Living in Düsseldorf
In Germany, students either live in halls of residence or in private accommodation. It is advisable to look for an apartment or room before you arrive in Düsseldorf.
You can find additional information about studying and living in Germany on the “Study in Germany" website.
First steps
Please note that the average rental price in Düsseldorf is higher than in other cities. Furthermore, the housing market is very tight, which is why you should start looking for accommodation as early as possible.
Planning ahead makes the search for accommodation easier. The following steps will help you prepare:
- Start looking for accommodation right after applying for a place at university.
- Apply for a room in a student hall of residence well in advance.
- Once you have been admitted, complete your application for a room in the student hall of residence immediately.
- Search for accommodation on several housing platforms at the same time.
- Be on the lookout for potential scams.
- Organise temporary accommodation if necessary.
How to find a flat?
Flats on the private market are usually more expensive than rooms in halls of residence. Most landlords require a deposit of up to three months’ rent, which you have to pay at the beginning of the rental agreement. It will be refunded at the end of the rental period as long as no damage has been caused in the accommodation.
If you are looking for an apartment on the private housing market, we recommend you take a look at our Accommodation Guide below, which contains links to platforms for finding accommodation and tips on what you should bear in mind when searching.
Note: In smaller towns and communities outside Düsseldorf (e.g. Mönchengladbach) rents are generally cheaper than in Düsseldorf, so you should look for accommodation there as well. Transport connections by bus and train are usually well organised (from Mönchengladbach main station to Düsseldorf main station, for example, it takes about 30 minutes). With your Deutschlandticket travel pass, you can use regional public transport throughout Germanyfree of charge.
Tips for finding accommodation
- Contact several landlords at the same time.
- Respond to replies as quickly as possible.
- Prepare a brief self-introduction.
- Never transfer money before signing a contract or viewing the accommodation.
Flatshare as a living model
A flatshare (German: Wohngemeinschaft or “WG” for short) is a typical form of student accommodation in Germany. Here, you rent a flat with other people in which each person has their own room. You share the kitchen and bathroom. You share the rent between you. This means that a WG is generally cheaper than renting a flat on your own.
Flatshares are best found via large portals on the Internet.
A room in a student hall of residence
Halls of residence can be found near HHU and even directly on campus. As it is not possible for all students to obtain a room, we recommend applying to the Studierendenwerk Düsseldorf student support service organisation for a place in a hall of residence directly after applying for your study place. Apply here to secure a place on the waiting list.
As soon as you have received confirmation of admission from the University, you should complete your application as quickly as possible, as rental offers will only be sent to students whose application is complete. Applications will be processed in order of receipt. As soon as a place becomes available in your hall of residence of choice, you will receive an offer.
Please note: Not all rooms in the halls of residence are furnished! You can find an overview of the accommodation, furniture/fittings, size and costs on the website of the Studierendenwerk Düsseldorf student support service organisation.
You need to transfer a deposit equivalent to the rent for one month for your accommodation in the hall of residence before the start of the rental agreement. Your deposit will be returned to you at the end of the rental period as long as you have not caused any damage.
You must also transfer the rent for the first month before the start of the contract.
Tip: As well as applying for a room in a hall of residence operated by the Studierendenwerk, we recommend that you also apply for a place in the hall of residence operated by the Protestant Student Community Düsseldorf (Evangelische Studierenden-Gemeinde – ESG).
You can find more information about accommodation opportunities in Düsseldorf here.
First nights in Düsseldorf
If you come to Düsseldorf and have not yet found a room, hostels (like youth hostels) are an inexpensive place to stay. We recommend that you search under keywords such as “Jugendherberge Düsseldorf” or “Hostels” on the Internet and book in advance. Some hotels and guesthouses also offer inexpensive overnight accommodation.
Living costs in Düsseldorf
Living costs comprise various monthly expenses. The most important costs include: rent, food, semester fee and other expenses.
Rent is often the biggest expense in the month. The current average rent index in Düsseldorf in 2026 is €15.38/m². You usually also have to pay a deposit equivalent to the rent for three months, which will be refunded at the end of the rental agreement as long as no damage has been caused in the accommodation. When searching for accommodation, you need to be aware that many apartments are rented unfurnished in Germany, i.e. there is often no kitchen or other furniture. You should therefore expect to have additional costs for furniture and household items.
In addition to accommodation costs, you must also take into account expenses for food and other day-to-day purchases. To keep living costs as low as possible, it is advisable to buy food and day-to-day items at supermarkets as far as possible. Students should plan to spend around €250 – €350 per month on food.
Students at HHU must also pay the semester fee, which includes the costs of the Deutschlandticket travel pass for one semester. The Deutschlandticket enables students to travel on regional public transport throughout Germany.
In Germany, every household must pay a statutory broadcast licence fee, which finances the public broadcasting service. The broadcast licence fee currently costs €18.36 per month, per apartment. If several people live together in one apartment, the fee is usually paid jointly and split between the residents.
In addition to the stated basic costs, you also need to bear further personal/individual expenses in mind, e.g. for clothes, sport, hobbies or other leisure activities. It also makes sense to plan in costs for your health insurance and any fees for a bank account. These expenses vary, depending on your individual lifestyle.
Be wary of fraud
Students should be particularly careful when looking for accommodation, as fraud attempts are common.
Our checklist includes tips and information on how to identify fraud attempts.
Accommodation Guide
This guide is meant to provide general information only and is not intended as or comparable to legal advice.
The International Office of Heinrich Heine University disclaims any liability concerning the accuracy or completeness of the details given. The offers and companies listed are a compendium of the results of our research only, as of the date given on the document.
Enlisting them does not imply a recommendation.
The University campus is located on the borders of the quarters Bilk and Wersten. Bilk is therefore popular with students and you will find many cafes and bars there. Other central quarters are Friedrichstadt, Carlstadt, Stadtmitte (Center), Unterbilk, Oberbilk, Flingern, Düsseltal and Pempelfort.
You can find an overview of the Mietspiegel (average rent) in Euro per square metre (of the year 2023) for the individual districts of Düsseldorf here. You can use this to check whether the rent for accommodation is appropriate.
Note: In smaller towns and communities outside Düsseldorf rents are usually lower. Bus and train connections are usually good. With your semester ticket, you can use public transport throughout NRW free of charge.
City | Average square meter price (Kaltmiete) in Euro (2026) | Average travel time (in minutes) to the HHU Düsseldorf (by bus/train/tram) |
Düsseldorf | 15,41 €/m² | --- |
Meerbusch | 14,05 €/m² | 40 |
Hilden | 12,29 €/m² | 45 |
Langenfeld | 12,70 €/m² | 31 |
Ratingen | 12,48 €/m² | 50 |
Erkrath | 11,22 €/m² | 40 |
Neuss | 12,06 €/m² | 33 |
Mönchengladbach | 10,22 €/m² | 55 |
Abbreviations: frequently used in housing adverts: 3ZKDB = 3 Zimmer (rooms), Küche
(kitchen), Diele (corridor), Bad (bathroom); EK = Einbauküche (kitchenette)
The monthly rent for a flat is divided into Kaltmiete (basic rent) and Warmmiete (total rent). Kaltmiete is the part of your rent that covers the use of one or several rooms. Adding the costs for waste collection, water, gas, heating and other amenities in the house, the so-called Nebenkosten (NK), or utility costs, gives you the Warmmiete, or total rent. At the start of the year you don’t know how much water, electricity or gas you are going to need. So you make an advance payment every month. Then at the end of the year you either get money back or you have to pay some more.
Kaution: Means the security deposit you will need to pay with the first rent, regularly three monthly rents. The deposit is returned when you move out, if you leave the flat in good condition.
Mietvertrag: All information about the rent and deposit is in the Mietvertrag (tenancy agreement). It also tells you whether you need to redecorate the premises when you vacate them. It also gives you information about your notice period. You often have to sign a handover certificate when you move in. This certificate details whether anything in the apartment is defective, for instance. Then you and the landlord know for certain that it wasn’t you who broke it. Read the tenancy agreement and the handover certificate carefully before you sign.
Provision: Until 2015, it was customary for the tenant to pay a commission for apartments offered on behalf of the landlord through a broker. However, this regulation was abolished by law. Now the landlord has to pay the commission to the broker. So make sure that you don't have to pay any commission when making rentals.
Rundfunkbeitrag: A fee which is used in Germany to finance public service broadcasting and public broadcasters such as ARD, ZDF, WDR and their television, radio and internet services. The contribution is 18,36 euros per month (221 euros per year; status October 2024) and must be paid by every household, regardless of whether a television, radio or computer is actually available and regardless of how many people live there together. An apartment can be registered via an online form for the radio contribution: https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/
Strom: Electricity is normally not included in the rent. You will need to get a contract with the local electricity company. Please contact Stadtwerke Duesseldorf.
As a rule flats and rooms in Germany are almost always unmöbliert (unfurnished), this means extra costs for furniture.
WG: This is short for Wohngemeinschaft and means shared flat. In a WG several students live together in a privately rented flat. The kitchen, bathroom and sometimes a living room are used communally, but each flatmate has his or her own room. Costs for rent, electricity and Internet are shared.
Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: The confirmation of residence is a form signed by the landlord, proving that the tenant actually has rented a specific apartment. This document must be presented to the Einwohnermeldeamt (registration authority) when you register as a resident.
Zwischenmiete: Means a room offer for a limited period of time, usually during a temporary absence of the regular tenant / flatmate. Many students sublet their rooms for a limited period when they themselves go abroad or complete a placement elsewhere. This offers a good interim solution.
- Cheap room to let to a young female student
often, dubious types hide behind room advertisements that are aimed exclusively at women. Better keep your hands off them.
- 2 room apartment, 45qm, downtown: 250 Euro: “Against payment of a deposit, we'll send you the keys to inspect the apartment...”
Since the landlords (allegedly) live abroad, you will be asked to send money to see the apartment. Behind this is simply fraud.
In case you encounter difficulties with your landlord or another kind of legal conflict you may turn to the Students’ Union (AStA) (sozial.referat@asta.hhu.de).
If you encounter financial difficulties you may also apply for Wohngeld (housing subsidy) with the municipality. It is granted if you can provide evidence that your income is very low. The limit is calculated for students in each individual case. All information as well as application documents can be found on the websites of the municipality (in German only).
In case you have further questions on accommodation, please do not hesitate to contact us (international-students@hhu.de).
- Rent
Average rent (2026): 15,38 EUR/m². It is tipically around 300 to 1000 euros per month, depending on the location and whether you live alone or in a shared accommodation. In addition, a deposit amounting to three months’ rent is usually required. Many flats are unfurnished, so you may expect additional costs for furniture and household items. - Groceries
Students should expect to spend around 250–350 euros a month. Buying groceries at the supermarket is recommended, as it can help reduce costs. - Semester fee
A semester fee is mandatory for all students. The Deutschlandticket, which allows you to use regional public transport throughout Germany, is included in the semester fee. - Broadcasting fee
The payment of a broadcasting fee is legally required and it costs 18,36 euros per month per household. In shared flats, it is usually split among the residents. - Health insurance
Health insurance costs around 145 euros per month and depends on the type of insurance and the provider. - Residence permit
The residence permit costs around 80 to 100 euros per permit, depending on the city you live in. - Additional costs
A personal bank account and personal expenses (such as clothing, free time, sport). The amount depends on your individual lifestyle.