Finding a Flatshare in Europe: Where to Search and Flatshare Etiquette Once You Move In
By Muntasir • Published Jul 12, 2026 • Updated Aug 08, 2026 • Student Life, Study in Europe, Student Housing
Search WG-Gesucht in Germany and Austria, Kamernet in the Netherlands, La Carte des Colocs in France, and SpareRoom in the UK and Ireland to find a flatshare. Once you move in, split chores with a rota, pay your share of bills on time, and ask before you bring an overnight guest.
🏠 WG-Gesucht and Kamernet both need a completed profile before you message anyone
Germany runs a group interview called a WG-Casting, so treat viewings like a short interview
Split shared costs (internet, cleaning supplies, communal food) with an app like Splitwise or Tricount
⏱️ Reply fast. Popular listings in student cities get dozens of messages within hours
Read the house rules on chores, quiet hours, and guests before you agree to move in
Where to search for a flatshare, country by country
Flatshare platforms differ by country, and using the right one saves you weeks of scrolling through the wrong listings. Start with the site local students already use, not a generic listings site aimed at tourists.
| Country | Main platform | What it is known for |
|---|---|---|
| Germany, Austria | WG-Gesucht | The default site for WG (shared flat) listings, including room-only ads |
| Netherlands | Kamernet | Rooms and studios, strong coverage in university cities |
| France | La Carte des Colocs | Map-based colocation search across French cities |
| UK, Ireland | SpareRoom | Room ads from existing tenants and landlords, filter by household type |
Facebook groups still work too. Search "[city] student housing" or "[city] flatshare" and check the group is active, with recent posts, before you trust listings there.
How the big platforms work
Most flatshare sites ask you to build a profile before you contact anyone. Add a real photo, your study program, move-in date, and budget. Listings with a completed profile get more replies from landlords and flatmates who want to see who they are talking to first.
Some platforms lock full contact details or unlimited messaging behind a paid membership. Free accounts on WG-Gesucht and SpareRoom browse and reply to a limited number of ads, and both sell a paid tier for unlimited contact. Decide early whether speed or a free search matters more to you.
The German WG-Casting
In Germany, many shared flats run a WG-Casting. Current flatmates invite a few candidates to visit together or across a single evening, ask questions as a group, and vote on who moves in. Show up on time, bring a few questions about bills and chores, and treat it as a short interview, not just a viewing.
Vetting a flatshare before you commit
Request a video call if you cannot view in person, and ask for a walk through every room, not just the one you would rent.
Confirm what the rent includes (internet, utilities, cleaning service) and what you pay separately.
In Germany, confirm whether the flat lets you register at that address (Anmeldung). Some sublets and short-term rooms do not allow this, and you need a registered address for your residence permit and bank account.
Read the notice period in your contract before you sign, not after.
Flatshare etiquette once you move in
Shared housing runs on a few unwritten rules across Europe. Agree on them in the first week, ideally in writing in a group chat, so nobody has to guess later.
Set a chores rota for the kitchen and bathroom, and stick to it. A rota beats "whoever feels like it" every time.
Label your food in the fridge, and ask before you use someone else's supplies.
Agree on quiet hours, especially before exams. Ten or eleven at night on weekdays is a common standard in shared flats.
Ask before you invite an overnight guest, and talk to your flatmates before a partner moves in for an extended stay.
Split shared costs (internet, cleaning supplies, communal items) with an app like Splitwise or Tricount, and settle up monthly.
Pay your share of bills on the day they are due. Late payments cause more flatshare conflict than almost anything else.
Handling conflict
Address problems directly and early, in a house meeting rather than passive-aggressive notes. If a conflict does not resolve, your university's international office or student union often points you to mediation services or explains your rights as a tenant. Check your contract's notice period before you threaten to move out, since leaving early without notice puts your deposit at risk.
Costs beyond the rent
Budget for more than the monthly rent figure on a listing. Some platforms charge a membership or contact fee, some countries add an agency fee (frais d'agence in France) on top of your first month, and most shared flats ask new flatmates to cover a share of household basics like cleaning supplies or a starter pack of kitchen items when they move in. Ask what is a one-off cost and what repeats every month before you agree to move in, so your budget matches reality from week one.
Red flags when searching
A listing with no photos of the actual room, or photos that look copied from a professional real estate site rather than a shared flat.
A landlord or flatmate who asks you to pay a deposit or first month's rent before any viewing, in person or by video.
A price well below similar rooms in the same neighborhood, with no clear explanation.
Pressure to decide within hours, especially combined with a request to pay before you see the room.
A landlord or agent who refuses a video call and offers only text photos when you cannot view the room in person.
Trust your first impression of a listing. If something about the photos, the price, or the urgency feels off, search for the same photos elsewhere online before you reply, and move on to the next listing if anything does not add up.