Below is a step-by-step guide to the process of moving to Hamburg and finding off-campus accommodation through the DESY Housing Service.

  1. Consider the kind of accommodation you are looking for
    Renting in Hamburg is quite expensive. We recommend to check the Hamburg property market in the internet in order to get an impression of the rental prices (e.g. www.immobilienscout.de or www.immowelt.de) If you are considering renting closer to the city centre in certain areas of Altona or Eimsbüttel, please be aware that those areas are very popular. There, rents are higher than in other parts of the city.


  2. Submit a Housing Application Form
    Before you move to Hamburg, you will need to complete a Housing Application Form, which allows us to see exactly what kind of accommodation you are looking for.

    The Housing Application Form should be submitted no later than four weeks before your arrival at DESY.

    If you have any queries about completing the Housing Application Form, please contact the DESY Housing Office


  3. Await confirmation emails
    When we have received your Housing Application Form and email, you will receive a confirmation email stating that your request has been acknowledged by the DESY Housing Team. Please note that the confirmation email is not generated automatically. Therefore, it may take up to 48 hours until you receive it, depending on the time of day you submitted your Housing Application Form. With the confirmation you will also receive all the relevant initial information concerning renting in Hamburg - regardless of whether you will find accommodation at the property market in internet or through the DESY Housing

    All individuals requesting help with their accommodation search at the DESY Housing Service will be booked into a room at the DESY Hostel. This is for a maximum of two weeks and will give you time to get to know Hamburg and find permanent accommodation. The Hostel Team will send you an email to confirm your room reservation after you have submitted your Housing Application Form. Please visit the DESY Hostel website for more information about the Hostel.

    Please note: you do not need to submit a Hostel Registration Form if you have already submitted a Housing Application Form. If you do this, it will result in a double booking under your name, so please refrain from doing so.


  4. Contact the Housing Office
    When you have arrived at DESY, you will need to contact the DESY Housing Office about your arrival. You have to inform them if you have a hostel room booking or if you will move directly into your Long-Term accommodation.


  5. Please inform the DESY Housing about the dates of your lease contract, if it is fix-date contract or open-end even if you have found an accommodation on your own and it is not from the Housing accommodation list.


  6. Send us a reminder
    We get a lot of housing requests every day from DESY campus community members in search of permanent accommodation. If you have not heard back from us regarding your accommodation request, please send us a reminder. We will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.


  7. Arrange a viewing
    When you have found a suitable room, apartment or house amongst the listings we have sent you, you should contact the owner or landlord immediately. So that you can arrange an appointment to view the accommodation.

    Please note that all accommodation at the DESY Housing Service is offered to other members of the DESY campus community too. The landlords may advertise it elsewhere on the internet as well. You are very likely to have some competition.

    Please inform the DESY Housing if the accommodation has already been let to someone else.

    Important: If you are no longer able to arrange a viewing appointment with the landlord, you must contact the landlord yourself. You must cancel the viewing appointment in good time and, if necessary, arrange a new appointment.


  8. Send feedback about the viewing
    After viewing the accommodation, please contact the DESY Housing Office by email to let us know the result of your viewing. This is so we can keep your housing request up-to-date in our database.

    If you have found somewhere you would like to move into, please contact us immediately to let us know which room/apartment/house you have chosen.

    If you were not happy with the viewing, please let us know if:
    - The property is unavailable, or has been let to someone else
    - The property is not in a livable condition
    - Your personal accommodation requirements have changed.


  9. Sign the contract
    Before moving into your chosen accommodation, you should sign a rental/lease contract with the landlord. The landlord will offer the contract for you to sign.


  10. Move in
    Move into the accommodation on or soon after the start date of the lease. The next steps you must take will depend on whether you have moved into a room or an apartment/house.

    Please inform us if you find accommodation elsewhere.

If you have moved into a room

If you have moved into an apartment or house

  1. In case of serious damage or problems in the accommodation, please contact the landlord immediately.

  1. Arrange a meeting for the handover with your landlord.

  1. Contact the International Office (building 6, room 114) regarding liability insurance if needed.

  1. In case of serious damage or problems in the accommodation, please contact the landlord immediately.

  1. Ask your landlord to sign the document 'Wohnungsgeberbestätigung'.

  1. Contact the International Office (building 6, room 114) regarding liability insurance if needed.

  1. Register your residence.

  1. Ask your landlord to sign the document 'Wohnungsgeberbestätigung'.

  1. Register your residence.

  1. Register for electricity, water, gas and phone/Internet.


      
  1. Move Out
    There are several things you must consider before moving out of your room, apartment or house.

Moving out of a room

Moving out of an apartment or house

  1. Terminate your lease contract in writing.

  1. Terminate your lease contract in writing.

  1. Deregister your residence.

  1. Deregister your residence.

  1. Give the Housing Service your new address and email address.

  1. Give the Housing Service your new address and email address.

  1. Arrange for your post to be forwarded to your new address.

  1. Arrange for your post to be forwarded to your new address.

  1. Tell the bank and/or your landlord that you are planning to move.

  1. Tell the bank and/or your landlord that you are planning to move.

  1. Clean the room thoroughly.

  1. Cancel any contracts for utility services.

  1. Clean the apartment or house thoroughly.

  1. Arrange a meeting for the handover with your landlord.