Here you’ll find an overview of the most frequently asked questions about housing through the Studierendenwerke. We’ve compiled the most important information to answer your questions on the following topics:
Application
Get Information
First, learn more about our residence halls and our rental rates.
Be sure to read the ” General Rental Terms ” and “FAQ” sections on our website.
Have your documents ready
For the application process, you will need a valid certificate of enrollment or a letter of admission from the university or college [file format: .pdf] and a photo [file format: .jpg].
Fill out the online application
Fill out the dorm application and indicate your preferred type of housing, your preferred dorm, and your desired move-in date (move-ins are only possible on the 1st of the month).
Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an automated email containing a confirmation link. Your application cannot be processed further unless you click this link!
Accept Room Offer
As soon as a suitable room becomes available, we will send you an email with a room offer and the contract documents. Please be sure to check all your email folders (Spam, Unknown, etc.) for emails from us.
Sign the lease agreement and submit a scanned copy in advance via our web portal , and send a hard copy by mail to the dormitory administration at the same time. Please observe the specified deadline.
If you decide you want to make a change to your application, please contact the dormitory administration through our web portal.
Example: You upload your ID or school transcript instead of your college admission letter.
The General Rental Terms and Conditions, which can be downloaded as a PDF, list the terms and conditions that apply to living in our residential complexes.
The lease agreement will be sent to you via email as a PDF. Please print it out and return it, signed, to the dormitory administration within seven calendar days of receipt.
On our website, under“Private Listings,” you’ll find listings from private landlords who have submitted their listings to the Studentenwerk for publication.
We give students with disabilities priority consideration when assigning housing. However, we require proof of your disability, such as a copy of your disability ID card or official notices from the relevant authorities (e.g., the Social Security Office). You can upload this documentation when you apply. In addition, we offer a number of housing units that are accessible or fully barrier-free.
You should expect a wait for all rooms and apartments.
Please refer to our guidelines for the allocation of housing spots to determine which groups of people are eligible to live in our housing complexes.
The Studierendenwerk Oberfranken offers various types of housing: single apartments, shared apartments (for 2–6 people, depending on the housing complex), and parent-child apartments.
Moving In
If you move to a college town, you must register your new residence (even if it is only a secondary residence) at one of the municipal offices within 14 days of moving in. For more information, visit the cities’ websites.
Bayreuth, Coburg, and Hof: These cities automatically receive the landlord’s certificate through the Studentenwerk.
Amberg and Weiden: Landlord certificates are sent along with the lease agreement.
For organizational reasons, it is not possible to view the apartments or rooms in advance. At most, you may contact current tenants directly and ask if you can take a look inside the apartment.
- The Studentenwerk must ensure a seamless transition in renting out the rooms, as this is publicly subsidized housing. In addition, the previous tenant has paid rent for the dorm room until the end of their lease and is therefore entitled to use it until the last business day before the lease expires.
- Therefore, it is not possible for you to receive the key to your dorm room before the first business day of your contract period. Keys are generally not issued on weekends or holidays [see Key Handover]. We appreciate your understanding.
- Because of this seamless transition, there is a possibility that there may be damage in your room and/or that pending repairs, such as painting, will not be completed until after you move in.
- When you move in or pick up your keys, we will provide you with an inventory list on which you should note any damage or similar issues that are present at the time of your move-in.
- Please note that any existing damage not reported within two days of moving in will be deducted from your security deposit when you move out.
The rental property is generally handed over only Monday through Friday during the caretakers’ regular business hours.
If the contract start date falls on a holiday, Saturday, or Sunday, the property will not be handed over until the following business day. There is no entitlement to a rent reduction in this regard.
At the start of the winter semester, there can be as many as hundreds of move-ins and move-outs within just a few days. This can lead to wait times during peak hours.
Tip: If you don’t necessarily move in on the first of the month, but a few days later, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress.
Life in the Dorm
A monthly advance payment covers operating costs, such as heating and hot water, electricity, water, and sewage. Depending on the previous year’s consumption, the advance payment amount is reviewed annually and adjusted as necessary.
Visit https://www.greencampus.uni-bayreuth.de/de/carsharing/index.html for all the information you need about car sharing at the University of Bayreuth. You can find commercial car-sharing services around the Bayreuth campus, for example, at www.flinkster.de or www.mazda-carsharing.de.
The length of stay is limited in order to provide affordable housing to as many students as possible. The lease has a minimum term of 6 months; the standard length of stay is a maximum of 6 semesters or is determined by the maximum funding limits under the BAföG program. For more information, see the guidelines for assigning dormitory rooms.
There are only a few shopping options near our residential complexes.
We recommend that all tenants, unless they are covered under a family policy, take out liability insurance. Accidents happen faster than you might think and can be very expensive.
The Studentenwerk Oberfranken employs its own maintenance staff or external service providers to maintain the housing complexes. Reports of issues or damage are submitted via a written trouble ticket; in urgent cases, they may also be reported by phone.
We ask that you submit a notice of termination in a timely manner by the end of the semester (for deadlines, see §14 AMB or your lease agreement). Immediately after you move out, please submit a new application for housing. On the application form, under “Additional Application Fields,” please check “Moving back in” and, in the “Notes” section, also indicate “semester abroad” or “internship abroad.” Done!
Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an automated email containing a confirmation link. Your application cannot be processed further unless you click this link!
Accept Room Offer
As soon as a suitable room becomes available, we will send you an email with a room offer and the contract documents. Please be sure to check all your email folders (Spam, Unknown, etc.) for emails from us.
Sign the lease agreement and submit a scanned copy in advance via our web portal, and send a hard copy by mail to the dormitory administration at the same time. Please observe the specified deadline.
We ask that you submit a notice of termination in a timely manner, effective at the end of the semester (for deadlines, see §14 AMB or your lease agreement). Immediately after you move out, please submit a new application for housing. In the application form, under “Additional Application Fields,” please check “Re-move-in” and add “Internship” in the “Notes” section. Done!
Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an automated email containing a confirmation link. Your application cannot be processed further unless you click this link!
Accept Room Offer
As soon as a suitable room becomes available, we will send you an email with a room offer and the contract documents. Please be sure to check all your email folders (Spam, Unknown, etc.) for emails from us.
Sign the lease agreement and submit a scanned copy in advance via our web portal, and send a hard copy by mail to the dormitory administration at the same time. Please observe the specified deadline.
All rooms have Internet connections; however, bandwidth, terms, and/or routers vary by residence. The costs are almost always included in the rent.
In the Adolph Kolping, Münchberg, Weiden Fischerberg, and v.-Römer/Dammallee housing complexes, tenants must sign their own leases.
At the start of the lease, the tenant must pay a security deposit of €220–470 per living space, depending on the residential complex. The security deposit must be transferred at the start of the lease. No interest is paid on the security deposit.
To change the account from which your rent is deducted, please contact the dormitory administration.
All housing complexes are equipped with built-in kitchens featuring an electric stove (with an oven in most shared apartments) and a sink. In shared apartments, the residents share the kitchens.
Each tenant is responsible for cleaning the premises. If special cleaning by external cleaning companies is necessary due to poor hygiene or similar reasons, the tenant(s) of the respective shared apartment will be billed separately for these services.
Each tenant is personally responsible for ensuring a healthy indoor environment. Please also observe the guidelines in effect at each residential complex (passive ventilation, etc.). If mold develops, notify the building manager IMMEDIATELY. Any tampering with the ventilation systems will be billed accordingly.
For more information, please refer to our fact sheet on energy conservation.
In accordance with Section 2.7 of the General Lease Terms and Conditions, the tenant may request an extension of the lease agreement. The grounds for an extension include, in particular:
- the imminent approach of the first state examination, the diploma examination, the bachelor’s or master’s examination, or the completion of the bachelor’s or master’s thesis or the admission thesis.
- a physical disability or a medical condition so severe that it results in the maximum funding period being exceeded.
Requests to extend the lease must be submitted in writing.
The following deadlines apply:
Bayreuth
, through May 31 if the lease expires on September 30 of the same year, or through November 30 if the lease expires on March 31 of the following year.
Amberg, Coburg, Hof, Münchberg, and Weiden
until April 30 if the lease expires on August 31 of the same year, or until October 31 if the lease expires on February 28 of the following year.
The local waste management regulations apply. Please pay attention to on-site notices regarding waste separation. Improper waste separation results in higher disposal costs, which all residents of the dormitory must pay.
Our rooms are fully furnished with:
- Cabinet
- Shelf
- Desk and desk chair
- Bed with a mattress or a cot
For details on the individual amenities, please refer to the descriptions of the residence halls.
Parking spaces are available at all residential complexes, some on the premises and some in the immediate vicinity. And you don’t need to worry about your bicycles at any of the residential complexes either: You can lock your bicycles up at all of them.
Our tenants are responsible for cleaning their own rooms/apartments, as well as the shared kitchen or bathroom. The Studentenwerk reserves the right to hire an outside cleaning company to perform special cleanings as needed. These costs will be billed to the tenant.
Smoking is not permitted in your room. It goes without saying that you should be considerate of your roommates and neighbors. Please think of the next tenant, because not only does the furniture absorb smoke, but so do the walls and floors—and they can’t be replaced every time.
All rooms are equipped with smoke detectors, some of which are connected to a central fire alarm system. Any tampering (removal, covering, etc.) will be penalized accordingly, and any resulting damage will be charged to the resident. Instructions for using the smoke detectors can be found in the dormitory descriptions.
If smoke develops due to heavy cooking, many candles, hookahs, or similar activities, please ventilate the area thoroughly and extensively! This will help prevent false alarms. If a fire department response is triggered by improper behavior, you will be billed for the cost!
Tenants are responsible for paying the broadcasting fee (formerly known as “GEZ fees”) themselves. It is not included in the rent. However, students who receive BAföG and do not live with their parents may be exempt from these fees.
If damage has occurred in your room or apartment, simply report it in writing to the building manager using our damage report form.
Please refer to the notices posted on site. In some dormitories, external locksmith services have been contracted to assist you. The costs for these services must be paid directly on site. If a tenant has lost their key, the tenant is responsible for the costs of rekeying and/or replacing the lock cylinder.
If you find pests (e.g., bed bugs) in your room or apartment, please notify the building manager IMMEDIATELY!
General Duty to Provide Information Pursuant to Section 36 of the VSBG [Bonn]
We are neither willing nor obligated to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board under the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG).
However, the Consumer Dispute Resolution Act requires that we still inform you of the consumer arbitration board with jurisdiction over your case:
General Consumer Arbitration Board of the Center for Arbitration e. V., Straßburger Str. 8, 77694 Kehl.
Website: www.verbraucher-schlichter.de
In accordance with the General Rental Terms and Conditions, subletting of rooms and apartments is permitted for a maximum of 3 months and must be reported to the dormitory administration in advance.
In some cases, students may be eligible for housing assistance. For more information, please contact the Social Services Office of the Studentenwerk Oberfranken.
Washing machines and dryers are available to students in every residence hall. Use of the machines must be paid for individually. Over time, various payment systems have been installed in the residence halls: coin-operated machines or those that accept tokens, and in some cases cashless payment via debit and credit cards.
Termination and Moving Out
Please schedule a move-out appointment with your building manager well in advance—this will help you avoid scheduling conflicts and long wait times!
Tidy up your room and clean it thoroughly by the move-out date. Your building manager can help you with the necessary cleaning supplies if needed.
Please don’t wait until moving day to throw away items you no longer need in the household trash—the trash cans will be overflowing by then! It is the tenant’s responsibility to dispose of bulky items and electronic waste, not that of the Studentenwerk.
Don’t forget your bike
Remember to set up mail forwarding.
Provided that all obligations under the lease agreement have been fulfilled, your security deposit will be returned to you in accordance with §4 AMB. The security deposit—or the portion of the security deposit that has not been applied toward outstanding balances—will generally be transferred to an account designated by the tenant no later than 6 months after the termination of the lease. A reasonable portion of the security deposit will be withheld to cover any anticipated additional charges resulting from the operating costs statement.
The notice period specified in your lease agreement applies to your tenancy. For more information, please refer to Section 14 of the General Lease Terms and Conditions.