Accommodation

We recommend you to immediately apply for a room, since the waiting lists are quite long and the allocation of student dormitories takes place by chronological order of applications submitted

A room in a student residence is the cheapest option (200 – 400 €, all inclusive), but the waiting period for these rooms can take a couple of months up to a year. The application has to be submitted via the Online Application Portal of Studentenwerk Aachen. Be aware that your application needs to be renewed every month. Otherwise you will drop out of the system and have to apply again. 

How to apply for a room:

1. First register yourself as a user and complete the application form. Provide your personal details followed by the types of accommodation that you would like to apply for.
2. Your application is only considered as complete once you have confirmed your email address by clicking on the link that is sent to you.
3. You are now on the waiting list, and will be contacted as soon as a spot in a residence hall opens up for you.
4. Renew your application on the 15th of every month until you have found an accommodation, so that you are still eligible to receive placement. If you miss it, your spot on the waiting list will be deleted!
5. Make sure you answer all the questions (e.g. about your hobbies) properly.

Alternative student residence options:

• The private student dorm Campus Living offers 100 student apartments in the immediate vicinity of the university. Rent starts at 280,00 EUR. Please be aware that there might be a waiting list.
• Studentencampus Aachen/Next Step offers a total of 288 student accommodation units.
• i Live Campus Living Aachen offers 198 modern student apartments with prices ranging from €335 to up to €570.
• The Catholic Student Community also offers housing possibilities. “At our 5 dorms Langer Turm, Eckertweg, Pontstr., Hermannstr. and Neupforte, there is room for 175 students. Some of the apartments are furnished, but you may also bring your own furniture if you prefer. Our dorms are not just about having a place to stay, but also about living with each other, making friends and experiencing community spirit.” Students can apply for accommodation by filling out application forms made available online.
• The Protestant Student Community has two residences: Nizzaallee 20 and Templergraben 39 for 75 students in total. They offer single as well as shared rooms, both of which are fully furnished. Rent for a single room ranges between €79 (heating and water are charged in addition to this) and €340 (all inclusive). Students can apply for accommodation by filling out an application form for Templergraben 39 or sending an email if you are interested in the residence on Nizzaallee 20.

There is a chance to apply for a room in a shared flat in our exclusive apartment house in Aachen. In case you are interested, please check out the website https://housing-aachen.de/. Please, do not hesitate to ask us for further information. 

Sometimes it is hard to find accommodation in Aachen while you are still in your home country. Luckily, there are several hostels and budget hotels in Aachen that may provide another option during your initial weeks following arrival. Please make a reservation for your first nights in Aachen as soon as possible, as these places tend to be fully booked in the summer months. 

• Hostel Aachen: Price per night 12€-38€ (March, 2019)
• Jugendherberge Aachen (International Guesthouse): Price per night for stay and breakfast starting at 31,40€ (March, 2019)
• Boarding House
• Couch Surfing
• Klenkes Appartements: for more info just fill out the contact form on the website.
• Hotel ibis Aachen Marschiertor: Price per night starting at 59€ (March, 2019)
• A&O Hostel Aachen Hauptbahnhof: Price per night starting at 10€ (March, 2019)

If you were not allocated a place in a student residence (option 1) by mid-July, be prepared to look for private sector accommodation. We recommend booking a sublet or short-term accommodation (option 3) and continuing your search for a long-term accommodation after arrival. You might also find help by student unions. 

Most students live in privately shared or single flats in Aachen. An apartment for a single person costs around 350 EUR – 500 EUR. The option of a shared flat with other students, called “WG (Wohn-Gemeinschaft)”, might cost you around 300 EUR – 400 EUR. In a shared apartment, usually each student has their own room, while the kitchen and bathroom are shared. We are happy to assist our students in finding shared apartments so that they can quickly settle down in their new environment with their roommates. Very often, international friendships are formed that last beyond graduation.

In either case, the landlord or your flatmates probably will like to know who they are renting the flat/room to. For this reason, we strongly advise students to include a photo together with an introduction of themselves, to improve their chances of being awarded tenancy. Be authentic and friendly and try to formulate your messages as individual as possible – it is like an application, but in a more unformal manner!

There is also the chance to apply for a room in a shared flat in our exclusive apartment house in Aachen. In case you are interested please check out the website. Do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Below you can find an overview of web portals providing assistance with finding accommodation. Most web portals have a similar structure: Using a search screen, users can specify search criteria such as the city, desired apartment size and maximum price willing to pay.

In some of these portals, you can search for offers, but you can also publish requests for a shared flat or single apartment. It is best to post a picture and to write a few sentences about yourself – to give a good first impression to prospective flatmates.

• WG-Gesucht – Online portal for accommodation offers in English/German (shared flats and single apartments)
• Extraraum – Task group of the city of Aachen and the RWTH Aachen University for accommodation offers
• Studenten-WG – Online portal for accommodation offers in German (shared flats and single apartments)

In order to increase your chances of finding a room or an apartment, it is important to be flexible regarding the location, and take the outer city regions of Aachen into consideration (Richterich, Haaren, Laurensberg, Brand, Eilendorf, Kornelimünster, Walheim) as well as neighbouring cities such as Würselen, Herzogenrath, Kohlscheid, Alsdorf, Eschweiler, Stolberg, Kerkrade, Vaals, or Kelmis.

For instance, Stolberg is only 20 minutes away and can be reached by train or by several bus lines. The city of Stolberg encourages students to live in shared apartments.

• INCAS (INtercultural Center of Aachen for Students) is a platform that offers accommodation possibilities for newly arrived students
• Asta (General Student Committee of RWTH Aachen) offers consultation hours for accommodation concerns
• HomeCompany
• GEWOGE
• Study in Germany – Finding a flat. Information provided by the DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service
• Student Clubs – International students abroad are usually supportive of each other – so why not get in touch with some students from your home country who are already living in Aachen?

Student Dormitories in Kerkrade, Netherlands: Living in the Netherlands and studying in Aachen is now possible in the dutch city Kerkrade, also for non-EU students. Kerkrade is located directly on the German/Dutch border and offers especially for students of the RWTH Aachen University student dormitories in various converted buildings (e.g. you can live in an old hospital). By bus or train you can reach the city centre of Aachen or the RWTH easily and free of charge.

Student Dormitories in Vaals, Netherlands: Please note that, if you are not a citizen of the EU, the conditions of your visa may not permit you to live outside of Germany. In the cosy city of Vaals located directly on the German/Dutch border, various houses and flats are offered especially for students of the RWTH. The RWTH Campus Melaten (about 3 km) and the city centre of Aachen (about 6 km) are easily accessible from Vaals through various bus lines or by bike.

• Living in Vaals, studying in Aachen

Student Housing in Maastricht, Netherlands (especially for students of “MME”)

Please note that, if you are not a citizen of the EU, the conditions of your visa may not permit you to live outside of Germany. Students of the joint master programme “MME” can live in Aachen for the entire duration of their studies and take busses to travel to their classes. They might however also decide to move to Maastricht for the duration of their courses at the partner university MSM. In this case, please look at the housing information  provided by MSM

• Housing in Maastricht

• Please be aware that rental contracts in Germany are binding and official.
• For your own safety, please do not make any payments in advance before having visited the property, signed a lease contract or met the landlord.
• Deposit costs may arise (up to 3 months rent).
• If you move in/out: always document the status quo with pictures!
• There is a 3 months cancellation period: If you want to move out of your room or flat, you have to cancel your contract 3 months in advance. Otherwise, you have to pay for another 3 months or find a new tenant.
• In order to get registered in the city of Aachen at the “Einwohnermeldeamt”, you need a confirmation of your landlord or the Studentenwerk when living in one of their dorms.