BIMM BERLIN ACCOMMODATION GUIDE WHERE TO LIVE EUROPE’S PUBLIC TRANSPORT MOST CONNECTED TYPES OF LETTING MUSIC COLLEGE MANAGING FINANCES 2017/18 BIMM-INSTITUTE.DE CONTENTS WHERE SHOULD I BE LOOKING? 3 CONTACT THE ACCOMMODATION TEAM PUBLIC TRANSPORT 4 Accommodation advice is offered by PUBLIC TRANSPORT MAP 6 the Student Support Team. While we don’t provide housing for students directly, we’re HOUSE HUNTING 7 here to help and advise along the way. PRIVATE LETTINGS 8 If you need to send anything to the Student Support Team, please send it to: LETTING AGENCIES 10 BIMM Berlin Warschauer Straße 70a SEARCHING FOR A FLAT 11 10243 Berlin, Germany HOUSE VIEWINGS 12 If you find you have questions about your finances that aren’t answered in this guide, WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 13 then please contact the Student Support Team: Tel: 0800 664 7529 Email: [email protected] BIMM Berlin Accommodation Guide 2016/17 WHERE SHOULD I BE LOOKING? BIMM Berlin’s address is: that you’ll need to take into consideration Warschauer Str. 70A the cost of travelling, and the time it will take 10243 Berlin to get into BIMM Berlin, when making any accommodation decisions. The college’s nearest U-Bahn station is Warschauer Str on the U1, closest stop 5 min We recommend the following areas, some walk. The S-Bahn lines S3, S5, S7 and S75 from of which are within walking distance of Alexander Platz. BIMM Berlin or a short commute: The M10 and M13 trams stop very close to the • Friedrichshain college, which is also served by the 240 and • Kreuzberg N40 bus routes. Parking is very limited within • Fennpfuhl the area. • Lichtenberg We expect many of our new students to live • Mitte within a short distance of the college. You may • Prenzlauer Berg wish to consider living slightly further away • Neukölln and commuting into Friedrichshain, especially • Treptow if you’re already settled in Berlin. Remember Nahverkehr: PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVING BIMM BERLIN Public transport throughout Berlin is both inexpensive and reliable, with a combination of buses, trams, underground and suburban trains serving the metropolitan area. The city is also extremely bicycle-friendly, with dedicated cycle paths and plenty of secure storage. We strongly recommend that you apply for a student discount ticket. You can apply for these at the ticket offices in the S Bahn stations and you will need your student ID card before you are able to apply. Please call BVG on +49 030 1944 9 for more information. FRIEDRICHSHAIN KREUZBERG LICHTENBERG AND FENNPFUHL BUS ROUTE: BUS ROUTE: TRAM ROUTE: 248 (towards Berlin N1 (towards Berlin M13 (towards Berlin Warschauer Str.) Warschauer Str.) Warschauer Str.) 347 (towards Berlin M21 (Niederbarnimstraße Warschauer Str.) U-BAHN: stop, towards N1 (towards Berlin U1 (towards Warschauer Schoneweide) Warschauer Str.) Str.) U8 (change at Kottbusser U-BAHN: TRAM ROUTE: Tor to the U1 towards U5 (Frankfurter Tor stop, M10 (towards Berlin Warschauer Str.) towards Alexanderplatz) Warschauer Str.) M13 (towards Berlin S-BAHN: Warschauer Str.) S5, S7 and S75 (towards M21 (Niederbarnimstraße Alexanderplatz) stop) U-BAHN: U5 (Frankfurter Tor stop) U1 (Warschauer Str. stop) Continued... PUBLIC TRANSPORT SERVING BIMM BERLIN MITTE PRENZLAUER NEUKÖLLN BERG TRAM ROUTE: U-BAHN: M10 (towards Berlin TRAM ROUTE: U8 (change at Kottbusser Warschauer Str.) M10 (towards Berlin Tor to the U1 towards M5, M6, M8 (change Warschauer Str.) Warschauer Str.) at Landsberger Allee/ Petersburger Str. to U-BAHN: S-BAHN: the M10 towards Berlin U2 (change at S1, S42 (change at Berlin Warschauer Str.) Alexanderplatz to the Ostkreuz to the S5/S7 U5 until Frankfurter Tor until Berlin Warschauer U-BAHN: stop) Str.) U5 (Frankfurter Tor stop, towards Hönow) S-BAHN: S8, S9, S41, S42, S46, S-BAHN: S85 (change at Berlin TREPTOW S5, S7 and S75 (towards Ostkreuz to the S5/S7 Berlin Warschauer Str.) until Berlin Warschauer S-BAHN: Str.) S8, S9, S41, S42, S46, S85 (change at Berlin Ostkreuz to the S5/S7 until Berlin Warschauer Str.) U-bahn routes: PUBLIC TRANSPORT PRENZLAUER BERG FENNPFUHL U2 MITTE FRIEDRICHSHAIN ALEXANDERPLATZ S-BAHN FRANKFURTER TOR U5 NIEDERBARNIMSTR. (TRAM) S3 U8 BIMM BERLIN WARSCHAUER STR. LICHTENBERG U1 KOTTBUSSER TOR KREUZBERG TREPTOW U8 NEUKÖLLN Map showing S-BAHN and U-Bahn routes to BIMM Berlin from nearby areas. Major stations and stations near to BIMM are shown. Tram & bus routes are not shown. HOUSE HUNTING “ Finding accommodation in Berlin can be competitive, so make sure that you have all your documents ready and are prepared to spend a good amount of time looking for a flat share or apartment to avoid disappointment. There are also some important aspects to understand before you embark upon the excitement of hunting down your digs. HOW MUCH CAN I EXPECT TO SPEND? The amount you’ll pay very much depends upon the type of accommodation you choose – for example, the privacy of a one-bedroom apartment will cost considerably more than a three-bedroom flatshare. As with all cities, where you live will affect the price: opting for lodgings right next to a U-Bahn line in the centre of a key nightlife district will take more from your wallet each month than somewhere a little further out. The following sections give some indication of the rough prices you should expect to pay across the different options – although there remains a lot of flexibility at each level. PRIVATE LETTINGS Please familiarise yourself with are the three sometimes the case that the landlord might different kinds of rental: mieten means not know you’re living there. Technically, this to rent or to let, and refers to a direct is not allowed and the landlord can end the contract between you and a landlord, while lease without prior notice. Make sure you untermieten means to sub-let – renting a have this cleared beforehand and that there room from someone who themselves has is official confirmation for a sublease from the a contract with the landlord. A WG, or owners of the place (plus, you won’t be able wohngemeinschaft, is a flat share, in which a to register yourself in Berlin if you don’t have group of people will come together to rent a written consent). property on equal terms. Perhaps the best option for students is the The first option is the safest, as under wohngemeinschaft, where you would share German law anyone signing a tenancy a property with others, taking on equal agreement automatically gains the responsibility and splitting costs between you. protection of strong rights that prevent These are very common within Berlin, and while eviction, exploitation, etc. However, taking some care is needed to ensure that you don’t on a tenancy will likely be considerably end up living with people that you can’t get more expensive than the other options along with, they can be a fun and affordable covered here, and bestows a number of option. The European accommodation portal responsibilities upon you as a tenant – there WG-Gesucht.de is a great free place to look for are a fair number of checks to be passed these, and local newspapers and community as well (see the What You Need To Know freesheets regularly advertise apartments and section for more information here). Mieten rooms. Alternatively, you could sign up with contracts tend to be for longer periods of one of the mitwohnzentralen – accommodation time, so may not suit a student lifestyle. agencies that specialise in filling rooms across the city, or even join and message the BIMM Much more flexible are untermieten Berlin Student facebook group here to find agreements, which are often more informal others heading to the city who are looking for in nature and shorter in length, and frequently people to share with. You can also search for negotiable in terms of cost. However, other public groups to ask about flatshares etc, you have considerably fewer rights – it is such as Toytown Berlin. PRIVATE LETTINGS The table below gives a breakdown of typical fees per month within Berlin’s private rental sector: AREA TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION PRICE RANGE (PER MONTH) Kreuzberg Flatshare (1 room) €350-€750 Furnished 1 room apartment €540-€650 Furnished 2 room apartment €750-€900 Furnished 3 room apartment €1,000-€2,000 Friedrichshain Furnished 1 room apartment €350-€800 Furnished 2 room apartment €850-€950 Furnished 3 room apartment €1,200-€1,300 Lichtenberg Furnished 1 room apartment €450-€850 Furnished 2 room apartment €740-€1,000 Furnished 3 room apartment €1,000-€2,000 Mitte Furnished 1 room apartment €500-€700 Furnished 2 room apartment €900-€1500 Furnished 3 room apartment €1,100-€2,000 Neukölln Furnished 1 room apartment €650-€700 Furnished 2 room apartment €750-€850 Furnished 3 room apartment €1,000-€1,300 Prenzlauer Berg Furnished 1 room apartment €700-€850 Furnished 2 room apartment €850-€1,400 Furnished 3 room apartment €900-€1,500 Treptow Furnished 1 room apartment From €550 Furnished 2 room apartment From €750 LETTING AGENCIES Please be aware that the agents listed below – Drawing up contracts/administration charges have not been visited or vetted in any way – Reference fees by BIMM Berlin and you should therefore use – Inventory fees them at your own risk. Also be aware that letting agents may have additional fees for: Always ask what charges you’ll have to pay before you enter into an agreement with them. AGENT WEBSITE TELEPHONE NUMBER Student specific listings Easy Living easy-living4u.de +49 (0) 30 25 441 333 Uniplaces* uniplaces.com/accommodation/berlin +49 (0) 30 568373072 * You can also email [email protected]. There is 25% discount on the service fee if you use the code DEBIMM1625 online.