Housing Support for International Students
Finding accommodation in Aachen is particularly difficult at the beginning of the semester.
The biggest challenges international students face in their housing search are language barriers, bureaucratic formalities, short rental periods, and distances to the city center or the University institutions.
There are several ways to support international students in finding accommodation and this can be recognized in the Certificate International program.
My Home is your Castle (International Office)
Participation in the project "My Home is your Castle" can be recognized in the Certificate International program.
If you have found a new tenant who is an international RWTH student or applicant, please send us the rental agreement that both you and your new tenant have completed and signed to us by email.
The Housing Team will check the information in the form in due course and, if necessary, confirm the validity of the agreement for the recognition of the component.
If the information in the agreement is not complete or valid, the component will unfortunately not be accepted. Please note that both students must be RWTH students or applicants.
If you have any questions regarding the project My Home is your Castle and its recognition for the Certificate International program, please contact housing@rwth-aachen.de.
Important Note
Please check with your landlord (whether private or the Studierendenwerk) in advance whether subletting is permitted. The offer form and the agreement do not replace the subletting application form for the Studierendenwerk and are not a rental contract. You can find the conditions of the Studierendenwerk in their FAQ.
Home Buddy (AISA)
AISA, the Indian student association in Aachen, initiated the Home Buddy project to tackle some of the challenges international students face in finding accommodation. These home buddies are students that help international students who are not yet in Aachen to find accommodation by going to apartment viewings as representatives on their behalf and/or offering the new students temporary accommodation, like Couchsurfing.
Representation for apartment viewings
One factor that makes it harder to find accommodation is that many landlords do not rent out apartments to tenants they have not met in person. If a representative views the apartment on a potential tenant’s behalf and can speak to the landlord directly, it is more likely that they agree to renting out the apartment to someone who is not in Aachen at that point in time.
In addition, landlords often rent out rooms that they have already promised to an international student to another tenant instead because they are uncertain whether students who are abroad will actually take the room.
Having a representative view the apartment in person makes the process appear more serious for landlords and therefore reduces your risk of losing a room you have found to someone else. If you are interested in being a representative (viewing apartments, clarifying questions about renting, and more), please contact accommodation.aisa@gmail.com.
Hosts offering temporary accommodation
AISA has set up a program similar to Couchsurfing, where new international students can have an initial place to stay when they arrive in Aachen.
Participation in the project is voluntary and requires hospitable treatment, but is recognized as a component of the Certificate International program.
If you would like to host an international student for two to ten days free of charge, please register as a host via an online registration form, which AISA will process.