WG room prices explode: Students fight for affordable living space!

WG room prices explode: Students fight for affordable living space!

living in North Rhine-Westphalia is becoming increasingly difficult for students. The n-tv cover. The Situation is particularly tense in the university cities of Düsseldorf and Cologne. These two cities record the highest average prices for shared apartments in North Rhine-Westphalia with 590 euros in Düsseldorf and 583 euros in Cologne.

The average price for shared apartments is 493 euros throughout Germany, with Munich holding the top position with 800 euros. In North Rhine -Westphalia, however, there are also cities that are based on cheaper rental prices. Rooms in Bochum cost an average of 380 euros, 357 euros in Bielefeld and even 354 euros in Paderborn. Despite these cheaper alternatives, the BAföG residential flat rate of 380 euros is only in 23 out of 88 cities to cover the rental costs for an ordinary room.

growing rental prices

The housing costs have increased by around 4 euros compared to the previous winter semester and even around 14 euros in the summer semester. This price development concerns many students whose income often cannot keep up with the rising rental prices. It was recently found that only 14% of the students can raise the necessary financial means to live in the big cities, which often leads to a shift in the rental market.

The situation is not much better for BAföG recipients. The BAföG flat rate is paid to students at universities of applied sciences, universities and academies. This is currently 224 euros for students who have their own household, but also the flat rate for living for the parents, which has been 49 euros since 2011. Payments are no longer based on the actual rental amount, which is an enormous challenge for many. Especially since the winter semester 2022/2023, it has been shown that the BAföG share has risen to 360 euros for rent. However, this amount is not sufficient in 72 cities to cover rents.

The location on the housing market

The situation is tightened by the lack of available apartments and the long construction period of new dormitories. Even if the construction of dormitories is promoted, the process is lengthy and necessary rooms are still missing. The increasing need for living space in the large cities, which are often populated by students, leads to further tightening of the market.

The price development shows that the rental prices in the large university cities such as Munich and Berlin not only burden the students, but also heat the entire living situation in urban space. While the average warm rent for a shared apartment in Munich was 720 euros in the beginning of 2023, there are also cities such as Cologne and Hamburg that prices are continuously increasing. In Cologne, for example, the price was over 550 euros, while rental prices in Düsseldorf remained static at 515 euros, which means an increase of 3% compared to previous years, so Studis online .