:
     Studenten - WG , Studenten-Wohnung and WG-Gruendung are websites which list current offers for rooms an flats in Cologne.There you can also place your own ads.

    or by a portal for private accommodation-hunting ( a registration is required )



    www.gast-freunde.de "Gast-Freunde is the website to find inexpensive, private accommodation all over Germany."

Placing your own ads...
is sometimes more efficient, because landlords and those looking for roommates sometimes don't advertise themselves, because they fear a flood of telephone calls. 
Attention female students: Don't mention your complete name and address in your advertisement. Just write your telephone number and / or your e-mail address. You shouldn't look at the flat / room on your own if you got a bad feeling while talking to the landlord on the phone.

Mitwohnzentralen
These are agencies that in return for a fee let furnished and unfurnished flats and rooms for days, weeks or months.


 

Appartement Brokerage Firms
Many flats, that you find advertised in the newspapers are offered by apartment brokerage Firms. The brokerage fee should not be higher than two month's rent plus value added tax. You only have to pay for the brokerage if

  • you received the new tenancy agreement through the work of an apartment brokerage firm
  • the flat neither belongs to the apartment brokerage firm, nor is let or administered by it.
  • the apartment brokerage firm has made a contract with you before in which his work and the brokerage were defined.

You only have to pay the apartment brokerage firm after you have signed the tenancy agreement. 

Youth hostels
While looking for a flat / room in Cologne, you can - if you don't have friends or relatives here -stay in one of the youth hostels.