FAQs
The program "Housing for Help" is an offer by the Studierendenwerk Freiburg to bring together students an citizens in Freiburg or the surrounding area into housing partnerships. The landlords (e.g. elderly people, families or employees) offer living space and have a certain need for help, the students are looking for affordable accommodation and are willing to support the landlords or landladies with minor assistance.
The contractual partners are the futur tenants and the landlord after a successful mediation of a housing partnership. The terms of agreement are agreed upon by the tenants at the beginning of the housing partnership. The Studierendenwerk is merely the mediator of the housing partnership.
To be included in the program, please contact Nicole Krauße, contact: wfh(at)swfr.de, 07612101-353.
If you are interested in the program, you can apply in person, but without obligation, using an application form. You will then be added to our file as an interested party and will receive access to our current housing offers. As soon as you have found an offer that is suitable for you, the Studierendenwerk will put you in contact with the landlord or landlady.
All students who are studying at a university in the university region of Freiburg that is supported by SWFR can participate as housing seekers. Since 2019, we also cooperate with the city of Freiburg, whereby non-student housing seekers can also participate in the program.
Seniors, single parents, families or other interested parties who have free living space available in Freiburg or the surrounding area and who would like support in everyday life or companionship can participate as housing providers.
The time it takes to find a suitable housing offer varies from case to case. It depends on whether the applicant finds a suitable offer and gets along with the potential landlord. In any case, enough time should be allowed for the landlord or landlady and the person looking for housing to get to know each other. At least one to two weeks should be planned, often it takes longer.
In the programm we always have available housing offers. Whether there are suitable offers at the right time depends on the students themselves and therefore cannot be answered generally. As a general rule, at the beginning of the winter semester it is more difficult for students to find accommodation than during the rest of the year.
The temporal scope of the desired assistance varies and is denpendend on the individual needs of the landlord. The type and scope of assistance is agreed upon at the beginning of a housing partnership between the landlord or landlady and the person seeking housing. In most cases, the assistance required is between approx. 10 and 40 hours per month.
The assistance serves to reduce the rent but not to pay it off completely. As a general rule, the larger and more comfortable the living space and the smaller the temporal scope of the assistance, the higher the rent. The respective details are agreed individually between the landlord and the person seeking housing before the start of a housing partnership.
Important for a good success of the housing partnership is the mutual sympathy and understanding of both parties and the comprehensive agreement of the conditions of the housing partnership. Therefore, students interested in a housing offer first get to know the landlord in person to ensure that the housing partnership runs well and harmonizes.
For more information, please contact
Nicole Krauße, Studierendenwerk Freiburg,
Basler Straße 2,
79100 Freiburg
Tel.: 0761/ 2101-353
Consultation hours: Tue. and Thurs. 9:00-12:00 AM by appointment only.