How to get started
Moving into an apartment complex feels like taking the first steps. To ensure a successful start, you should introduce yourself to your new neighbours or roomies right at the beginning. A friendly word right after moving in is a good base for living together in a respectful and perhaps friendly atmosphere in the future.
The Residence Hall Council
In every dormitory there are tenants who make up the Residence Hall Council. These students explain to new flatmates everything they need to know about the halls of residence and give helpful tips for everyday student life. Regular activities are also offered, e.g. games meetings, table football or film evenings. The hall of residence council also represents the interests of the tenant community vis-à-vis the Studierendenwerk.
The caretakers
Each residence hall is looked after by at least one permanently assigned caretaker. On the day you move in, you will receive your flat keys from the caretaker. The caretaker will explain everything you need to know for a pleasant stay in your new home. You will receive the times for moving in and out when you sign the tenancy agreement. If you discover any damage in the flat later, please use the online damage report.
Move-in
Move-ins are only possible from the start of the contract and only on working days during the working hours of the caretakers. If your contract starts on a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday, move-in is only possible on the next working day. For details, please refer to your offer letter.
It is not possible to move within our residence halls (exceptions: a medical certificate, force majeure, for example water damage). If you have problems with your accommodation, please contact the Service Centre for Student Housing.
The kitchen equipment is not part of the furnishings. The kitchens are equipped by the residents themselves. Likewise, bed linen, towels, carpets, etc. must be brought by the residents themselves.
In the apartment complexes, the internet connection is already included in the rent and can be used around the clock. Telephone and TV connections are also available, but must be registered by the tenants themselves. You can find more information about internet, etc. here.
The provision of parking spaces in the housing complexes varies greatly. As a rule, you will find sufficient free parking space in the surrounding streets, if not in the car park of the housing complex. The parking spaces at the housing complexes are generally available to all tenants and visitors; there is no exclusive rental of individual parking spaces.
Make sure to write your address with the name of the street, housenumber and number of your room. Otherwise your mail cannot be delivered.
It is not possible to move within our residence halls (exceptions: a medical certificate, force majeure, for example water damage). If you have problems with your accommodation, please contact the Service Centre for Student Housing.
Living in the housing estate
If language skills are not yet sufficient to communicate within a residence hall or on campus, gestures and above all pictures can help. The German Student Union, in cooperation with the Studierendenwerk Bielefeld, has published the illustrated dictionary for this purpose. Printed copies can be ordered directly from the Service Centre for Intercultural Competence of the German Student Union.
If you want to vacate your room for a certain period of time for a semester abroad or an internship, you can sublet it with the permission of the Studierendenwerk. Here are the rules.
Washing machines and dryers are available for use in most apartment complexes and houses for a fee. Payment is usually made cashless via the common payment systems.
If possible, please do not dry the laundry in the flat, because the moisture that escapes supports the formation of mould. In any case, you should air the rooms well afterwards.
If you have forgotten or lost your key, please contact your caretaker directly or, outside of service hours, the locksmith, Pinger Sicherheitstechnik GmbH, telephone 0231-91456555. The costs of the operation must be borne by the party responsible!
The emergency service (HWS Wachdienst Hobeling GmbH - telephone 02331-47300) is NOT responsible in this case.
Each tenant or roomie must pay radio and television fees on their own. However, it is possible to apply for an exemption, for example if one of you receives BAföG.
The following applies to the Dortmund residential complexes: If you have problems with your Internet connection or with the TV and radio programmes, please contact Glasfaser Bochum GmbH & Co KG directly.
- Business hours: Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Internet hotline: 0234/45934583
- Hotline TV/Radio: 0234/45934584
Outside business hours and on Sundays and public holidays, faults can be reported by e-mail to support-do(at)edu-lan.de, stating the address and residence number.
Residents of the houses in Soest, Iserlohn and Hagen must find their own internet provider and thus contact the hotline of the respective provider in case of problems.
We provide notebooks to the tenants of our housing complexes on a loan basis free of charge. These are 15.6-inch notebooks with 16GB RAM and an Intel® Core™ i7 processor. The hard drive has a capacity of 1 terabyte - enough to store even the most extensive work. The notebooks are equipped with Windows 11 Home. Accessories include a case, the power supply unit and a Lenovo digital pen.
The number of notebooks is limited, so in case of a request, the principle "first come first served" applies. If you need a notebook, please send an e-mail in advance to wohnen(at)stwdo.de. The maximum loan period is two months.
The usage agreement can be downloaded as a sample here.
In case of damage, simply inform us via damage report.
In urgent cases, you can reach out during service hours via the respective mobile phone number, which is posted in the info box of your housing complex. If the damage is urgent and occurs outside of the caretaker's service hours, a security service is available on call: HWS Wachdienst Hobeling GmbH - telephone 02331-47300. Please note that the security service will only take action if you provide your first and last name, your telephone number and the address of the housing complex including room number.
Lost your key? Locked out?
If you have forgotten or lost your key, the emergency service is NOT responsible. In this case, please contact your caretaker directly, or outside of service hours, the key service, Pinger Sicherheitstechnik GmbH, telephone 0231-91456555. The cost of the service must be paid by yourself.
First of all: silverfish are not a health hazard. Nevertheless, you should act if the population increases. And silverfish do this continuously when they find optimal conditions - in other words: when important hygiene rules are not observed. Tenants are responsible for observing these rules. So what can you do?
- Ventilate, clean, pack food
Silverfish prefer damp and warm rooms. Therefore, air your rooms often enough and clean the floors regularly and thoroughly so that the animals do not find food here (dust, hair, bread crumbs, etc.). It is best to use a mixture of water and lemon or water and vinegar for cleaning. Seal the food properly. - Flush drains with hot water and close them
Since silverfish often enter the home through drains and also crawl there, it is recommended to flush them regularly with hot water and close them overnight if necessary.
If you want to actively combat silverfish, you can use home remedies such as homemade sticky traps or products from the trade.
The move out: Quit. Clean up. Bye!
Your studies are coming to an end or you have decided to change your accommodation? In this case, please note the following points.
Organisational matters
Dates & deadlines: The cancellation period of three months applies. This means that if you want to end the tenancy, for example, on 30 June, the (signed!) notice of termination must reach us by 31 March at the latest.
Obligation to deregister
If you move out of a student residence and do not move into a new flat in Germany, you are obliged to officially deregister with the registration office. Find out how to do this at the local authority responsible for your place of residence.
Deposit
When you sign the tenancy agreement, you pay a deposit. This deposit will be returned to your account without interest within six weeks after the end of the rental period. Please inform the Service Centre for Student Housing if you change your bank account.
Proper condition - what does this mean?
A few weeks before the end of your tenancy, a pre-inspection will be made. As soon as your tenancy agreement has expired, you must hand over the flat/room to the caretaker in orderly and contractual condition. At the final handover, the caretaker will check the condition of the room and the common areas. As a general rule, the rooms must be handed over as they were when you moved in. If the rooms need to be painted, the caretaker will provide the paint.
If you live in a guest flat and have received an equipment package from the Studierendenwerk, the items such as crockery, cutlery and bed linen must be handed over completely and cleaned.
If the items are not handed over in proper condition, the deposit will be cancelled or not refunded in full. A proper condition is achieved if you follow the to-do list below:
- Clean the floor (damp mop)
- Remove furniture and floor coverings you have brought in yourself
- Paint dirty walls (paint is available from the caretaker)
- Remove pictures, nails and screws from the walls and close the dowel holes.
- Remove all stickers
Room
- Clean windows, blinds, furniture and room door
- Wipe out bed drawers with a damp cloth, vacuum mattresses
Bathroom
- Thoroughly clean toilet, washbasin and shower
- Remove personal belongings (spray cans, tubes, etc.)
Kitchen
- Thoroughly clean hob, fridge and kitchen furniture
- Remove personal items (dishes, spices, food, etc.)
Move-out
Notice of termination must always be given in writing, i.e. with a legally valid signature. The date of receipt by the Studierendenwerk is decisive for compliance with the legal notice period of three months. This means that if you wish to terminate the tenancy, for example, on 30 June, we must receive the notice of termination by 31 March at the latest.
Please make an appointment with the caretaker of your housing complex one week before your desired move-out date. Then renovate and clear out your room or flat according to the to-do list by the agreed move-out date so that the handover can take place smoothly.
Notice of termination must always be given in writing, i.e. with a legally valid signature. The date of receipt by the Studierendenwerk is decisive for compliance with the legal notice period of three months. This means that if you wish to terminate the tenancy, for example, on 30 June, we must receive the notice of termination by 31 March at the latest.
Studierendenwerk Dortmund does not forward mail. Please submit a forwarding request to Deutsche Post as soon as possible.