In Frankfurt you'll have to fork over at least 450€ for a single apartment that size. Without electricity and phone/internet, of course. That's pretty much the entry level in the less desirable parts of the city. Around 600€ is far more realistic for that kind of place if you want to be able to reach the city centre in around 30 minutes

350€ for a 15m² room in a shared flat is actually considered a pretty fucking sweet deal.

Does he require 3 dimensions?

If not, I can probably put something quite comfortable together before the next blood moon.

350€ for 15m² shared is normal here too, but as I've said, I've gotten a good deal and for some reason shared appartments are really expensive here anyway, probably because it's trendy/hip or whatever.

Woah... considering that I always use Frankfurt as an example that there are even worse places than Berlin only relying on architecture, hostile mentality, corruption, etc... I would do anything to get away from there if I were you/him but I know how hard it can be if you haven't got the best background, I tried to get away for years in vain too and now that I could, I am bonded.

Heads up for you three to go to a better place someday, maybe you'll rejoin.

I've been renting for about 13 years in various flatshares. The worst thing you can do is to not put yourself first. I've had to tell a flatmate to move out on the basis that the other 3 of us were not going to re-sign the lease if he didn't leave. I felt awful. The simple fact was that he was a breaking factor in the house and we had to do something.

In your case it seems like you also had to make a choice forced by circumstance. You can't choose all the circumstances, and you can't carry everyone with you. I don't think you need feel bad at all. Housemate #1 is also responsible for his future, and can sort himself out.

Yup, I agree with leon30 (and wpegg too) above ^. Ultimately, you really have to worry about yourself first. While it's commendable to feel badly about the other guy, you have to take care of your needs firstly. As leon said, you can do your best to help him find a place also, but don't be too hard on yourself. Life throws a lot shit our ways, and we can only do the best we can do. I can count on one hand the number of people I can truly call best/close friends, that I would go above and beyond for, but even with them, I still have to consider myself first ultimately...we all do..that's just life bro. Hang in there, and remember, time heals all (mostly, anyway).

I didn't say "normal", I said "a pretty fucking sweet deal".

This is "normal": http://www.wg-gesucht.de/wg-zimmer-in-Frankfurt-am-Main.41.0.0.0.html Apart from the club scene, I actually vastly prefer Frankfurt over Berlin. It's a nice place to live. As long as you...well...got a place to live.

Hey, you did your best to include him in your urgent search and he kind of took a lackadaisical approach - apparently this is his MO for much of his life. Are you his parent? Could you have been more proactive in motivating him to seek a new place? To question 1 - nope. To question 2 - maybe but even despite your best efforts it sounds like he is who is he is - nothing you could have done would have motivated him until he had fire under his ass.

So should you feel like crap? I don't know - you did what you had to do. In the words of a famous cowboy actor "A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do". Hopefully your friend learns something from this and also finds a place to live come September.... if he doesn't, you can offer him an extremely short-term lease for the couch but get it in writing that he has to be out by December 1st....

I wish I had a flatmate 2 and a flatmate 3 who could leave me out to dry. I don't even have that. :/

That, or Hamburg, or Munich...In fact anywhere where there's actually work available. We even have rent prices being driven sky high here in western Schleswig-Holstein because people looking for work in Hamburg are moving outside of the Hamburg region owing to the fucking ridiculous property prices.

I've googled that and looked at 5 different links (in English of course, I have no knowledge of the German language) and I still have no idea what that is. Care to explain?

Influx of wealthy people, particularly from the South German city Stuttgart, into trendy Berlin quarters, causing higher rents and forcing the existing population into different parts of the city.

Gentrification basically.

It's not only Stuttgarters/Swabians but they're the most prominent to the public eye in this development and have become the reviled poster boy of the recent gentrification.

If getting a Tardis is out of the question then you are screwed :)

I think, personally I would hold out and wait for a three room apt so we could al move together. His going out on the night you viewed the three room is pretty irrelevant (or maybe I miss the point) as you haven't been offered that apartment yet.

Just my tuppence worth :)

Like, with a work bench and gold ore and stuff? : D

Hey, try living in London. Here you will not be able to get a shoebox of a room for less than £500 a month. Despite being a relatively well paid programmer, I still have to share a flat with 2 other people, and live 30 minutes tube journey away from my work (which in itself costs £1500 a year). What's more, the rents at the moment are only going one way, and it ain't down.

test

What the fuck? I can't seem to post comments with quotes in them.

Nope, no quotes. Quotes are teh evulz! Says BugBear.