It took me two and a half years to find my first place where I could live alone in Germany.
Looking back, I think I was actually quite lucky.
When I first came to Germany, I was a student, a foreigner, and I did not have a stable job.
From a landlord’s point of view, I was probably not the ideal tenant.
But at that time, having a place where I could live alone was something I really wanted.
I wanted to come home, eat alone, watch dramas or movies, and rest without worrying about anyone else.
I was not simply looking for a room.
For the first time in Germany, I wanted a space that was completely mine.
But finding even one small studio apartment turned out to be much harder than I expected.
Why is it so difficult to find housing in Germany?
One simple reason is that in cities where many people want to live, there are not enough affordable and good apartments for everyone looking for one.
This is especially noticeable in cities such as Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich, where there are many jobs and universities.
When an apartment appears at a reasonable price and in a good location, many people can apply for it at the same time.
Another reason is that people in Germany often stay in the same apartment for many years.
Older rental contracts can sometimes be cheaper than newer ones in the same area, and tenant protection is relatively strong. So if someone already has a good apartment, there may not be much reason to move.
This also means that good apartments do not come back onto the market very often.
It might sound like the easy solution is simply to build more housing, but that is not so simple either.
Building new housing in Germany can take time because of permits, regulations, construction costs, labor costs, and other factors. New housing does not always appear fast enough to meet demand.
So when one apartment becomes available, the landlord can often choose from many applicants.
They may look at whether you have a stable job, enough income, a good credit history, or someone who can guarantee the rent for you.
For someone like me at that time, a student, a foreigner, and without a stable full time income, it was naturally harder to compete.
Having enough money in your bank account did not mean you could simply rent the apartment you wanted.
In the end, the landlord still had to choose me from many other applicants.
At the time, finding an apartment honestly felt harder to me than finding a job.
If you are looking for your first place in Germany
If you come to Germany as a student or on a working holiday, there are usually a few housing options.
One of the most common is a WG, short for Wohngemeinschaft.
A WG is basically a shared apartment where several people live together.
Other options include student housing or a small studio apartment, usually called an Einzimmerwohnung.
For someone who has just arrived in Germany, starting with a WG is often more realistic.
In many WGs, one person is the main tenant, called the Hauptmieter, and another room is rented to someone else.
That person becomes the Untermieter, or subtenant.
People usually share not only the rent but also costs such as electricity, heating, and internet.
If the apartment is already furnished, another advantage is that you can move in without buying much furniture.
But the most important thing about WG life is probably the people you live with.
How clean does the apartment need to be?
How sensitive is everyone to noise?
How often do people invite friends over?
Does someone like having parties?
These things can sound small before you move in, but they become very important once you actually live together.
If you do not match well with the people you live with, even going home can start to feel stressful.
On the other hand, living in a WG can also be a very good experience.
For a foreigner, it can be a chance to practice German, ask for help with things you do not understand, and sometimes even make close friends.
Student housing was not as easy as I expected either
Student housing sounds like an affordable and stable option, but getting a room can also be difficult.
The types of rooms are different depending on the university and city.
Some have a private bedroom and bathroom but a shared kitchen.
Others have more shared spaces.
And if you want a room with your own bathroom, the price can sometimes be much higher than expected.
Student housing in a good location or with better facilities can be very competitive.
Usually you can apply through the university or through the student housing organization in the city.
But when I was looking, there were many people waiting and very few rooms available immediately.
I just wanted to live alone
What I wanted was actually very simple.
I did not need a large apartment.
I did not need a beautiful apartment in an expensive neighborhood.
I just wanted one small place where I could close the door and be alone.
But as a student, I went to see apartment after apartment.
I registered with housing companies such as SAGA, which offers relatively affordable housing in Hamburg.
Once, a friend was moving out of an apartment, and I tried to take over the place.
I prepared documents, contacted a notary, and even used salary documents from a family member living abroad.
At one point, I even dressed up in a shirt to meet the landlord for what felt like an interview.
I did not get the apartment.
I probably went to dozens of apartment viewings.
Once, I even went to see an apartment in an area of Hamburg that was known for having more safety problems.
When I arrived, I saw people using drugs very close to the building.
That was how limited my choices sometimes felt.
The apartment I visited thinking it might be my last try
Eventually, I found an advertisement from a private landlord who was renting out a small studio.
By that point, I had already been rejected many times, so I did not expect much.
Still, I went to see it.
I met the landlord.
And I was rejected again.
Of course I was disappointed.
But then the landlord told me that he had another apartment and asked if I wanted to come and see that one too.
It started to feel like applying for a company and going through the first and second interview.
So I went again.
And this time, I finally got the apartment.
There was one condition.
Because I was a foreign student, the landlord wanted a German friend living in Hamburg to act as a guarantor.
If I stopped paying the rent, my friend would have to take responsibility.
At the same time, my WG contract was almost finished, so I did not have many other options left.
In the end, I asked a German friend I had known for a long time.
I told him several times that I would never let anything happen that could cause him a problem.
He trusted me and agreed to do it.
Even now, I am very thankful for that.
No matter how long I had known someone, I still wonder if I could have done the same thing so easily if I had been in his position.
Finally, I had a place of my own
About two and a half years after coming to Germany, I finally started living alone.
The apartment was very small, but for me it changed a lot.
For the first time, I could come home and be completely alone.
I did not need to adjust to someone else’s habits.
I could eat whenever I wanted.
I could watch what I wanted.
And if I wanted silence, I could simply be quiet.
For the first time in Germany, I really felt that I had my own space.
Many good things happened while I lived in that apartment, and I still have a lot of memories from that time.
Of course, not everything ended beautifully.
When I moved out, the landlord expected the old apartment to be returned almost like a new one.
And I still have not received my deposit back.
Even so, without that apartment, I think my life in Germany would have felt much harder and lonelier.
Your first home does not have to be perfect
Finding housing in Germany was not easy for me.
If you are a student, a foreigner, and do not have a stable income, your choices can become even more limited.
But not getting the apartment you want immediately does not mean you have failed.
You can start in a WG.
You can live in student housing.
And as your situation changes, you can move to another place later.
Looking back, that is what I did too.
I lived in several WGs first, and eventually I found a small studio apartment.
Step by step, life in Germany started to feel more like my own.
For me, that little apartment was more than just a place to live.
It was the first feeling of stability that I had created for myself in a country that was still new to me.