Finding an Apartment in Stuttgart (As Foreigners from North America)

When we moved to Stuttgart for work, we thought the hardest part would be shipping our belongings from Novi, Michigan across the Atlantic. We were wrong. The real challenge began once we started finding an apartment in Stuttgart.

Our plan was simple: spend three months in a short-term furnished apartment in Möhringen (thanks to a quick find on Immobilienscout24), and use that time for apartment hunting in Stuttgart until we found our permanent “home away from home.” By the time our furniture arrived, we’d be moving into a bright, spacious apartment that checked all our boxes.

That was the plan.

Expectation vs. Reality

Coming from North America, we figured the process would be straightforward: filter for the features we wanted, shortlist a few promising places, schedule viewings, sign the lease. Done.

Within weeks, we learned Stuttgart’s rental market had its own rules — and that we didn’t know any of them. Landlords weren’t returning our messages. Calls in English went unanswered. Even messages sent in German (with the help of Google Translate) disappeared into the void.

And when we did get viewings? The system felt less like apartment hunting and more like auditioning for a high-stakes reality show.

Our First Viewing Shock

Our first “trial” viewing was a small family home in Möhringen. The landlords were kind, and they spoke English — a huge relief. But the current tenants, a friendly Japanese family, were still living there. We toured their fully furnished space while they went about their weekend, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were intruding on someone’s Sunday.

This alone was a cultural curveball — in North America, it’s common for owners or tenants to step out during showings. Here, it was normal to view a lived-in home with the occupants still inside.

Then came the biggest surprise of all: the meaning of “rooms.”

In Germany, a “3-Zimmer” apartment is not a three-bedroom apartment. It’s a one-bedroom, a living room, and one additional smaller room — often used for storage, laundry, or a home office. That explained why our “three-bedroom” filters were turning up so few results. If we wanted three true bedrooms, we’d have to search for “4-Zimmer” — and be ready to raise our budget.

The Group Viewing Gauntlet

Then came our first group viewing in Nordbahnhof. It wasn’t the casual “drop in anytime” open house we were used to. Instead, it was a fixed time slot where multiple prospective tenants viewed the apartment together, side by side, while subtly (or not so subtly) competing for the landlord’s attention.

People name-dropped their employers — Daimler, Porsche, Bosch — like VIP passes. You could feel the unspoken ranking happening in real time. Luckily, we had a relocation consultant who coached us on what to say (and what not to say), but it still felt like stepping into a game show we hadn’t signed up for.

We didn’t pursue that particular apartment, but the experience taught us an important truth: in Stuttgart, impressing the landlord starts the moment you walk through the door.

Early Missteps We Paid For Later

In one of our early wins — or so we thought — we secured a 30-minute viewing slot for a promising apartment in Pragsattel. What we didn’t realize was that this half-hour was for three different units in two buildings, leaving us less than ten minutes in each.

We didn’t have time to check the assigned Keller (storage room) or see which parking space came with the lease. Fast forward two months: we signed the contract, picked up the keys, and discovered our Keller was much smaller than expected and our parking spot was so tight it barely fit our SUV.

Lesson learned: in Germany, every square meter matters — and if you don’t see it during the viewing, don’t assume it’s “standard.”

Practical Advice for Finding an Apartment in Stuttgart

If you’re apartment hunting in Stuttgart (or anywhere in Germany), here’s what we wish we’d known from day one:

1. Start early. The moment you decide to move, begin searching online and contacting landlords.

2. Communicate in German. Even if you use Google Translate or DeepL, a German email gets more replies than an English one.

3. Understand “Zimmer” math. A 3-Zimmer ≠ three bedrooms.

4. Ask for time. See the storage, the parking, the bike room, the balcony — everything.

5. Consider legal insurance (Rechtsschutzversicherung). It’s surprisingly common for rental disputes here.

6. Hire help if you can. A relocation consultant with connections can get you viewings you wouldn’t find on your own.

7. Document everything. Keep a paper trail, follow up, and push for clear answers.

Looking Back

We came to Stuttgart expecting efficiency and speed, but found a system built on relationships, persistence, and patience. It was frustrating. It was exhausting. And it was just the beginning.

Next in the series: we’ll talk about one of the biggest budget curveballs in the German rental market — the difference between Kaltmiete and Warmmiete, and why it matters more than you think.