Rental market cycles in Germany, specifically Freiburg

    Hi, I'm looking for background information on the ebb and flow of the rental market in a city like Freiburg (well, Freiburg specifically, if possible). Are there times of year when more apartments are available for rent, times when there are fewer? I assume there is. I live in the USA, and urban rental markets tend to follow the school year calendar for children since families try to plan a move so that their kids can start a school year in the new location, rather than move mid-year. Are there patterns like that in Germany? My wife and I (and our cat) aim to arrive in Freiburg in August, and I'm trying to figure out when I should be seriously looking for an apartment to rent for the year. Thanks for any tips or advice!         -@BillinFreiburg

Of course in University cities like Freiberg there is an uptick in rooms available at the end/start of a semester. But don’t count on it being anything significant for apartments. Most students tend to have either cheap university housing or more likely to have a room in a shared apartment with other students. Thus rooms and not whole apartments tend to have a higher turnover. One should always ask their intended employer (the University?)  if they can offer any assistance in locating a place.

This might be a challenge, especially in a popular university town like Freiburg, with a serious housing shortage. If your school doesn't provide a place to stay (which would be a perfect solution), here some general hints:

• Plan several weeks (or months if you are picky) for your housing search,during which you scour all available ads sites (or engage a real estate agent - for a fee of typically over months rent), apply for all suitable places and attend as many viewings as possible (with numerous others).
• With the minimum termination notice period for rental contracts being three months, most apartments are advertised - and the better ones quickly taken - soon after the previous tenant submits his/her termination (or is terminated). You cannot expect to find a place and move in soon afterwards!
• German landlords (80% of whom private owners of one or few apartments) are generally conservative and risk-avoiding in tenant selection - and they are likely to be able to choose between many applicants. That means you must introduce yourself in person (during the viewing), provide lots of personal information (like job contract terms, income, etc.) and accept that being a foreigner with a limited length of stay is a clear disadvantage.
• Furnished places are rare and usually prohibitively expensive. So bring your own household goods, or consider buying cheap stuff for the year (e.g. from Ikea) and give it away afterawrds.

Good luck - you'll need that, too!

@TominStuttgart Thank you for the information, Tom!

@beppi Thanks for all this detailed information, Beppi. It's really helpful.

In Germany, as in other countries, there is some seasonality in the rental housing market. In cities, especially university towns, rental demand may increase before the start of the academic year in September, when students and teachers look for housing. However, Freiburg is also attractive to tourists and may have seasonal demand during the summer months. It's important to start your home search early, preferably several months before your planned move, so you have more options to choose from.

@NicholasTerry

I would still view the property first before signing anything or handing over any money. There are plenty of scams out there.

@NicholasTerry Thank you!

@SimCityAT Wise counsel!