4 Apartment Hunting

4.1 Warning

⚠️ Finding an apartment in Munich will likely be the most difficult part of relocating, and could take several weeks or months (if you are not already located in Germany and/or do not speak German). It is by no means impossible, but you will likely need to dedicate a seemingly inordinate amount of time to this process

4.2 Student Dorms

• Least expensive option by far
• Prices typically in the range of €200-400/month
• Can only stay as long as you remain a student

4.2.1 Studentenwerk München

• Generally desirable locations
  • Include a Leaflet map of the addresses with links
• Long waiting lists, and need to already be accepted to a university to join these lists
  • Typically need to wait 3+ semesters so these are typically not a viable option for newcomers unless you happen to win a lottery space
• Rooms typically around 10 m^2
• Shared kitchens and community events

4.2.2 Katholische Dorms

• Similar in price, size, and layout to Studentenwerk dorms along with community kitchens and events
• Main difference, unsurprisingly , is the celebration of various Catholic holidays and related events
• However, participation in such events is entirely voluntary, and there doesn’t seem to be a strong social pressure to participate
• Students of all faiths are welcome in these dorms from what I’ve heard

4.3 Shared Apartments

• WGs or Wohnungenheim(?) are shared apartments, generally 2-7 people with individual rooms and shared kitchen + possibly a living room (although this is )
• Typically can get larger and nicer rooms in more specific neighborhoods than the dorms
• More expensive than any of the dorm options, generally in the range of €400-900/month
  • Scrape some summary stats info from WG Gesucht?
• Generally have to spend a lot of time searching; most labor intensive process
  • Apply to openings online then, if invited, typically have to interview for the apartment
  • Not unusual to have to message 100+ apartments just to receive invites for a handful of interviews
  • Need to send messages ideally in the first few minutes or hour that a room is posted online.

4.3.1 Where to Search

• WG Gesucht is likely the most common website
• …
• Friends or friends-of-friends can be a much more reliable and expedient approach to securing an apartment

4.3.2 Important Notes

• Warmmiete vs. Kaltmiete (warm rent vs. cold rent)
  • When looking at apartments, most places will advertise the Warmmiete which is the entire price of the room including utilities. If you see Kaltmiete advertised, however, I would recommend estimating another €100-150/month in expenses.

4.4 Single Apartments

• Quite expensive in and around the city, typically more than €1200/month
• All the benefits and drawbacks of living alone apply
• Possibly the most direct route to finding a home in Munich