Airbnb and Berlin university relaunch student housing bursary

Airbnb and the Technical University of Berlin have reopened applications for their joint student housing bursary and increased the total available funding to 400.000 euros.

Airbnb and TU open applications for housing grant

After launching in 2025, Airbnb and the Technical University of Berlin (TU) have reopened applications for their student housing bursary for the winter semester of 2026/2027.

Since last year, Airbnb and TU have increased the total funding pot from 300.000 euros to 400.000 euros and expanded eligibility to include German students from all disciplines. Previously, the funding was available only to international students studying certain subjects.

Students moving to Berlin to start at TU this winter semester can apply for funding via the university’s student service. The university will select 250 students to receive an Airbnb coupon, which entitles them to temporary accommodation in the capital. 

Last year’s funding scheme gave each student a coupon worth 1.580 euros, which entitled them to temporary accommodation for a few weeks. IamExpat has contacted TU Berlin for clarification on how much each selected student will receive in 2026 and how long they will be permitted to stay in the Airbnb accommodation.

“Anyone without permanent accommodation at the start of their studies needs a temporary solution to make starting in Berlin easier,” Fatma Deniz, President of TU Berlin, said in a press release. “With the accommodation grant, we support students in this transitional situation, thereby making their first steps at TU Berlin easier.”

Students hit hard by affordable housing crisis

Students are among the groups worst hit by Germany’s ongoing affordable housing crisis. Studierendenwerk, the state-run, non-profit organisation responsible for student affairs across the country, rents out 9.124 affordable student rooms in Berlin. 

However, 180.000 students are eligible for a place in these subsidised housing complexes. According to the dpa, at the beginning of the winter semester 2026/2027, the waiting list for a Studierendenwerk room in Berlin already has 3.300 registrations. Waiting times are about one year.

With the private rental market already difficult for middle-income employees, students receiving BAföG loans and working part-time around their studies also struggle to find affordable housing outside student halls.

Companies such as Neon Wood, The Fizz or the Social Hub have recognised this gap and built temporary, furnished student apartments in the capital. But this accommodation isn't subsidised or subject to Germany’s rent brake law, so rents remain unaffordable for many students or leave them with next to nothing at the end of the month.

“Through this partnership, Airbnb aims to send a signal that it is worth considering flexible approaches to accommodation upon arrival,” the San Francisco-based company said in its press release, “[P]articularly in areas where the housing market is tight.”

The company, which faces new EU regulations on holiday rentals, is used by 5,5 million hosts worldwide, has a market capitalisation of just under 87 billion euros and generated turnover of around 12 billion euros in 2025.