How students live in Germany

A new semester has begun in Germany and the student residences are bursting at the seams. That's forced students to get creative when it comes to a place to stay. Munich and Frankfurt are the most expensive cities for students: A room in the Bavarian capital costs an average of 493 euros ($675) per month, in Frankfurt about 421 euros ($575).

Around 27 percent of all students still live with their parents. This doesn't only save costs, but is also convenient: The laundry is washed and the refrigerator stocked. But the comfort comes with a price: At home with mom and dad you are still their child and often have to follow their rules.

Freshmen often despair when they get a place in a university city like Munich, Cologne or Frankfurt. Finding an affordable place to stay there seems to be almost as difficult as winning the lottery. Therefore, many young people are literally "homeless" at the beginning of the semester. Sometimes the only option is a makeshift dormitory in the campus gym.

Only about 12 percent of all students in Germany get a room in the university dorm. In more recent dorms, the rooms must have 17 square meters, but in older buildings you have less space. Single apartments are scarce, usually three or four students live together. The average rent in Cologne is about 230 euros a month.

Residential containers for students existed back in the 1980s, when the situation on the housing market was similarly tight. They were once thought of as an emergency shelter and transitional solution. The rooms are 15 to 17 square meters. At the moment the containers are not being used in Munich, but given the shortage of housing they might find new residents soon.

This is what you call innovative living: The "o2 Village" is a residential student settlement in Munich and consists of seven cubes. At 6.8 square meters, the floor area is less than the officially prescribed minimum size for a nursery. Nevertheless, the containers can be used as a washroom, kitchen, living room and a bunk. The monthly rent of 150 euros is relatively cheap.

Dormitories do not always have to be concrete blocks or uniform buildings. In 1983 the student union in Göttingen renovated this old half-timbered house with relatively low costs. In the picture, the first residents are looking forward to moving in. The picturesque house is still very popular with students who study in the city.

Serbian student Tijana got a place in an old residence in barracks style in Bonn. She can merely call 10 square meter her own. There are shared bathrooms and toilets. The kitchens are also shared by the residents, so the students have to cook in turns. There is a special student service for newcomers from abroad, which the students can contact for all needs and concerns.

Sarah sublets from pensioner Klara Fürst. The deal is simple: Sarah gets a room and in return she helps with keeping up the household and garden, washes the dishes or shops for groceries. "Living for Help"-offices nationwide have been bringing students and seniors together since 1992.

When old factories, hospitals and schools are empty, the owners fear that the buildings will be vandalized. Since 2010, students can therefore apply as a watchman. There is no lack of space, but the students have to report damages and keep strangers away from the building. And there are also strict rules: no cigarettes, no pets and no parties of more than ten people.

Since 2012, 27 students from eight nations have lived in an empty monastery in Ulm. For foreigners who cannot afford the rent, the church offers 10 rent-free rooms. A downside is that the rental contracts are limited as the church has not yet decided what will become of the former monastery in the future.

A few screws here and a bit of hammering there - and the new apartment is ready? This computer graphic shows a vision of future living by the company Inter Ikea, a sister company of the Swedish furniture giant Ikea. There are also plans to build such student dorms in Germany, but that is still in the future.