Despite a few new places, the situation on the student housing market in Saxony is tense shortly before the start of the winter semester. In the university cities of Leipzig, Dresden and Chemnitz, the dormitories are almost completely full, and in many places students are on waiting lists. The situation is somewhat better in the branch offices such as Zittau and Zwickau. This was the result of a dpa survey among the responsible student unions.
Dresden: Still more than 1,000 cancellations per year
In Dresden, the pressure is consistently high, as a spokeswoman for the student union said upon request. “At the start of this winter semester we are again sending out over 1,000 rejections.” In Zittau and Görlitz the situation is somewhat more relaxed. No rejection has been sent out in Zittau, but the Vogtshof, the only dormitory in Görlitz, is at capacity.
In total, the Studentenwerk manages 38 dormitories in Dresden, Tharandt, Zittau and Görlitz with a total of 6,518 dormitory places. According to the information, there are currently many move-outs and move-ins taking place. There will be no waiting lists during the application phase. At the beginning of September there were almost 3,000 applications for Dresden, and 1,555 free rooms are available for the winter semester. “We recommend that everyone who does not receive a room now apply again in January,” emphasized the spokeswoman.
Rents range from 174 euros for an unrenovated room in a shared apartment (shared apartment) to 420 euros for a modern single apartment. Across all types of housing and locations, prices have risen by around 21 percent since 2016.
According to our own survey this summer among more than 3,500 students, a large proportion of students in Dresden are under extreme pressure. More than a fifth have a total monthly budget of a maximum of 600 euros, and a total of 70 percent have a maximum of 1,000 euros. More than half (56 percent) are worried about rising housing costs, and more than a quarter have to sacrifice other areas of life in order to be able to pay the rent.
The state government announced at the beginning of the year that 62 million euros would be invested to create or renovate new living space. “We actually feel something about it and are grateful for the support,” said Dresden. Renovation projects in Dresden have been and are being supported through the “Young Living” program with funds from the federal and state governments. “Thanks to the program, we are able to build a new dormitory for the first time since reunification.”
Leipzig: Many more applications than free places
The Leipzig Student Union will be looking after a total of 5,260 dormitory places for the coming winter semester. Of these, around 80 percent are single rooms in shared apartments and 20 percent are apartments. There are currently around 1,600 dormitory places available for re-letting. By the beginning of September, 2,900 applications had already been received, as a spokesman explained.
The average rent in the Studentenwerk dormitories across all types of housing is 310 euros, which includes furniture and additional costs except for the broadcasting fee. The range of rental prices for shared rooms is between 215 euros and 435 euros and for apartments between 295 euros and 520 euros.
It is said that the number of students in Leipzig has fallen slightly in recent semesters. However, since rental prices for shared rooms in Leipzig have risen significantly according to current market studies, there are bottlenecks in the affordable living space segment.
Since 2023, the Leipzig Student Union has also been receiving grants from the federal “Young Living” funding program for the modernization of the facilities. “Without this support, we would not be able to carry out the necessary renovations and modernizations of our student residences and at the same time keep rents at an affordable level,” emphasized the spokesman. In addition, negotiations are currently underway with the city of Leipzig and the Free State of Saxony about a suitable piece of land or building to expand capacity. As a short-term aid, the “RaumTeiler” program is intended to provide students with free rooms in private households.
Chemnitz: Significantly more applications than places
There is currently a high demand for dormitory places in Chemnitz, as a spokeswoman for the student union explained. In Zwickau the situation is a little more relaxed. At the beginning of the winter semester, there are 2,622 places available across all locations. These are currently 91 percent rented, with around 1,800 applications still pending.
The rents are between 235.50 euros and 430.50 euros; in April they were increased by 25 euros per month. This includes all additional costs such as heating, electricity, water, internet and TV connection as well as on-site caretaker service and leisure rooms. The Studentenwerk is currently not expecting any rent increases. Thanks to the “Young Living” funding program, two dormitories are currently being modernized.
