Residence advisers (Protektor:innen)

Residence advisers support student self-government, advise residents and can mediate in conflicts. They are not residence management, a legal advice service or an emergency technical service.

The admission and extension policy in force since 22 September 2025 gives residence advisers a specific role: they normally chair the Residence Admissions Committees (HAA), and one of them also chairs the Central Admissions Committee (ZA). ¹⁾

Residence advisers therefore take part in recommendations and procedures. The decision on your agreement or application nevertheless comes through Studierendenwerk’s official route.

The still-published 2008 statute describes residence advisers as supporting events and discussions, mediating in conflicts and advising residents on personal matters. It also describes their selection by the relevant House Committee and appointment by the chair of the Housing Advisory Board. ²⁾

Under the statute, each house can have a residence adviser, and one person may support several houses. The House Committee selects the person and the chair of the Housing Advisory Board appoints them. The statute gives a five-year term and states that the role will normally be held by a member of teaching staff at a Hamburg university. This explains the intended model but does not establish that every position is currently filled.

• in a conflict where direct communication has not helped,
• with questions about student self-government,
• with a matter involving HAA, the House Committee or ZA,
• for a community project needing mediation or institutional exchange.

Residence management is responsible for agreements, payments and tenant-portal cases. For a technical emergency, use the technical and emergency route. Where available, find the current residence-adviser contact on a local notice, through student self-government or through residence management.

Residence advisers can help structure a concern, bring different parties together, moderate a conversation and identify the appropriate committee route. They can also support student self-government with a community project. In a conflict, their role can help separate the parties‘ interests from possible next steps.

They cannot change a tenancy agreement, commission a repair, replace an official decision or provide legal advice. For an extension application, residence advisers take part in the procedure through HAA or ZA; the application must still reach Studierendenwerk complete and on time.

1. Briefly describe the issue and who is affected.
2. Separate observable facts from assumptions or judgements.
3. State what conversations or attempts to resolve it have already taken place.
4. Explain what outcome or next step would help.
5. Do not send sensitive contractual or health information to an unverified contact.

Current names are deliberately not stored permanently in the wiki. A local contact is useful only where its responsibility and date of validity are clear.