In Germany, universities do not own or manage student dormitories. Student housing is provided by the Studierendenwerk (student services) and by private housing companies. In Bavaria the dormitories provide rooms for roughly 9% of all students; the other 91% either find accommodation on the general housing market or live at home.
Dormitories run by the state-funded Studierendenwerk are usually available only for Bachelor students whereas private dormitories often also accept Master’s and PhD students.
Click here for general information and an overview of student housing options in Germany https://www.study-in-germany.com/en/plan-your-studies/preparation/accomodation/
General Recommendation:
With around 40,000 students, FAU is one of the largest universities in Germany. Since Erlangen is a very attractive city to live, study, and work in, there is a high demand for housing, which leads to limited availability and relatively high rental prices.
Based on our experience, rooms in shared flats usually start at around 450 EUR per month and small apartments usually start at around 550 EUR per month.
Finding accommodation can be a challenge, but this helps: start your search early, invest time and effort and above all be flexible regarding the location.
Private housing offers usually appear two to three months before the semester starts. There is no guarantee that you will find accommodation close to your institute in Erlangen or Nuremberg. Fortunately, the public transportation system is very reliable, making it easy to commute from nearby towns such as Fürth, Cadolzburg, or Forchheim.
Join the FAU International Facebook group, where international students help each other out in all different kinds of inquiries. Student Services Erlangen-Nuremberg is a valuable source for useful information and support when you are exploring the various accommodation options, including help with applying and understanding terms and conditions for renting accommodation in Germany. You can also find information on student accommodation in halls and private accommodation there.
General Information:
The accommodation page provides valuable information on how to secure accommodation to international newcomer students from abroad. You can find information on how to write successful inquiries to landlords and roommates, as well as how to prevent rental fraud on the pages linked. You can get support in looking for accommodation at the Open consultation hour for international students (en) » Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg, as well as legal and psycho-social advice at Service & Counseling (en) » Studierendenwerk Erlangen-Nürnberg.
Other Useful Websites for Apartment Hunting
Below is a list of commonly used and reliable platforms for housing searches in and around Erlangen-Nürnberg:
https://www.wg-gesucht.de/en
https://www.bedandbreakfast.de/
https://www.airbnb.com
https://housinganywhere.com/
https://www.brucklyn.de/en/home/
https://www.immowelt.de/
https://www.immobilienscout24.de/
https://www.studenten-wohnung.de/
https://www.wg-suche.de/
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/?locale=de_DE
https://www.meinestadt.de/immobilien/
https://immo.infranken.de/
https://immo.nordbayern.de/
https://www.hc24.de/
https://www.mitwohnzentrale-franken.de/de/home.aspx
https://www.wohnref-erlangen.de/
https://www.staytoo.de/
https://www.private-immobilienangebote.de/
Additionally you could use accommodation services by Christian study groups:
https://stud-weh.de/bewerben
https://khg-erlangen.de/wohnungsboerse-205.htm
https://smd-erlangen.de/wohnungsvermittlung/
https://www.joseph-stiftung.de/mieten/studenten/
https://www.gewobau-erlangen.de/wohnungssuche.html
Look for accommodation as soon as possible
Please start looking for a place to live immediately after notification of admission if you wish to study at FAU. Admission and enrollment at FAU do not automatically entitle you to a place in a student residence or other accommodation. The housing market in Erlangen and in the entire Nuremberg-Erlangen-Fürth metropolitan region is very tight. If you enter Germany after September 1st without a permanent place to stay in the Erlangen area, there is a relatively high risk that you will not be able to find a place to live by the start of lectures in mid-October.
After passing the application interview, you will receive more detailed information on finding accommodation in our acceptance letter.
Untrustworthy advertisements for accommodation
Please note that untrustworthy advertisements for accommodation is on the rise. FAU provides important information.