Accommodation

Please note: In Stuttgart, demand for accommodation exceeds supply, and it’s particularly high at the start of the semester. If you haven’t found anywhere to live yet, my advice is to start looking straight away and take whatever you can get. There’s no reason why you can’t move again when the time is right. Accommodation options include halls of residence, private flats, shared flats or student fraternities and sororities. In some cases, rooms are also offered on a short-term basis.

The centre of Stuttgart (known as the ‘Kessel’) is surrounded by many towns and villages, both large and small. Some of these are surprisingly easy to reach from the university by public transport or even by bike. Prices are often slightly lower, for example in Botnang (11 mins to the main station, 12 mins to the university by bus or 30 mins by bike). It’s best to check the VVS website to see which towns the buses and S-Bahn trains that stop at the university pass through.

Halls of residence

Through their student accommodation schemes, the Studierendenwerk Stuttgart and the Vereinigung Stuttgarter Studentenwohnheime e.V. provide affordable rooms in the immediate vicinity of the campus. There are both single flats and shared flats. Many halls of residence are located directly on campus, so it takes no more than 10 minutes to walk from your front door to the lecture theatre. The rooms are usually furnished, although you generally have no say in who your flatmates are. The waiting time for a room is quite long, ranging from six to eight months. It is therefore worth applying early. You do not need to be enrolled at the university yet – you only need to present your certificate of enrolment when you move in.

You can apply via the Studierendenwerk or the Vereinigung Stuttgarter Studentenwohnheime e.V.. You can also find an overview of the halls of residence on the Vaihingen campus on the Studierendenwerk website. It’s best to visit the campus and see the halls of residence for yourself.

Private housing market

Flats and rooms in shared accommodation are advertised for rent via online portals and newspapers. The Studierendenwerk’s accommodation service is also a useful point of contact. Lead times can be short (in theory, you can move in straight away), and costs vary. One tip is to place an advert in the Stuttgarter Zeitung; not many students do this, but older people looking to let out their flats tend to check there first.

Another option is the noticeboards in supermarkets, where you can put up a notice. If you find a few friends who are also studying in Stuttgart, it’s naturally a good idea to set up a new shared flat.

• https://www.wg-gesucht.de
• https://immobilien.stuttgarter-zeitung.de
• https://www.immobilienscout24.de/
• https://www.studierendenwerk-stuttgart.de/wohnen/privatzimmervermittlung

Fraternities and Sororities

Fraternities and sororities are associations of students and graduates from various degree programmes. Generally speaking, they tend to be quite traditional in nature, although each fraternity or sorority upholds different values. Their structure is similar to that of clubs, and they have a charter that sets out the values they uphold. They often have their own house, the rooms of which they let to students.

There are 34 student fraternities and sororities in Stuttgart, and each one has different admission criteria. These often relate to the applicant’s gender, background, religion or political views. You should therefore find out in detail beforehand whether the fraternity or sorority is even suitable for you.

Other alternatives

If you are unable to find accommodation in time, youth hostels offer an affordable temporary alternative. Alternatively, you can bridge the gap until something becomes available by using Couchsurfing.

Once you’re already there, opportunities often arise more quickly.