Are you starting your studies in Cologne and looking for an apartment? You'll find everything you need to know here. In addition to information about our halls of residence and the application process, we have put together alternative sources and tips for your search and relocation.
Have you heard that housing is scarce in Cologne? Don't worry! We have some tips for you on how you can still find an affordable apartment and what else you should consider!
According to the latest social survey by the Deutsches Studentenwerk, a student in Cologne spends an average of 442.00 euros per month on rent including utilities. Across Germany, the average is 410.00 euros.
It is easier to find a room during the lecture period than at the beginning of the semester. As a future first semester student, you should start looking for a room or apartment as soon as you have been admitted to the university. Don't wait too long - the sooner you start looking, the quicker you will find something. You can also apply for a place in a hall of residence without being admitted. Are you already studying? Then it's best to look for a new home towards the end of the semester, as this is when many students move out and apartments or rooms become available.
Still the best and cheapest way to live during your studies. But our halls of residence are in high demand and very limited. So apply quickly! You can find all the information about applying and our halls of residence here.
The Kölner Studierendenwerk “Rent to Students” project has been successfully arranging private rooms and apartments for students for years. Find out more about renting to students here.
Housing for Help is the name of the housing partnership concept of the Office for Housing of the City of Cologne and the University of Cologne. Students can live rent-free through this program and in return help their landlords with household and everyday tasks. As a rule of thumb: one hour of help per month per square meter of living space.
Find out more about → Housing for help here
In the inclusive house in Cologne-Rodenkirchen, people with disabilities and students live together in a community. Up to 11 students can live here rent-free, based on the principle of living for help, and help out in their shared flat on an hourly basis. You should be between 18 and 24 years old and plan to live in the shared flat for at least two years. The housing project is unique in NRW and a new form of housing with many advantages and opportunities for everyone.
To the website → Inclusive living
Social housing is housing whose construction was supported by public funds and which is therefore available at lower rents than apartments on the open housing market.
The requirement for obtaining social housing is the possession of a Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS). This entitles citizens with a low income to move into a social housing apartment. You can find out how to obtain such a certificate of eligibility here:
→ Wohnberechtigungsschein (WBS) and advice center for people looking for housing.
You can apply for housing benefit at the housing benefit office of the → City of Cologne.
Gebausie is a cooperation partner of the Kölner Studierendenwerk and offers apartments for students.
Click here for → Gebausie
GAG is a cooperation partner of the Kölner Studierendenwerk and offers apartments for students.
Click here for → GAG
You only have to pay this commission if:
Our apartments are self-contained residential units consisting of a room with kitchenette, bathroom and WC. Slightly larger single apartments are preferably rented to couples or students with children.
Anyone who is enrolled at one of the following Cologne universities and interns who are enrolled at a university outside Cologne and are completing a study-related internship in Cologne is eligible for housing:
There is no legal entitlement to a place of residence.
We give priority to the following student groups when allocating accommodation:
If you would like to study in Cologne, apply for a place in a hall of residence as early as possible, preferably one or two semesters in advance. You only need to submit a certificate of enrollment when you sign the tenancy agreement.
Send us the online application with your valid personal details. A tenancy agreement concluded with false information will be terminated without notice.
To the online application
You will receive an e-mail confirming receipt of your application with a confirmation link, which you should activate. Please inform us of any changes to your e-mail address, postal address or telephone number, as this is the only way we can notify you when a room becomes available.
To ensure that only students who have not yet been allocated a room are considered in the allocation process, we will send you a request email every 30 days. You should confirm the link in the email within five days if you are still interested in a room. Without confirmation, your application will be deactivated. As soon as a room is available for you, we will send you a room offer by e-mail.
Award guidelines | Download (PDF)
More favourable for many students: Since 2013, the licence fee, which finances the services provided by public broadcasters, has become a household fee and is therefore independent of devices. Only one contribution is charged per household, even if you live in a shared flat. One flat = one contribution (€18.36 per month).
If you receive BAföG, you can apply for exemption from the licence fee. You can find the various registration forms and the information flyer on the licence fee at
→ Service fee: what applies to students and trainees with regard to the licence fee
Download:
Interesting facts about the licence fee (pdf)
Interesting facts about the broadcasting fee for students and trainees (pdf)
Infographic: What applies to students & trainees with regard to the broadcasting fee
There are two contact persons at Kölner Studierendenwerk for each hall of residence (the quickest way to find a place in a hall of residence). One of them is responsible for you during the application phase until you sign your tenancy agreement. The other will take care of your questions if you are already living with us. There are also student administrative assistants in each hall of residence. You can reach them at the email address given in the “Move-in info” and can arrange a personal appointment this way. The administrative assistants are your first point of contact for all matters relating to your room or the hall of residence. They will give you your room key when you move in.
CarSharing für Studierende
Download | Infoflyer (PDF)
For families or students with children, the 2-bed or 3-bed shared apartments are bundled together and rented out as a whole apartment. Students with children are given priority when allocating places. See also our daycare page.
Read our data protection information:
Download | Datenschutzhinweise (PDF)
After signing the tenancy agreement, the deposit of 300 euros will be debited from your account with the first rent. At the end of the tenancy, you will receive the deposit back into your account approximately four to six weeks after moving out, provided no damage has been found in your room. If there is any damage or the need for cleaning, these costs will be deducted from the deposit. No interest will be paid on the deposit in your favor. The interest earned will benefit the hall of residence.
Kölner Studierendenwerk operates a number of student residences that are more than ten storeys high. Following the fire disaster in London's Grenfell Tower, which was caused by a highly flammable façade cladding, the Cologne Studierendenwerk inspected the façades of its high-rise buildings.
The result: the materials used for their façades are all harmless. Fire protection is intact and the safety of student residents is guaranteed.
You can find the floor plans of most of our halls of residence here:
The floor plans are only examples so that you can get a basic idea of the room layout and room arrangement. In addition, there are differences between the individual apartments and rooms within the halls of residence that we are unable to show in this context.
We have both furnished and unfurnished rooms. When applying, you can indicate which you prefer. By opting for a furnished room with a bed, mattress, desk, chair and wardrobe, you accept the furniture provided. We do not offer the option of storing the furniture until you move out. You can also furnish an unfurnished room with little money if you look for suitable furniture in one of Cologne's numerous second-hand furniture warehouses, at flea markets or in classified adverts.
Students with impairments...
... are given preference when allocating accommodation (see allocation guidelines). We have so-called “handicapped accessible” and “handicapped friendly” living space. Disabled-friendly rooms / apartments are adapted in every respect to the needs of wheelchair users. In the case of disabled-friendly apartments, this only applies to partial aspects, such as extra-wide doors and flat shower trays. Please send inquiries to wohnen@kstw.de. Our social counseling service offers comprehensive advice and assistance for students with disabilities.
International students can come to us for advice on any questions they may have:
You can find initial information on our Advice and International Affairs page.
There is an internet connection in every room. The costs for the 10 MB flat rate are included in the rent. You also have the option of increasing the data volume at your own expense. You can find more information here →NetCologne. Operating instructions can be found here:
Download | Informationsblatt NetCologne (PDF)
We do not have a list of applicants with numbered places. Rooms are allocated according to the specified application criteria. Your preferences regarding the type of accommodation and facilities will be taken into account. The waiting time varies. It depends on demand and the availability of rooms.
You can get the keys for your room from the residence office in your hall of residence. With your tenancy agreement you will receive the “Einzugsinfo”, which will tell you how to make a personal appointment to collect your keys.
Our affordable rents are final warm rents, which include all ancillary costs for electricity, gas, water, waste and internet. There is no utility bill. However, the broadcasting fees are not included in the rent and must be paid to the broadcasting fee collection center for each residential unit. The rent is debited from your account on the 1st of each month.
Download | Price overview | Preisübersicht (PDF)
Download | Broadcasting fee | Rundfunkbeitrag (PDF)
The tenancy agreements are concluded for a period of one semester until the maximum period of three years is reached, provided that the tenant behaves in accordance with the contract. The three-year time limit is intended to ensure that as many students as possible are able to find an affordable place in a hall of residence (rotation principle).
An extension for one year beyond the maximum period of three years can only be granted to those who
Your tenancy agreement is initially concluded for one year and will be extended annually according to the duration of your stay. As part of the tenancy agreement, you must accept the current version of the tenancy conditions and house rules with your signature. These contain detailed rules on the use and handling of the rented room and on how students should live together. For the duration of the tenancy, the stay should be fair and smooth for all tenants.
Cancellation policy for the Distance Selling Act according to §§ 312b ff. BGB
You have the right to cancel the rental contract within 14 days without giving reasons. The revocation period is 14 days from the day the apartment/room is handed over. To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform Kölner Studierendenwerk Studentisches Wohnen, Universitätsstraße 14, 50937 Cologne, by means of a clear statement (e.g. a letter sent by post or an e-mail) of your decision to withdraw from this contract. You can use a sample withdrawal form, but this is not mandatory.
As a general rule, you can only live in a hall of residence once!
Exceptions: Students can only move back into a hall of residence of the Kölner Studierendenwerk after moving out if they have taken a leave of absence from their studies due to illness or a semester abroad or have completed a study-related internship in another city. Please submit the application for moving back in with an informal application to the Student Housing Department.
Our single rooms are the typical corridor rooms with shared kitchen, bathroom and WC, each for all tenants on a floor. Some of the single rooms are equipped with washbasins. In some residences, there is a communal room in addition to the communal kitchen.
Shared apartments are self-contained apartments for two to seven people (shared apartments for 2 to 7 people). You have your own room and share the bathroom, toilet and kitchen with your flatmates.
Have you found an apartment in Cologne and you're ready to start studying? You'll soon be able to enjoy your student life in the city of Cologne, but there are a few important things you should do first.
Yes! Within the first few weeks of moving in, you must register with the relevant district office of the City of Cologne. You can find out which office is responsible for you and when you can go there here → City of Cologne→ Stadt Köln
If you choose Cologne as your second home, you will have to pay the so-called second home tax. It amounts to 10% of the annual rent for the months you live in the apartment. You can find more information about the second home tax at → Stadt Köln.
Tip: It is best to list Cologne as your primary residence for the duration of your studies, then you will not pay any additional taxes.
Your vehicle only needs to be re-registered if it is registered in your name and Cologne is your primary residence. The Office for Public Order is responsible for this. You will need your identity card (with new address), the vehicle registration document, the vehicle registration certificate, the insurance duplicate card or insurance policy, the license plate number and the ASU certificate.
You can find more information on this at the → Stadt Köln
First and foremost: the post office. Apply for redirection in good time at the post office in your old place of residence or via the → Deutschen Post, relocation service, then your letters will be redirected from your old address to your new place of residence for six months.
You should also remember to inform your bank, insurance company, health insurance provider and other bodies, such as newspaper subscriptions or online memberships, of your new address in good time.
You can find even more tips on moving in and out here → ummelden.de
Mom doesn't answer the phone? How to start your new, independent life without annoying your mom. You can find practical tips for everyday life at → frag-mutti.de
