Finding Accommodation

Before starting your accommodation search, consider whether you prefer a shared apartment or a single apartment and what the advantages of each type of accommodation are. Shared apartments are generally more affordable, as costs such as rent, electricity, and cleaning supplies are shared with roommates. They also offer opportunities to make friends and share responsibilities. Single apartments, while more expensive, provide greater independence and privacy.

Finding a room in a shared apartment for a semester is generally easier than securing a single apartment. Most single apartments in Germany are unfurnished, and landlords typically require longer-term leases, making short-term options harder to find.

The price for a room in a shared apartment usually ranges from EUR 350 to 600 or more, with landlords often requiring a deposit of 2–3 months' rent, excluding utilities. The costs for an apartment are generally higher.

Many search platforms will ask you to indicate your preferred neighborhoods in order to narrow the search. The following neighborhoods are particularly popular among international students due to their close proximity to the university: 

1. Innenstadt / Quadrate / City
2. Schwetzinger Vorstadt
3. Lindenhof
4. Neckarstadt-Ost
5. Oststadt

Due to their top locations, rents in these neighborhoods are usually higher than elsewhere. The following neighborhoods are also worth looking at, since they are well-connected to the city center through public transport: Almenhof, Neuostheim, Feudenheim, Waldhof, Käfertal. During the day, trams run every ten minutes, in the evening, every twenty minutes. At night, you can use taxis and buses to get around.

• Mannheim
• Neighborhoods in the City of Mannheim

Please be aware that the rooms advertised here are rented out by private persons and that the International Office of the University of Mannheim does not act as an intermediary. Rental agreements are concluded without the involvement of the International Office.

In the case of subletting, the main tenant is the landlord. They are also responsible for completing the landlord's confirmation of residence (Wohnungsgeberbestätigung).

There are several private residence halls in Mannheim, some of which are church-sponsored. Applications are made directly to the respective residence halls. All relevant information can be found on the websites of the private providers. Please note that the majority of students living in the church-sponsored residence halls are German-speaking and that German is therefore the predominant language in everyday life.

• The Alfred-Delp-Haus (ADH) is a catholic residence hall located in the city center of Mannheim. Here, a harmonious residential community and good companionship of the residents is of great importance. Both the residents and the management of the residence hall add to a familial and homely atmosphere. For this reason, before allocating a room, the management wants to meet new applicants in person. International students can apply for a room in the ADH without having to travel to Mannheim for a personal interview; yet, they must be able to satisfactorily show their social commitment. All students can apply regardless of their religious affiliation.
• The Emilie-Hucht-Haus is a catholic youth residence. For more information please see the homepage.
• The Kolpinghaus offers rooms for students, trainees, pupils, and young workers.
• Campus68 is a modern student housing complex located in the immediate vicinity of Herzogenriedpark. The complex is aimed in particular at students who are looking for a modern and communal form of accommodation in Mannheim.

Below is an overview of the most popular online platforms for finding accommodation. Please be aware that fraudulent listings may also appear on these websites. We therefore strongly recommend reviewing our information sheet on Housing Scams for important tips and guidance.

• WG-gesucht – Very popular among students; includes the option to filter for furnished accommodation (please note that furnishing may sometimes be subject to an additional fee).
• Immobilienscout24 – well-known search portal in Germany, filtering for temporary living (“Wohnen auf Zeit”) and furnished (“möbliert”) possible
• HousingAnywhere and Wunderflats – focus on furnished apartments for short term rentals, offers quite expensive

Please note: If you need a residence permit or a “Certificate of Attendance” for your stay in Mannheim, we advise against booking a room via Airbnb. Normally, it is not possible to register with the residents' registration office in Mannheim via Airbnb. However, this is necessary in order to obtain a residence permit as well as a “Certificate of Attendance”.

Utilities include payments for heating, water, power and gas according to consumption as well as costs that apply to the entire building and are split between its tenants. The latter include, for example, domestic waste collection, sewage, elevator maintenance (where required), and janitorial or cleaning services. Thus, when comparing apartments, please check if the rent is indicated as including utilities (“Warmmiete”or “warm”) or excluding utilities (“Kaltmiete” or “kalt”) in order to be able to compare rent prices. Also inquire on the exact costs that are included in the utilities if a given apartment is listed as “warm” and which additional payments you will have to make yourself, for example for electricity.

Also be aware that for long-term rents, mostly in unfurnished apartments, the monthly utilities payment is an advance payment. Once a year, the actual consumption and resulting costs are exactly calculated and set off against the utilities payments made in advance. This may result in refunds or, if the consumption was higher than what the utilities payments covered, in additional payments.

If you are renting a furnished apartment, especially for a short period of time, the utilities payment is usually a fixed amount.

Telephone and Internet fees as well as the public broadcasting fee (Rundfunkbeitrag) are not part of the utilities and usually need to be paid separately. However, costs for these services are sometimes included in the rent for furnished apartments.

Heating

There are different types of heating: gas and central heating.

If your apartment is heated using gas and these costs are not included in the utilities, you should plan on paying higher additional costs for gas. If gas is included in the monthly utilities payment, this will probably be higher than usual.

Electricity and gas

If electricity and/or gas are not included in the utilities, you need to contact a provider of your choice to set up these services. To do this, you'll need to first get the current meter readings from both the gas and electric meters when you move in. You can ask your landlord about how to get the meter readings. After your registration, the energy supplier will set a monthly or quarterly service rate that is determined according to the average consumption of the previous tenant. This rate is comprised of a basic fee and a payment component that is based on your expected consumption. At the end of the accounting period (once a year) these advance payments are set off against your actual consumption. You will receive an annual invoice indicating if you will receive a refund or need to make additional payments. For electricity, you can expect to pay about EUR 40 to EUR 90 for a single person per month.

Most apartments have telephone and Internet connections, however, they are not always activated. In this case, you will have to contact a provider of your choice and have them activate the connection according to your tariff selection. There are numerous options for telephone and Internet plans. Please be aware of the minimum contract duration and the cancellation deadlines before entering a contract.  

Furnished apartments sometimes come with activated phone/Internet services, which can be used right away. If the costs for phone and Internet are not included in the monthly rent payment, the landlord will bill you separately for these services.

What is the broadcasting fee?

Germany has a wide range of public broadcasting companies. These channels operate independent from commercial and political interests. In order to ensure their independence, each citizen needs to pay a monthly fee (€18.36) to support these institutions.

Who has to pay the broadcasting fee?

By law, every apartment/household needs to pay the monthly fee. It does not matter whether tenants actually own a TV or radio and use it.
In case several people share an apartment or house (families, shared apartments), only one person needs to pay the broadcasting fee which then can be split among the residents. 

Please find more detailed information in the to dos after enrollment > Public Broadcasting Fee “Rundfunkbeitrag”

You have not yet found accommodation and are considering where to spend your first nights in Mannheim? Then you can look for free accommodation with other students via the couchsurfing platform provided by AStA. If you need a place to sleep for your first few nights in Mannheim, write an e-mail or make your request directly via the AStA couchsurfing group on Facebook:

E-mail: sozialesmail-uni-mannheim.de

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/AStACouchsurfing

Jugendherberge Mannheim

Rheinpromenade 21

68163 Mannheim

Phone: +49 621 822718

Price per night: as of EUR 42–63

www.jugendherberge.de/en/youth-hostels/mannheim-international/

Hotel an den Planken

P4, 8

68161 Mannheim

Phone: +49 621 158080

Price per night: as of EUR 84–134

https://alter-simpl-mannheim.de/hotel-an-den-planken/

Leonardo Hotel

N 6, 3

68161 Mannheim

Phone: +49 621 107 10

Price per night: as of EUR 89–154

https://www.leonardo-hotels.com/leonardo-hotel-mannheim-city-center

Hotel Luise

U1, 11–12

68161 Mannheim

Phone: +49 621 18034700

Price per night: EUR 73–84

www.hotel-luxa.de/

InterCity Hotel Mannheim

Schlossgartenstraße 1 on the corner of block L13 (next to Mannheim main station)

68161 Mannheim

Phone: +49 621 4018 110

Price per night: as of EUR 75–134

https://hrewards.com/en/intercityhotel-mannheim 

Hostel Mannheim

D2, 10

68159 Mannheim

Phone: +49 (0) 621 43 70 44 43

Price per night: as of EUR 39–80

hostelmannheim.com