Temporary Housing in Germany: Settle in first - then find a long-term home

By: Simon Heinrich – Last updated: 02/2026 

For many people, temporary housing is the fastest way to become fully operational when moving to Germany: you have a roof over your head, a clear time frame, and you can look for a long-term place without constant pressure.

For the full overview of apartment hunting, rent, deposits, utilities, and documents, see: Housing in Germany – apartment hunting, rent and deposit.

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Quick routing: How to find a place fast

  • Flexible about where to live? Start in a city/region with a more relaxed rental market — you’ll get viewings faster and usually pay much less.
  • Do you have access through your network/university/employer (room leads, dorms, company housing)? Use that first — it’s often the fastest and cheapest route.
  • Nothing works quickly enough? Choose a furnished short-term option (sublet/platform/serviced apartment) so you can start without stress.

The most important criterion: Can you register your address (Anmeldung)?

In Germany, you’re generally expected to register your address with the local registration office within two weeks of moving in. For most rentals, you’ll need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung – a short “landlord confirmation” document provided by the landlord or accommodation provider.​

What this means for your start:
Prioritise places that clearly allow Anmeldung, or where the provider will give you a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung. You can bridge the first weeks without it, but many next steps become unnecessarily complicated.

Step 1: If you’re location-flexible - use the housing market to your advantage

If you can still choose your city, you have a huge lever: in places with a less competitive rental market, you’ll often get appointments faster, see more apartments, and pay significantly less — while day-to-day life in Germany works pretty reliably everywhere (public transport, offices, supermarkets, basic infrastructure).

A practical approach:

  • Set three criteria: maximum all-in rent, maximum commute time, and must-haves (e.g., “quiet”, “furnished”, “near the train station”).
  • Create a shortlist of 5–10 cities/regions that fit your job/study/plans.
  • Secure temporary housing for 4–8 weeks first, then decide long-term based on real experience on the ground.

Even if you’re flexible, “start temporary first” can still be smart: you’ll learn neighbourhoods, commute routes, and what your everyday life actually looks like before committing.

Step 2: Use your network, university, and employer first

Before you book expensive short-term options, check whether you can get a faster and cheaper solution through your environment:

  • Colleagues & personal network: Ask actively about available rooms, people looking for a replacement tenant, internal groups, or “a friend of a friend”. Many places never make it onto big platforms – they’re passed on through recommendations.
  • Employer: Some companies support you at the beginning (e.g., contacts, temporary housing, internal lists). Ask early – ideally even before you sign your contract.
  • University/language course: The International Office, programme coordinators, and dorm/student services are often the best entry points for affordable rooms.
  • Apprenticeships (Azubi/training): It’s also worth asking about dorm-style rooms, company housing, or regional options – budgets and start dates are often tight.

The goal of this step: a room or short-term setup that’s affordable and, ideally, allows Anmeldung.

Step 3: Furnished short-term options

If steps 1 and 2 don’t work fast enough, furnished short-term options are the reliable backup. They aren’t always the cheapest – but they’re often the least stressful, because you can settle in first without immediately managing furniture, kitchens, and household setup.

Option 3A: Shared flats (WG), sublets, and interim rentals

This is often the best compromise between price and speed – especially if you’re moving alone.

What to check:

  • Anmeldung / Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: Clarify explicitly in advance.
  • Length of stay & extension: Does it match your plan (e.g., 1–3 months)?
  • Cost clarity: All-in rent, deposit, utilities, internet included yes/no.
Find a shared appartment/sublet

Option 3B: Platforms for furnished rooms/apartments

If you can’t do in-person viewings and want a furnished short-term solution, platforms with clear processes and secure payment / payment-hold mechanisms are often a safer starting point.

  • HousingAnywhere – useful if you want a structured process and want to see in the listing whether Anmeldung is possible; the first payment is typically held and only released to the landlord after you move in (48-hour window to report issues).
  • Spacest – also uses a “funds are held and released after move-in” model (48-hour window), which can help reduce risk when booking remotely.​
  • Spotahome – can work for furnished short-term stays; read the conditions carefully and clarify Anmeldung in writing before booking.

Important: no matter which platform you use, clarify “Anmeldung possible” and whether you’ll receive a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung before you book.

Option 3C: Serviced apartments - an easy start with minimal admin

Serviced apartments are often the most expensive short-term solution, but also the most predictable: furnished, professional providers, clear rules. This can be a good fit if you have a fixed job start date and your first weeks simply need to “run smoothly”.

What to check:

  • Anmeldung / Wohnungsgeberbestätigung: Clarify before booking.
  • Minimum stay & cancellation: Does it fit your timeline?
  • Extra fees: Cleaning, utilities, add-ons (so you can compare fairly).

Unfortunately, there isn’t one single nationwide provider that covers all of Germany. The simplest approach is to google your city plus “serviced apartments” –  for example, “Serviced Apartments Munich”.

Emergency option: Short-term stay without Anmeldung

Sometimes the only thing you can find quickly is a place that doesn’t allow Anmeldung. That can work as a short bridge – but plan the switch actively, because address registration matters for many next steps, and you usually need a Wohnungsgeberbestätigung for it.

Your next step: Finding a long-term apartment

Once you’re temporarily settled, you can switch to “long-term mode” in a structured way: documents, search strategy, viewings, rental contract, and typical mistakes. The key is to use your temporary phase actively instead of just waiting – that alone can significantly improve your chances. Block fixed time slots each week for searching, keep all documents in one PDF, and stay realistic about your requirements until you truly understand the local market. And if your current place doesn’t allow Anmeldung, prioritise moving to a registration-friendly address so the next bureaucracy steps don’t get stuck.