If you are interested in studying in Germany, we are sure you have come across the scam stories in accommodation. Worry not! Although it can be challenging to secure housing as an international student in Germany, and there are some scams out there, with this blog you will learn how to avoid them!

Scams in Accommodation, where are they found?

The preferred platform for accommodation scams is typically wg-gesucht. This is simply because it is the most popular platform and there are hundreds if not thousands of active posts on this website, giving scammers some room to hide. Don’t get us wrong, this WG-Gesucht is an awesome resource for finding accommodation and accommodation scams can and do happen on all platforms, you should just be extra aware when looking through these offers. 

How to Identify a Scam?

1. Too Good to be True

If something looks too good to be true, it probably is! We know it probably feels great to think you found the hidden gem, but sorry to break it to you, you probably didn’t. For example: If someone posts they are offering an apartment in Hamburg, in a popular neighborhood, with 3 rooms a garden, and fully furnished for only 300 euros, it’s probably a scam.

2. Limited Photos

Sometimes the photos look a little “too” perfect. This could mean the scammers got the photos through other posts or they could be generated images. Make sure the photos look real.

3. The owner is out of town or lives abroad

Sure, this COULD be true but this is one of the main arguments we see from scammy landlords. They will say they live out of town and cannot show you the apartment and will ask you to send the deposit. They will create many reasons why they can’t take you to see the place. This also brings us to the next point.

4. They ask you to send a deposit before you have seen the apartment.

Never, never, never send a deposit without being absolutely sure you can trust the landlord and the accommodation is real. This means if you have not seen it and you are in the country. If you are still in your home country, tap one of your friends or seniors to help you out as they can check the apartment for you or they could be passing on an apartment someone else had.

5. They pressure you

A typical tactic for accommodation scams is putting time pressure on you. Since accommodation is a known issue in Germany, especially for students, fake landlords may tell you you must send the deposit within 12 hours or you will lose the room. Don’t fall for this!

How to avoid a Scam?

Now that you have an idea of how to identify a potential scam, let’s go over some tips on how to avoid them! Scammers are counting on international students to not know what they are getting into and look at them as vulnerable, but you will be prepared!

1. See the space before sending a deposit: As we mentioned, it is incredibly important to see the space before sending a deposit. This will help ensure the room is actually real, available, and the landlord is legit! If it is not possible for you to visit the apartment yourself, ask a friend or a senior in your future university and we are sure someone will be happy to help.
2. Cross-check the listing on different websites: If the listing is on every single website and has been on there for an extremely long time, most likely, it is a scam! Look around, search landlord on Google, and see what could possibly come up. When in doubt, ask other groups on WhatsApp or Facebook what they think.
3.  Think, is it too good to be true?: This one is pretty self-explanatory, take your time, take the excitement out of it, and think: is this too good to be true?
4.  Have a video call if visiting in person is not possible: If you are having doubts, ask the landlord to have a video call. This will scare off some scammers immediately and if they cannot reach you via video, walk away.
5. Connect with seniors in your university to get a better idea of realistic housing prices and options where you will be. 

We hope this blog doesn’t scare you but helps to make you feel more empowered when beginning the search for your accommodation in Germany! Remember, the majority of housing posts are NOT scams but still, do you really want to be in that small percentage? Use your network, ask questions, and be smart. We hope this was helpful! Want to learn more about finding accommodation in Germany? Check out our blog. 

For video content on accommodation in Germany, check out Coracle here.

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