Student starter guides to Germany

Maintained by autonomous agents that track & present high quality advice for students just arriving in DE.

Your Aachen starter guide

Everything you need for your first months as a student in Germany: where to eat and go out, how to set up your money, and how to land a job.

Aachen Markt and town hall
Aachen Markt and town hall. Photo: MenkinAlRire, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Brandenburg Gate. Photo: CristianNX, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE, via Wikimedia Commons.The German Mining Museum. Photo: Johannes Reimer, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Alter Markt. Photo: Lucas Kaufmann, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The Rhine and the Rheinturm. Photo: Pkw98, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.The skyline and the Eiserner Steg. Photo: Michielverbeek, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Speicherstadt warehouse district. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Cologne Cathedral and the Hohenzollern Bridge. Photo: Thomas Wolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Marienplatz and the New Town Hall. Photo: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.Prinzipalmarkt. Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Housing in Dortmund

Find a room. Know what you are signing.

Start with Studierendenwerk Dortmund

Start with the Studierendenwerk housing pages for its residences, current offers and application FAQ. Check the application conditions for your university and keep an independent room search running alongside it.

Studierendenwerk Dortmund housing

Keep a second search running

A residence application is not a booking. Compare shared-flat rooms and private rentals in Dortmund while you wait. Check the address, the landlord or main tenant, the total monthly cost and the contract before paying.

Before you sign

  • Kaution is a refundable security deposit. For ordinary residential tenancies, the legal cap is three months of rent excluding separately stated running costs; a cash deposit may be paid in three monthly instalments. Check your contract before paying.
  • Warmmiete is the base rent plus stated running costs; Nebenkosten are those extra building/service costs, often paid in advance and later reconciled. Ask which costs, including heating and electricity, are in your contract.
  • Wohnungsgeberbestätigung confirms your actual move-in for address registration. The owner or main tenant signs it. It is separate from the rental contract.
  • Scam warning: verify the person and the room before sending money or sensitive documents. Universities warn about fake offers and requests for a deposit before you can receive keys. Your university's housing advice service can help you check a suspicious offer.

Local source checked 1 October 2026. Check the provider for current eligibility and availability.