Subletting in Berlin (A Guide and Experience)

The beautiful city of Berlin at night.

Everyone has considered moving somewhere new and different, right? So why not Berlin? The rich cultural history mixed with the wide variety of nightlife and international food has got to be reason in itself. If you have an itch to travel and want to stay only temporarily in a big city but don't want to pay big city prices, subletting is right for you. I will give you my experience in subletting a place in Berlin.

First off, to sublet something means to rent or lease a place that is already rented or leased by another person. So basically you are just moving in temporarily with all the things furnished and up to date. This is the perfect way to travel from country to country if you are looking to take a trip across Europe.

First you may ask, where would I find such opportunities? Well for me, I checked the good ol' world wide web!! Amazing, right? To be specific, I used http://www.craigslist.com in the Berlin section.


I have highlighted the area in red in case you have trouble finding it.

So a couple of cautions before you start your search. There will be fake ads and fake responses. This is the norm. So you really have to know what to look for with a a fake response. Here is a small list of things that can tip you off that it is fake:

1. They require a deposit to secure the place before you have even been there. Never send anyone money ahead of time. They could have a fake address and fake pictures.
2. If the place looks incredibly nice for such a low low price, it is probably fake.
3. If the response is asking for a lot of personal information prior to seeing the place.
4. If a response is telling you that they have sooo many applicants they need any kind of money beforehand (no matter how small of an amount) so you can have the best chance at being chosen.


Be aware that some places are going to be great deals but I would look definitely take your time when choosing. Some of these things from the list have happened to me. It was a bit ridiculous because it just seemed like a joke to me. Although the responses or ads can seem very convincing at the time, people will go to great lengths to pull off a scam. So just keep that in the back of your mind when you are searching around for these places.

On the other hand, many people have great places for rent for a short term that are actually a very good deal. I was lucky to find a place for about 290euro a month with everything included and a free bike to use. This place was just on the outskirts of the urban city, the closer you get to the center, the higher price you will end up paying.

I basically was searching on this forum for about a week, exchanging emails with countless people, trying to see what was best for me. Always set up a meeting beforehand to check out the place and go over the details of the agreement. If they cannot show you around first, then I would steer clear, it means something is up with their place that they might not want you to know about. I'd advise you to make multiple viewings of places just so you get a feel for your options.

The best thing to do if you don't have a place when you get there is to rent a hostel for cheap and explore all of your options. Make sure each place you check out has the right amenities for you and what you are comfortable living with. Next once you have found a place, notify the renters and make sure that they will be drawing up a contract. I can not stress this enough, a contract is a MUST. A rental contract legally binds both parties upon the written agreement and is the only way to fly when subletting. Once you have a contract drawn up, make sure that you understand everything before signing blindly, this is another important aspect. You don't want to sign a contract saying that you'll pay 400 euros/month when you verbally agreed on 300 euros/month and so on.

Anyways getting to my experience, I was lucky enough to go about viewing a couple different places all over the city of Berlin. Some were in the center and some were farther out, but not too far. The people in the center seemed like very rushed people and always having something to do. This is a fine way to live because there is so much to do in Berlin. There was something off about the center though, there was a lot more graffiti over everything and a lot more hustle and bustle that might keep you up. This is all well and good but I prefer somewhere a little quieter. So that is why I chose to pick a place just on the outskirts of Berlin where I could still get to the city center in about 20 minutes or so by tram or bike. The outskirts of the city are full of natural parks and lakes that make for a great environment to relax while still being fairly close to all the happenings.

So pick your destination wisely because you may be in that contract for anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. That is also the leer of subletting, you can always make a short contract somewhere and then the next month change places to somewhere totally different. So if you feel like trying out both the center and the outskirts, you really have a good opportunity if you play your cards right. Just make sure to always let the renter know what your next move is, that way it is easier for both parties to accommodate.

Berlin has so many places to visit and buried treasures in niches you may never find, so really, if you find yourself begging to get out of your normal routine. Sublet a place in Berlin, meet some new people, make new friends, enjoy life from a different perspective. The possibilities are endless, it is ultimately up to you to decide how to live but try something new once in a while, you might enjoy it more than you think ;)



Once again I do not own any photos in this blog. Thanks for reading!