Finding accommodation in Magdeburg

From Indians in Magdeburg - A Guide for Students
Jump to: navigation, search

Dormitory room, shared flat or your own apartment?[edit | edit source]

Before the start of your studies, you should give a little thought to whether you prefer to have your own apartment or a residential community is better suited for you. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. The following considerations should be made before the housing search:

  • What is the budget? What can you spend on your home monthly?
  • Where would you like to live? Close to the campus, close to the center or rather a bit remote?
  • What is your new home to offer? Rest, a place full of life or modern equipment?

As soon as you have answered these basic questions, you can start with your apartment search in Magdeburg. Whether you want your own apartment, student dormitory or flat share - with the different housing options it depends entirely on your preference!

Your own flat[edit | edit source]

The first apartment promises not only freedom, excitement and fun, but also requires a portion of self-employment. No one blocking the bathroom, no one annoyed with your favorite TV series or disturbed by your music. But also: no one, who is paying the rent, who keeps track of the additional costs and who applies for the Rundfunkgebühr(TV/radio licensing fees). For this reason, you should first thoroughly consider whether you want this independence and are confident of this step. The search for your own apartment works best on the Internet, newspapers or Facebook. You can also get help from the Studentenwerk Magdeburg or the company livus.

Important: Start by searching for your own apartment as early as possible! Shortly before the beginning of the semester, the best places are already gone. You must also register your apartment at the city of Magdeburg . Here you have to decide between first or second residence.

Shared flat[edit | edit source]

If you prefer living with like-minded people, looking for cheap living space or are reluctant to be alone, a Wohngemeinschaften (short: WG) is the best option. Especially for students who are new to the city, who do not have any knowledge of the place and would like to get to know people quickly, it is advisable to look specifically for a shared apartment. Study, eat, discuss your day at the university, or make parties together: in the flatshare you experience a lot and you might find a friend for life. In order to find the right flatshare, you should be on the same wavelength as your roommates. For this reason, there is a "Casting" period before you sign the contract. Here you look at the apartment together, have an honest discussion and clarify contract-related issues. A person who does not understand his/her future roommates, will experience little pleasure. If the budget, room, location and your roommates fit with you, the shared flat can be a wonderful place.

Dormitory room[edit | edit source]

The advantages of the student residence are close to the campus, low costs, living together with students from Germany and around the world. The Studentenwerk Magdeburg runs its own residences at the Main, Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science) and Medicine campus, where you can live comfortably. The rooms are between 17 m² and 40 m² and can be rented as a one-room apartment or shared flat. They are equipped with bed, wardrobe and desk, have a private bathroom and a small kitchen. There is also a nifty tool that can help you to easily search for student dormitories here. There is always something going on in the dormitory: you get to constantly meet new people and therefore find new friends, especially in the early days. These dorms are not about luxury, but about making a lot of connections and there is no boredom! The places in the student residences in Magdeburg are, however, very limited. Hence, an early application is highly recommended!

Which part of the city is the best place to live?[edit | edit source]

In general, you can live anywhere comfortably in Magdeburg, because the city is not too big or too small. With more than 230,000 inhabitants, Magdeburg is the most populous city in Saxony-Anhalt. Nevertheless, the routes from A to B are short and many places can be reached quickly by bus, train or bike. The mixture of history and modernity also characterizes the particular character of the state capital. In order to find you the best place to stay in Magdeburg, here is an introduction to some of the most popular districts:

Alte Neustadt[edit | edit source]

If you want to get out of bed straight into the lecture hall, Alte Neustadt is probably the best choice for you. In the direct vicinity of the Otto-von-Guericke-University (Main Campus), it is only a few steps to the library (Bibliothek), the cafeteria (Mensa) or the auditorium (Hörsaal). However, this part of town offers more than just university life. The Nordpark invites you to relax, jog or grill with friends. You are also just a few minutes from the Elbe river. The city center, the Hasselbachplatz or the main station are easy and fast to reach by bus, train and bike. In Alte Neustadt you will find cheap apartments and lively student flatshares. However, since many students want to live in the immediate vicinity of the campus, you should be fast when looking for accommodation!

Altstadt[edit | edit source]

You would like to live directly in the city center, have numerous shopping possibilities in front of the doorstep and end the day with friends in one of the numerous Magdeburger bars? Then Altstadt is probably the perfect place for your WG (flatshare) or apartment! The district stretches from the Hasselbachplatz to the university square and is therefore the heart of Magdeburg. Here you will find beautiful old apartments over the rooftops of the city, modern WGs in a side street or great one-room apartments with view to the Elbe. There is no need to worry about bus and train connections, because in Altstadt the next stop is just around the corner. And the same for restaurants, shopping possibilities and diverse cultural offers.

Stadtfeld-Ost[edit | edit source]

If you need some distance from the university, like old buildings in the Wilhelminian style and still want to walk through parks, Stadtfeld-Ost will certainly make you happy. The most popular residential district has a dense residential development, a high population and is - thanks to many students - a really young district. For this reason, you are sure to find your dream apartment in Stadtfeld-Ost - whether it is a shared flat or your own apartment. Small cafés and restaurants, unique bars, traditional bakers, gardeners and numerous supermarkets, make the life in Stadtfeld-Ost very pleasant. Also the ways to the city center are not far: by tram or bus you can get to Hasselbachplatz, Alter markt or to the university. By bicycle you are in ten minutes in the center.

And otherwise?[edit | edit source]

Anyone who does not find something in the three presented districts does not have to despair. The residential market in Magdeburg offers modern, neat and cheap properties in many parts of the city. The advantage of this is that the paths to the city center or the university are always pleasantly short. Therefore, it is worth taking a second look at the districts Buckau, Cracau or Sudenburg, especially if you will be studying at the Medicine Campus of the university.

Searching for available rooms/apartments[edit | edit source]

Renting from an organization/company[edit | edit source]

In this case, the company will ask for all your documents (bank statements, passport, residence permit, etc.) and give you a contract to sign. Please make sure to read the terms and conditions before you sign. The apartment may or may not be furnished - everything will be mentioned in the contract you will sign. The following organizations/companies can be approached for apartment offers in Magdeburg:

Renting directly from tenants[edit | edit source]

A lot of times it is more convenient for people to transfer the contract to someone else when they are moving out. It is also easier for the new tenant as there might be an option to buy all the furniture he/she needs from the previous tenant. In addition, a lot of students rent their rooms for a semester or two as they might have to leave the city for a semester abroad or thesis in a different city. These rooms are often furnished (called Zwischenmiete in German). You can make use of the following websites to find these offers.

Most of them are in German. But do not worry, there are people in IKUS who are specifically there to help new students out. You can write them an email at:

wohnung.akaa@gmail.com

This is an initiative of the International Office at the university.

Finally, you can also look for rooms in the following facebook groups, as some students sublet their rooms for both short as well as longer terms:

Beware of the following places![edit | edit source]

  • Wasserstraße 3: Many people report bad experiences as they had to end up paying huge sums for electricity