Limited funds, plenty of competition, tight deadlines and no prior experience with tenancy agreements: for many young people, admission to a degree course marks the start of the often challenging search for their first flat. With the new website www.wohnen-oldenburg.de, the General Students’ Committee (AStA) at the University of Oldenburg offers a platform that supports students in this process whilst protecting them from fraudulent offers. This is because the site lists only available accommodation offered through selected partners in the housing sector.
“The housing shortage affecting students is, of course, also a concern for us as a university – not just when the problem is particularly acute at the start of the winter semester. That is why we have been working with the AStA and representatives of the local housing sector to find solutions. The result is the AStA’s new platform, which we very much welcome,” says Prof. Dr Andrea Strübind, Vice-President for Studies and Teaching.
At www.wohnen-oldenburg.de, students looking for accommodation will initially find suitable listings from the housing association GSG OLDENBURG and from Meyerdierks Immobilien, both of which, as co-initiators, have also contributed to the development of the new platform. Further reputable providers are set to follow. Appropriate interfaces will ensure that the respective housing stock is also listed on the new platform.
“Students can therefore be sure that the accommodation on offer actually exists,” says Katharina Corleis, who advises students on housing matters at the AStA. This is by no means a given. For instance, there have been cases where bogus landlords have taken advance payments from students – for flats that did not actually exist. “Anyone under a lot of pressure whilst looking for accommodation is more susceptible to fraudulent offers,” explains Corleis. Together with Sören Rempel from the AStA, who is responsible for the technical side of the project, she helped develop the website. As well as the listings, the site also contains a wealth of information on all the key rights and obligations of tenants.
The housing markets in university towns are generally considered to be very tight. According to Corleis, first-year students and newcomers without a support network, international students – for example, those without a SCHUFA credit report or a guarantor – and students on low or unstable incomes find it particularly difficult. Added to this are structural disadvantages – for example, faced by people from migrant backgrounds or students with children.
