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Finding an apartment is a VERY difficult taskin some German cities.

Thee is a shortage of housing and the landlord is likely able to choose from many applicants

You, being a foreigner (-> higher perceived risk) on a schoöarship (-> likely lower income) and with a family who is not even here yet (-> not being able to meet the tenants is a big No-No for many landlords), are automatically at a disadvantage.

Here is some advice what you can do to overcome this:

1. Introduce your family tp the landlord. For this, it is best to start the housing search only after their arrival. But if the can travel here beforehand for an apartment viewing, that's also o.k.
2. Look for places that cost below 30% of your income/scholarship. This is a threshold generally seen a "safe" by real estate people.
3. Offer to pay the rent (and deposit) in advance (e.g. for a year or so).

A guarantor outside of Germany is not helpful, as the landlord cannot reach him/her easily by legal means.

By the way: I am surprized that you got a family reunion visa without having to submit proof of sufficient housing space. This is usually required - specifically to prevent situations like this!

@beppi

Thank you for your reply. I understand why landlords would be hesitant, and from all perspectives, I might not appear to be the most suitable tenant to them, not even close. Nevertheless, I will continue to try. I wanted my family to travel, but I worry that if they do so and we fail to find an apartment within a specific time, the situation will worsen. I do not want to put my baby into a complicated situation, and I certainly do not want to have any issues with German officials or the law.

I am trying to focus more on houses below 30% of my income, but unfortunately, most of those (which are rare) are not suitable for families; they are usually single apartments or specifically for senior residents. I will try the other option of offering to pay rent for more than one month.

I now realize that a guarantor from outside Germany was not a practical idea; at this point, I am trying anything. I was surprised that the visas were granted before I secured a family apartment. They knew my current living situation_that I could only stay with my child, but not my partner_and they knew that I was searching for a family apartment. I was a bit sceptical about the results, but I am grateful for the visas at least.

Thank you again.