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Student residence in Saarbrücken – or your own apartment at RW63?
If you are coming to Saarbrücken to study, a student residence – a hall of residence or dormitory – is usually the first thing you look for. Places there are cheap, furnished and built around the semester rhythm. They are also scarce, and a shared kitchen or floor bathroom does not suit everyone. RW63 at Richard-Wagner-Straße 63 is the private alternative: 30 furnished apartments in the Nauwieser Viertel, each with its own bathroom and kitchenette. This page compares the two options honestly.
Hall of residence or private apartment – a fair comparison
Cheaper, but shared
Public halls of residence are the least expensive way to get a room in Saarbrücken, and no private landlord can match that. The price has a flip side: kitchen, bathroom or both are often shared with the floor, places are allocated by criteria and waiting time, and demand peaks at the start of the semester. If you apply early and are comfortable with shared facilities, a hall of residence is an excellent choice.
More expensive, but yours alone
At RW63 every unit is self-contained: your own bathroom with shower and toilet, your own kitchenette with hob, sink and fridge, your own living and sleeping area. Nobody queues for your shower in the morning. The only shared space is the one that makes sense to share – the laundry and drying room in the building. In exchange, the rent is above hall-of-residence level.
| Student residence (classic) | RW63 apartment | |
|---|---|---|
| Bathroom | often shared or per floor | private bathroom with shower and toilet |
| Kitchen | frequently a shared kitchen per floor or flat-share | your own fully equipped kitchenette |
| Utilities | handled differently from provider to provider | all-inclusive: electricity, water, heating and Wi-Fi are part of the rent |
| Allocation | application, criteria, sometimes waiting lists | online booking – whoever books gets the apartment |
| Viewing | usually needed or expected on site | not required, photos for every apartment |
| Term | varies, often tied to stages of study | per semester, minimum one semester |
| Location | often on the edge of campus | Nauwieser Viertel, in the middle of town |
| Price level | lower | higher – but nothing is shared |
What it looks like
What it costs
Electricity, water, heating and high-speed Wi-Fi are included – no utility contracts to sign in a foreign language, no meter readings, no annual settlement. Added once: a 95 € final cleaning fee and an 890 € deposit, which is returned when you move out. The duplex price is the same whether one or two people move in – shared, that is 497.50 € per person. Details on the Single Apartment and Duplex Apartment pages.
Book instead of apply
The second big difference is how you get the flat. There is no application procedure and no waiting list at RW63: you choose your semester and apartment, upload your details and a copy of your ID, sign the tenancy agreement digitally and pay by credit card. You have 72 hours to complete the booking. No viewing is needed – which is the point if you are an Erasmus or exchange student arranging your stay from abroad.
Move-in is at the start of the semester, on 1 April or 1 October, and the term runs for six months. If you want to stay, you extend semester by semester, so a single exchange semester never ties you to a full year. The procedure is described in the frequently asked questions.
Central, not on the edge of campus
Halls of residence often sit right next to campus – a short walk to the lecture, a longer one to everything else. RW63 is in the middle of the Nauwieser Viertel, the liveliest quarter of Saarbrücken. The bus stop with the shuttle bus to Saarland University and HTW is directly outside the door; the main station and St. Johanner Markt are a few minutes' walk away. It is roughly 15 minutes to the university and around 13 to HTW. More on the Location & Nauwieser Viertel page; to see the flats from the inside, look at the photo impressions and the apartment overview.
Frequently asked questions
Is RW63 a student residence or dormitory?
No. RW63 is a private apartment building for students at Richard-Wagner-Straße 63 in Saarbrücken. Every unit is a self-contained flat with its own bathroom and its own kitchenette – there is no shared kitchen and no floor bathroom. It is run by Walter Becker Holding GmbH, not by the Studierendenwerk (the public student services organisation).
Do I have to join a waiting list?
No. Booking is done entirely online: choose your semester, pick an apartment, upload your details and a copy of your ID, sign the tenancy agreement digitally and pay by credit card. Whoever books gets the apartment – there is no allocation by waiting time or social criteria.
Can I book from abroad without a viewing?
Yes. A viewing is not required, which matters if you are arriving as an exchange or Erasmus student. Photos are available for every apartment, the fittings are the same in all of them, and you receive your access information after signing and payment – so you can travel straight to a flat that is already yours.
What does an apartment at RW63 cost compared with a hall of residence?
Single apartments start at 645 € per month, a duplex apartment for two people is 995 € per month – all-inclusive, meaning electricity, water, heating and Wi-Fi are covered. A place in a public hall of residence is usually cheaper, but there you normally share a kitchen or a bathroom.
What is the minimum rental period?
One semester. Tenancies follow the German semester rhythm: you move in on 1 April or on 1 October and the term runs for six months. If you want to stay longer, you extend semester by semester – a single exchange semester does not tie you to a whole year.
Secure your apartment
Choose your semester, pick an apartment, done – online in a few minutes.
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