Student - Landlord Speed Dating

I wasn’t planning on blogging this morning, but I just want to quickly share something I heard on the radio this morning and made me giggle. My morning drive into work is roughly half an hour depending on traffic and I always listen to “Radio Regenbogen’s Morgenshow.” University is starting up again here next week, so they were discussing the topic of student flats. Apparently, a 25sqm room in a student flat in Baden Württemberg can cost up to 500 Euros these days! Ouch. When I was a student here I was paying 180 DM – yes, Deutsche Mark, not Euros. And I was living in the Hauptstrasse (main street) in Heidelberg.

In order to facilitate students finding accommodation, the first “Student – Landlord Speed Dating Event” was held last night in Karlsruhe.  Did I just hear right, I thought, in my half-asleep state at 8am in the morning. Yes, I sure did. 12 landlords and 12 students had 5 minutes to get to know each other and then decide whether to exchange numbers.

I think about my own experience of speed dating and I think of Mr Müller – both highly disturbing thoughts for 8am in the morning. My mind starts to work overtime. Won’t this kind of event see all the 50 something, divorced, lonely landlords come crawling out of the woodwork to find themselves a “nice” student specimen and students lying through their teeth, desperate to find a flat?

I imagine the 5 minute conversation developing as follows …

“Good evening. So you’re looking for a flat?”

-          -  “Yes, Herr Müller.”

“Do you drink?”

-         -   “Of course not, Herr Müller.”

“Do you like to go out or host house parties and play loud music?”

-        -    “No, Herr Müller, I am a nice, quiet girl.”

“How many hours do you study a week?”

-       -     “At least 10 hours a day, Herr Müller. Lectures, library, study, study some more, that’s me.  How much is the rent, Herr Müller?”

“For you, only 200 Euros a month. Special student price. I’d really like you to move in with me…err, I mean, my flat for rent.”