PRIVATE APARTMENT / RENTAL

You go out and rent your own flat or room. No supervision, no meals, no compulsory language practice — but complete freedom. Rented housing is the choice of those who already stand firmly on their own feet and don’t want to answer to anyone.

Who lives this way?
Mostly adult students aged 20 and over who have come for a long stay — six months or more. According to European figures, around 40–50% of international students at Bachelor’s and Master’s level rent flats or rooms. In Germany the figure reaches 70%, thanks to a chronic shortage of student dormitories; in Spain and Italy it is also more than half. In the United Kingdom and the USA the share is lower (20–30%), because universities actively provide on-campus housing, especially in the first year. On short language courses renting is almost unheard of — too much hassle with contracts and setting up.

What is daily life like?
There are several options. The first is a flat of your own (a studio or a 1–2 room apartment). The second is a room in a flat shared with other tenants (in Germany this is called a WG, Wohngemeinschaft). The third is short-stay apartments, but that is closer to a hotel. The flat has everything: kitchen, bathroom, toilet, washing machine, fridge and cooker. There is usually furniture too — a bed, a table, chairs and a wardrobe. The internet is either already connected or set up by you. Utilities (electricity, water, heating) are either included in the rent or paid separately. A rental contract runs for at least six months, more often a year. You pay a deposit, usually the equivalent of one to two months’ rent, returned when you move out if nothing is broken. In some countries (Germany, for example) it is hard to rent without a credit history or proof of income, and students are often helped by their parents or by special guarantee funds.

The pros. Complete freedom — do what you want and ask no one. You can live with friends or a partner, and there are no one else’s rules: eat when you want, sleep when you want, shower for hours. It often works out cheaper than a dormitory, especially if you share with two or three people. You choose the neighbourhood yourself — the centre or somewhere by a park. And, above all, you feel like a resident of the country rather than a guest.

The cons. Everything is on you. Finding a flat is stressful: you have to watch the listings, arrange viewings and compete with others. In big cities (London, Munich, Paris, Barcelona) finding housing at a reasonable price is a real quest. Contracts in a foreign language are easy to misread — you might miss a clause saying you can’t make noise after 22:00 or that you must pay for rubbish collection. Sometimes the deposit isn’t returned, with the landlord nitpicking over scratches on the wall. And the bills: if you don’t pay on time, the power gets cut off. There is no language practice either — if your flatmates are foreigners, you will speak a common language, and more often barely talk at all.

What is interesting in different countries.

• Germany. Here flats are often let without a kitchen. Seriously. A listing may say «EBK» (Einbauküche), which means a kitchen is included; if it isn’t, you will have to buy a cooker, a fridge, a sink and cupboards yourself, or come to an arrangement with the previous tenant. On the other hand, tenants are well protected by law: eviction is almost impossible, and rent can be raised no more than once a year and by no more than 15–20%. The most popular format is the WG (Wohngemeinschaft): several people rent a large flat, each with their own room, sharing the kitchen and bathroom. Flatmates are found through apps like WG-Gesucht.
• United Kingdom. Short lets (a couple of months) are common here, but students usually rent for 9–12 months to match the academic year. The deposit must be placed in a government protection scheme (DPS), so the landlord can’t pocket it. London prices are eye-watering: even a room in a remote area can cost £800–1000. But sites like SpareRoom let you find a room without an agent. In old houses the soundproofing and damp are dreadful, so be ready for mould on the walls.
• France. Students are helped by state housing subsidies (CAF) — you can claw back up to 200–300 euros a month off the rent, though the paperwork fills a whole folder. Flats are small, especially in Paris, where a studio of 15–20 sq m is considered normal. On moving in, an inventory is drawn up with photos of every scratch — otherwise you may not get your deposit back when you leave. Listings for «colocation», shared renting with other students, are popular.
• Spain. Short lets from a month are easy to find, especially in tourist cities, but prices in Barcelona and Madrid bite. Many flats have no central heating, so in winter you switch on a heater or wear a jumper. There is almost always a balcony or an inner courtyard, though. Contracts are often informal («en negro»), without registration — cheaper, but if something goes wrong you have no protection.
• USA and Canada. A one-year lease is the standard. Without a credit history it is almost impossible to rent — students often need a guarantor (a parent) or pay six months upfront. But the choice is huge, from studios to multi-room apartments. American flats are usually larger than European ones, with air conditioning and a rubbish chute. In Canada the heating has to work properly in winter — that’s the law.

Who is it right for?
Adult, independent students aged 20 and over who have come for a long stay (six months or more). Those who value their privacy and don’t want to answer to anyone. Those ready to deal with contracts, bills and the search for housing. It is not right for children and teenagers (dangerous and difficult), nor for short courses (uneconomical and troublesome). It is also not right for those who easily get lost in bureaucracy or speak the local language poorly — you can land yourself in trouble.

A non-obvious fact. A rented apartment is not always more expensive than a dormitory. In big cities, where demand for dormitory places is enormous, private flats can even be cheaper if you share with a friend or find a room in a multi-room flat. In Berlin or Barcelona, for example, a room in a WG often costs the same as a place in a CROUS dormitory or a Wohnheim, but you get more space and freedom. And one more thing: students who rent tend to settle into a new country faster, because they have to handle real everyday tasks in the local language, from calling a plumber to talking to the building manager.