Housing Service
of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
The Housing Service of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences
We offer accommodation for our students in cooperation with the Studentenwerk Osnabrück where we have rented rooms in several student residences. The Housing Service of Hochschule Osnabrück sublets these rooms to our international students, primarily to new international guest students and degree-seeking students.
Since thousands of new students join Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences each semester, the housing market in the city is quite tense at the beginning of the semester. In our experience it is particularly difficult for international students still living abroad to organize accommodation in Osnabrück and Lingen. Therefore we strongly suggest that you make use of the Housing Service.
The Housing Service provides the following services to you:
- Guaranteed accommodation if all requirements and deadlines are met
- Furnished rooms in various price categories and locations throughout the city
- Personal liability insurance for Housing included in the monthly rent
- Direct contact in English and German
- Rental periods that cater to your stay and the participation in our Summer and Winter Language Courses
- Comfortable and easy handling of formalities
Note: We can also offer one double apartments/rooms and a women-only flat. If you require either of those special services, please contact us well in advance to arrange everything.
Tip: Submit your Housing application soon after having received your admission letter from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Our rooms are booked up quickly!
Current Regulation
Due to the current high demand for student accommodation and the scarce supply of furnished rooms for international students, accommodation can only be offered for one semester until further notice. Exception: Students who have been nominated as dual degree students can apply to be accommodated for two semesters. International visiting students and international degree-seeking students in English-taught Bachelor or Master programs have priority, followed by the other international degree-seeking students. In general: The rental period is usually six months, in line with the semester times, even if the actual stay in Osnabrück is shorter or longer. Deviations can only be considered if the Housing Service secures a follow-up rental of the room and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Who can apply for a room via the Housing Service?
Basically, students from all faculties of Hochschule Osnabrück can apply for a room with us, in particular the following groups:
- international visiting students
- international degree-seeking Bachelor and Master students, primarily those who are enrolled in English-taught degree programs and who, therefore, do not necessarily speak German.
- international students coming for a research or intenship period, PhD students, Post-Docs
- German degree-seeking students who will be put on a waiting list first though. They can only be considered if we still have any vacancy after all international students have been accommodated. Best keep contact to the Housing Service and look for alternatives right from the start.
Remark: Those international students who are new in Osnabrück or Lingen to start with their study period (as a guest student for a study term or for a research project or internship period or as degree seeking students) will be primarily served in order to ease them into their new surroundings.
- For the winter semester (August/September to January/February)
March 1st to May 22nd
- For the summer semester (February/March to July/August)
September 1st to November 15th
Remark: In case you apply later than May 22nd / November 15th your application will be put on a waiting list. In that case the Housing Service will try to arrange accommodation for you but cannot guarantee to offer you a room. In that case you might have to look for accommodation on your own.
It is very important that you keep the application deadline by all means. Admission confirmations will, however, only be sent after the application deadline.
The online system will guide you automatically when you apply for an extension of your rent agreement. You will find info buttons in many places giving you further information, if required. Your data will be maintained in the registration form as long as you keep your browser window open.
International and German Bachelor and Master students as well as visiting students shall apply via our online application form.
Please consider the current regulation for the summer semester 2023 on the top of the page.
If you want us to book a room for you for an additional semester, please apply for the extension of your rent agreement using the online application on this website. Changing your room to a different dormitory is unfortunately not possible.
Please note that we cannot guarantee that we can arrange accommodation for you for your second or even third semester at Osnabrueck University of Applied Sciences. As rooms are limited, we primarily offer rooms to those students who are new in Osnabrück.
Application periods:
- for the winter semester
March 1st to June 1st
- for the summer semester
September 1st to November 1st
The online system will guide you automatically when you apply for an extension of your rent agreement. You will find info buttons in many places giving you further information, if required. Your data will be maintained in the registration form as long as you keep your browser window open.
International and German Bachelor and Master students as well as visiting students shall apply via an extra online form.
Furnishing, rental periods and costs
Due to the large number of students, we have various student residences which are spread all over Osnabrück and Lingen. The residences usually are flats or houses consisting of 3 to 6 single rooms, each furnished with:
- wardrobe
- desk
- bed
- chair
- table
- ceiling lamb
Mostly all student residences generally also have:
- Internet
- Satellite/cable TV
- Washing and drying machines
Kitchen, bathroom, washing and drying machines are shared by all the students living in one flat or house.
Not included are:
- towels
- bed linen (pillow, duvet, pillowcases, bedcovers, sheets)
- crockery and cutlery
- cleaning material
These have to be brought to or puchased in Osnabrück or Lingen.
The normal rental period is 6 months. Shorter rental periods can only be offered if you apply on time and if it does not cause any significant vacancies for the Housing Service.
Visiting students may extend their rental period for a second semester to 12 months in total.
Degree seeking Bachelor and Master students wishing to extend their rental period for a sesond semester to 12 months in total may apply for extension and their application will be considered provided that we have enough rooms available.
International students coming for other stays (research periods, internship periods) outside of the normal rental periods please consult with Housing Service and indicate the purpose of your stay and the planned dates of your stay in your application.
Winter Semester:
If you attend the German Language Summer School in August/September:
Early August to the end of the exam period of the winter semester at the end of January/early February
If you do not attend the German Language Summer School in August/September:
Early September until late February
Summer Semester:
If you attend the German Language Winter School in February:
Beginning of February to the end of the exam period of the summer semester in early July
If you do not attend the German Language Winter School in February:
March 1st until August 31th
After completion of one semester at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, the rent agreement can be extended provided that we have enough rooms available. For the extension a new application must be submitted. A booking confirmation can only be given once the application has been thoroughly checked.
Depending on the size, fittings and location in Osnabrück or Lingen, the rental costs range from 210 to 400 Euros. Rooms close to the city center are generally more expensive.
The monthly rental must always be paid for full calendar months, even if you arrive later or leave earlier.
Please note: You will have to open a bank account in Osnabrück or Lingen and to place a standing order ("Dauerauftrag") so that the Hochschule Osnabrück receives your monthly rental payments regularly. Make sure that the money is being transferred regularly and without delay otherwise, you risk running charges or, at worst, the cancellation of your rent agreement!
Additionally, you may have to pay extra charges for licence fee for TV and radio.
The deposit serves as security for the furnished room should need be for any repairs or a renovation after your move out. The deposit will however be reimbursed when your rent agreement expires, but only provided that you leave the room in a good condition. The refund of the deposit will be made as a transfer to your bank account and will take place 6 to 8 weeks after you move out.
Please make sure that the Housing Service will receive the full amount of the advance payment of:
- 400 Euro (rental period more than 3 months)
- 250 Euro (less than 3 months).
Any bank charges must be borne by you. Please ask your bank prior to the transfer about the amount of fees, up to 40 Euro can incur in individual cases.
- Recipient:
Hochschule Osnabrück, Housing Service, Caprivistr. 30 A, 49076 Osnabrueck
- Bank:
Sparkasse Osnabrueck, Wittekindstr. 17 - 19, 49074 Osnabrueck
- Account no.:
615 690
- Bankcode:
265 501 05
- IBAN:
DE52 2655 0105 0000 6156 90
- BIC/SWIFT:
NOLADE22XXX
- Purpose:
Housing: first and family name of student
Allocation, reservation and cancellation
All rooms will be allocated automatically by the Housing Service according to availability and to the order of receipt of the applications. International freshmen will be favored. Therefore we would advise you to apply early. The reservation of a room cannot be guaranteed if your application reaches the Housing Service after the given application period.
Male and female students from different countries will usually be accommodated together! On special request, we can offer male or female only flats. If, e.g. for religious reasons, you require this service, please let us know well in advance so that we can arrange this for you.
Individual accommodation preferences can be communicated to the Housing Service by e-mail, but their realization cannot be guaranteed. The room, that the Housing Service allocates to you, has to be accepted. Otherwise you must look for a private room yourself.
Not always the first priority can be fulfilled if you consider that more than 150 students have to be accommodated by us every semester. All the relevant information on your dormitory, such as the address, the rent agreement, the responsible caretaker, will be e-mailed to you by the housing service after the allocation of rooms has been finished.
The reservation for the rooms becomes invalid if we do not receive the advance payment, and if you do not sign the rental agreement until the deadline given by the Housing Service.You can upload the signed copy in Mobility Online. The Housing Service will then countersign the rental agreement and upload it as well. You can then download the rental contract as needed.
The Housing Service has to be informed immediately and in written, by email if you have to withdraw from your application for any reason.
From 1 month before the start of the planned rental period, the Housing Service will retain the deposit, unless the room can be rented to someone else during the same rental period.
From 2 weeks before the start of the planned rental period, an additional monthly rent is due, unless the room can be rented to someone else during the same rental period.
Move in and Move out
Please consider the following points for the move in and move out.
Usually, the date for the move in is in one of the following periods. The exact earliest date for the move in can be found in the rental agreement.
- summer semester
beginning of February (if you attend the German language winter school)
March 1
- winter semester
end of August (if you attend the German language summer school)
September 1
Please note: Should these dates happen to be on a weekend (Saturday and Sunday), alternative dates will be fixed since moving in can only be realised on weekdays (Monday to Friday) due to the working time of the caretakers.
In exceptional cases, it may happen that the rental period starts later or ends earlier. You will be informed via e-mail and with sending you the temporary rental agreement.
Tip: You should try to consider the above dates when making your travel arrangements. Should you not be able to arrive and to move in on these dates, please arrange an alternative date with the caretaker.
Please find the caretakers' contact details here.
Please consider the following points for the move in:
- Call your caretaker for the student residences latest three weeks before your arrival to confirm your date of arrival and to fix a date (time) for the move in. Your buddy can assist you, if necessary.
- You can only move in on weekdays from Monday to Friday. You cannot move in at the weekend since the caretakers are not working on these days.
- If you arrive at a weekend, you must book a room in a youth hostel or hotel for the first days until you can actually move into your residence room. We have composed a list of reasonably priced accommodation for you.
The International Faculty Offices (IFO) of all faculties will match the international visiting students with a buddy. The contact details of your buddy will be e-mailed to you by the IFO shortly before the semester starts. The buddy can support you in moving into your residence as follows:
- Call the caretaker to fix a date for the move in.
- Arrange an alternative appointment or search for other individual solutions if you cannot avoid arriving late in the evening or at the weekend.
- Help booking a room in a youth hostel or hotel until you can move into your residence.
- Accompany you when moving in, help communicating with the caretaker, translate and explain important regulations like the house rules.
Moreover, there are some student tutors in the residences of Studentenwerk Osnabrück who can be contacted to help you to get settled into your housing complex and in case of any problem in your flat-sharing community. In this case, please first get in touch with the housing service.
Do not forget to create a standing order for the monthly payment of your rent soon after arriving in Osnabrück.
EU-Students: You can use your home bank account (SEPA member) or open a free German bank account.
Non-EU-Students: You will have to open a bank account in Osnabrück.
All students have to place a standing order ("Dauerauftrag") so that the monthly payment of the rent is automatically transferred to the Hochschule's bank account. Make sure that the transferal occurs regularly and without delay otherwise, you risk running charges or, at worst, the cancellation of your rent agreement!
You can find a step-by-step guide on how to set up a standing order here (example).
In cooperation with a provider commissioned by the Hochschule Osnabrück/Studentenwerk Osnabrück, the Hochschule Osnabrück/Studentenwerk Osnabrück shall enable students to use an internet connection.
If you look for further information about the internet access or have questions, you need an answer for, have a lookInternet Access here.
Before you move out or change your accommodation, please carefully read and follow the instructions given by Hochschule Osnabrück in the Checklist for moving out and the contact details of the caretakers.
The deposit will be repaid if the last rental is paid and if the caretaker confirms that your room and also the commonly used areas like the kitchen and the bathroom are in a clean and proper condition at the time of your departure. Please note that, according to our experience, the repayment of the security deposit can be made only after up to 3 months.
Should need be for any repairs due to damage caused by you (in your room or in commonly used areas of your flat), for the replacement of keys or locks, for cleaning or the like, the deposit or part of it will NOT be refunded to you. Any outstanding (rental) amounts can be deducted from the deposit.
Please make an appointment with the caretaker for a room inspection 3 weeks before you will move out and give your bank details to the Housing Service via Mobility Online. An appointment with the caretaker is required, too, if you only want to change your accommodation. EU residents and Non-EU residents will get the deposit reimbursed by international bank transfer.
Should need be for any repairs due to damage caused by you (in your room or in commonly used areas of your flat), for the replacement of keys or locks, for cleaning or the like, parts of the deposit or the deposit as a whole will NOT be refunded to you. Any outstanding (rental) amounts can be deducted from the deposit.
Click here to find more information about the broadcast fees.
Contact
- Housing Service
Michaela Parise
Room: AB 0013
Phone: 0541 969-3228
E-Mail: housing@hs-osnabrueck.de
Office Hours:
Mo - Fr by appointment