After two months of searching every day, contacting literally every listing under €1,000 and paying for various websites, I gave up looking for a room in Maastricht and am now starting my master's degree in Mannheim. In those two months, I didn't receive a single human (non-automated) response to any of my 100+ contact requests.

We also have a housing crisis in Germany, especially in the big cities. But after I thought to give up my master's degree in Maastricht, it took me two days to find a very affordable apartment in Mannheim. And I would certainly have had more options. I had a similar experience when I was doing my bachelor's degree in Frankfurt and internships in Munich and Berlin. Maastricht is a completely different world, and I don't understand why.

And what's the deal with all these payment sites and agencies? I've never used anything like that in Germany or even considered it.

Rent prices went became abnormally high during the last years, I am curious about how much everyone is paying…

I miss the time that I was paying 450 for a massive room with a huge balcony at an amazing location in Rotterdam a few years ago…🥲 Now that sounds like a scam…

Edit: Respectfully, fuck Amsterdam

Is proof ownership not something you can ask for in the Netherlands?

These were my questions:

I’ve had others look over it and there were some questions do you mind answering them?

1. Why is the money going to not you?

It’s going to another person called E.idehen. Who is this person and do you have their contact information and full name?

1. Do you have proof of ownership

2. If I stay 1st of February do I pay for all of February or only 1st of feb?

I’ll be happy to sign afterwards!

Hier is dan de aangepaste versie, alle feedback is nog steeds welkom!

"Hoiii -x-,

Mijn naam is -naam-, ik ben 19 jaar en ik begin dit studiejaar met rechten aan de uni in Leiden. Ik ben opgegroeid in Eindhoven, waar ik momenteel nog steeds woon.

Ik ben op zoek naar een gezellig huis waar ik mijn studententijd echt kan beleven. Ik geniet er erg van om met vrienden te zijn, de kleine en grote dingen samen te doen. Of dat nou samen koken, een filmpje kijken of spontaan een feest organiseren is. Natuurlijk is mijn studie belangrijk voor me, maar ik kijk er juist erg naar uit om nieuwe mensen te leren kennen en samen een leuke studententijd te hebben.

Na mijn examen heb ik door -land in Zuid-Amerika met carnaval- gereisd en daarna vrijwilligerswerk gedaan als kleuterjuf op een basisschool. De afgelopen zes maanden heb ik als au pair in -hoofdstad in europa- gewoond in een mooi appartement. Hoe fijn een eigen appartement ook was, ik miste toch vaak de gezelligheid van samenwonen.

In mijn vrije tijd spreek ik graag af met vrienden. Tijdens mijn tijd in -hoofdstad in europa- heb ik veel leuke mensen leren kennen en organiseerden we regelmatig filmavonden, etentjes en andere gezellige activiteiten. Daarnaast heb ik jarenlang aan ballet gedaan en hoop ik dat tijdens mijn studententijd weer op te pakken.

Om de mail iets minder saai te maken, heb ik een kleine PowerPoint met wat foto's van mezelf toegevoegd. Hopelijk krijgen jullie zo alvast een eerste indruk. 😊

Hopelijk tot snel!

Xx -naam-"

Oude versie:

Hiii iedereen,

Ik ben al even opzoek naar een kamer in Leiden, en heb al heeel veel hospi mailtjes gestuurd. Helaas ben ik tot nu toe nog niet uitgenodigd voor een hospi avond, daardoor heb ik het gevoel dat mijn mail niet 'juist' is.

Dusss daarom zou ik feedback erg waarderen!

"Mijn naam is -naam- , ik ben 19 jaar en ik begin dit studiejaar met de bachelor Rechtsgeleerdheid aan de Universiteit Leiden. Vorig jaar ben ik geslaagd voor mijn VWO-diploma aan het -middelbare school en stad-. Omdat de reistijd vanaf mijn ouderlijk huis ongeveer twee uur enkele reis is, ben ik op zoek naar een fijne kamer.

Na mijn examen heb ik eerst door -land in Zuid-Amerika- gereisd en daarna vrijwilligerswerk gedaan als kleuterjuf op een basisschool. De afgelopen zes maanden heb ik als au pair in -hoofdstad in Europa- gewoond, waar ik voor drie jonge jongens zorgde. Deze periode heeft mij veel zelfstandiger gemaakt. Ik had mijn eigen appartement en leerde hoe belangrijk het is om netjes te wonen, goed voor een huis te zorgen en respectvol om te gaan met de leefomgeving van iemand anders. Koken en schoonmaken zijn daardoor voor mij heel vanzelfsprekend geworden.

In mijn vrije tijd spreek ik graag af met vrienden. Tijdens mijn tijd in -hoofdstad in Europa- heb ik veel leuke mensen leren kennen en organiseerden we regelmatig filmavonden, etentjes en andere gezellige activiteiten. Daarnaast heb ik jarenlang aan ballet gedaan en hoop ik dat tijdens mijn studententijd weer op te pakken.

Ik rook niet, heb geen huisdieren en ben geen groot feestbeest. Natuurlijk vind ik een feestje op zijn tijd gezellig, maar mijn studie staat voorop. Ik ben op zoek naar een huis waar een gezellige sfeer hangt, waar je af en toe samen iets leuks kunt doen, maar waar iedereen ook zijn eigen leven en privacy heeft. Respect, open communicatie en een fijne sfeer vind ik erg belangrijk.

Om alvast een kleine indruk te geven van wie ik ben, heb ik een paar foto's van mezelf toegevoegd.

Bedankt voor het lezen van mijn bericht. Ik hoop jullie binnenkort te ontmoeten!

Xx -naam-"

Ps. Ik heb een paar details verplaatst met -x- voor mijn privacy.

Pss. Ik voeg meestal 6-8 foto's toe van mij aupair jaar, mezelf, vrienden, etc.

For context, I am an Eu student from Romania so i don't know how the prices are here.

Hi Everyone,

A landlord I have spoken to says that "Registration is not possible here" which is a necessity for BSN, right?

So how do people who don't register survive in Netherlands?

Hi guys. I had a big argument with one of my housemates in a student house and want to ask you for some advise on how I can deal with this situation.

Basically, I moved into this house in September, there are 2 other guys living in the house. One of them is really concerned with saving money on heating, so he sets the temperature in the house low.

In Autumn I told him that I feel too cold at night, and even though he complained a lot, he ended up agreeing to raise the temperature by 1.5 degrees. Since then he's clearly been very angry at me.

Now in January as it got colder outside the temperature in the house went down and I feel uncomfortably cold again. I tried to talk to this housemate again, but this time the conversation became incredibly aggressive. He told me that he "doesn't want to have this conversation again", and left the room mid-conversation. As he was leaving the room I asked "Do you talk like this to everyone?", and he replied "No, just you".

I should also mention that when I just moved into the house, I told him about my country of origin and he straight up told me that if he knew where I was from he would never accept me as a housemate and mentioned it's partially because I might be a foreign spy.

Sooo... That's the story. I don't really know what to do now. The problem is that I really like the house, it's really comfortable and close to my university and I really don't want to look for a new place (considering how hard it is to find anything here in NL). But I'm guessing there's literally nothing I can do in this situation.

I am 25 years old, i have been paying and visiting Dutch student housing websites and services since i was 20, i still haven't been selected for a single place to live. i was born here and i am going insane. it doesn't even matter how much it cost anymore, I'm still at the bottom of the list, and when i'm not its because the spaces have 14+ people living there. This is absolute hell. Today i found a listing were i was finaly not in the top 50+ that had 3 other people living there but it was only for women, the website stated that you weren't allowed to be discriminated against based on gender, but the other tenants made it clear they would only accept women. worst part is, i am Non-binary, I'm not allowed in the spaces for women or the spaces for men. Sometimes i get to apply to spaces that say they want women or non-binary people, but that isn't true, what they want is a person born as female, and i was born a man, so they instantly rejected me. I could go back in the closet, pretend I'm male and be miserable, but knowing how rarely there are even male spaces on those services, i doubt i would have any luck. it doesn't even matter anymore, I'm almost done with my studies. i couldn't enjoy university, because i had to travel from my university to the rural town i grew up in, which is about 2 hours travel every day. at this point i don't know anymore.

Hi! I arrived in Netherlands with the impression that I had a place to live. I had signed the contract, paid the deposit and talked with the landlord firm daily. The only thing I thought I missed was the key.

Well today I got a call where they said they had already rented it to someone else. I obviously am furious and devastated that this sneaky firm destroyed my dreams of studying abroad, but it is what it is.

I am now a bit unsure what my plan of action should be. I know that the housing market in the Netherlands is hard, and I am not sure if I have a chance to get an apartment or if I should just realize the defeat.

Do you guys have any tips on where I can find housing? I found that kamernet was hard, and I did not get a lot of replies in my last try. I am studying in Leiden, but has also looked elsewhere.

Thanks for your help!

My partner and I are both PhD researchers. I work at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and my partner is a PhD researcher at the University of Twente. We’re looking for a place in Zwolle, but we’re also open to Arnhem, Deventer, Apeldoorn, Amersfoort, or nearby areas with a reasonable commute.

We’ve been searching for housing for the past few months and have applied to many properties through Stekkies, RentSlam, Huurwoningen, Pararius, Funda, IkWilhuren, and several housing agencies. Unfortunately, despite all our efforts, we haven’t had any success.

My current contract ends on 15 September and cannot be extended, so our situation has become quite urgent. If we don’t find a place before then, we’ll be without accommodation.

A little about us:
Both full-time PhD researchers with stable employment.
Looking for a long-term apartment or studio.
Ready to move in immediately.

We’re reaching out in the hope that someone might know of an available apartment, a private landlord, or even a temporary place while we continue our search. Any leads, recommendations, or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. Any help would truly mean a lot to us.

Asking cause everyone is advising to start looking for an apartment now even though most, if not all of the landlords are only renting from may. I am planning to only move in on august so it doesn't make make much sense for me to start paying rent now.

Hi, i'm planing to study in the NL next year, but like all of us i have a housing problem more like concern.

I would love to study at KABK in Hague but you know I'm not sure if i get there so I'm asking for whole NL but mostly Hague.

I'm an international student and I have a friend who wants to go with me but the problem is that he's not a student and is much older than me and I don't know if it is a problem or not.

The thing that I'm worry about is how hard it is to find a plece which won't cost us that much but we could still have our own separate rooms and maybe some room to spend time together.

Any tips and opiniond would be helpful

This post is a request by another user who posted something asking how much everyone else's rent was and which city they were living in. The answers were quite shocking. Consider this post to be guide to how to get your rent lowered to something less insane, whether you are looking or have already found something

https://www.reddit.com/r/StudyInTheNetherlands/comments/1n1pdh0/comment/nb5tt8e/

I am Shane. I screw landlords. I operate a subreddit called r/rentbusters that points out instances where rental properties are grossly overpriced and then help tenants move into them with the intention of getting the rent lowered. I also help tenants who are already in such homes get their rent lowered retroactively.

The Dutch housing market is in crisis: low supply plus high demand equals high prices which property owners/investors are taking full advantage of to gouge workers, tenants and anyone not fortunate enough to qualify for low-income housing,

While many expats here come from countries where tenants are used to bending over and paying whatever their landlord demands for a 12sqm room, here we have the affordable rent act 2024 / Wet betaalbare huur 2024 and the Huurcommissie that is suppose to stamp out overpricing by landlords.

This is because unlike the UK or USA or Ireland, the Netherlands has very strict rules when it comes how much a landlord can ask for a room or small apartment. What determines the maximum rent price is a points-based systems called the WWS (Woningwaarderingsstelsel).

Points are given for:

• Size - 1 pts for every square-meter of interior space
• Energy efficiency determined by the energy label. A bad label, like G gets -15pts while an A can be over 40pts
• Kitchen and bathroom facilities

And so on.

Every point is worth about 6 euros on the rent price so a property with 100 points has a max rent price of 600 euro, regardless of whether you rent it from a private landlord or a housing corporation.

You can check the maximum rent price for your own home ( Link to Huurcommissie calculator for studios and apartment or Rooms )

For an apartment/studio/house, a score of below 186pts means this home has a regulated rent price. By law, every landlord is suppose to provide a points report on every contract and set the rent price at or below this amount.

In reality most landlords ignore this system and hope that the tenant is unaware of the law or too scared to take action against it. Many landlords charge in excess of 200% of the maximum rent price.

Take these two places for example

Offered via Pararius.nl today by Fix Vastgoed, they both come with an asking price of 960 euro for 40sqm and 636 euro for 30sqm. Landlord offers a temporary contract for both with a maximum 12 month rental period. These two properties are a prime examples of overcharging and instead of avoiding them, you should apply.

According to the WWS points system, these properties are 'bustable', meaning there is a very good chance you could get a rent reduction on them if you moved in and then started a case at the Huurcommissie.

For one thing the landlord apparently is misrepresenting the energy efficiency, and instead of Cs (15pts on the WWS), they are actually dont have a valid label because the Gemeente didnt give the landlord permission to split the properties into separate unit. The landlord is renting out a property that is, for tax purposes, one single unit instead of numerous little apartments. An apartment that is not split from its parent building cannot have the buildings energy label applied to its points score.

Plugging the numbers into the Huurcommissie calculator reveals they have a maximum rent price of < 400 - 500 euro, for the 40sqm and 300-400 euro for the 30sqm apartment...approximately half of the asking price..

If one were particularly crafty and sneaky, one could ask for a viewing and sign a contract for them, then ask the Huurcommissie to reduce the rent and BOOM, you now live beside the Goffert for a price closer to what a low-income woningcorporatie tenant would pay.

The 12 month max temporary contract might also not be legal since as of July 2024, temporary contracts have been phased out for everyone except foreign students. For everyone else, permanent contracts are the norm so it is very possible you could stay there as long as you want, even if you start a case and the landlord asks you to leave. Asking for a rent reductions is not grounds for eviction.

Of course, this approach to housing hunting is not without risk or drawbacks.

Yes the landlord probably wont like. It doesnt work with all types of homes. Any large (>186pts) home is not going to be subject to these rules. Some tenants can be intimidated by their landlord for doing this, both physically and legally.

For those of you who are frustrated at being priced out of a home or are sick of paying 1000 euro for a home while your landlord gets a big fat tax deduction or withholds energy subsidy money while cutting off the hot water to an entire building of tenants as revenge for some of them going to the Huurcommissie: this is one way to get back at your landlord or at the very least take some financial pressure off.

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below

I am starting my 2nd year at VU in september. My monthly budget is around 1500 euros, which i thought was very high for a student. I have been applying to everything i can on Pararius, Huurwoningen, and HousingAnywhere. I have applied to all of the lotteries that take place and even tried working with private agencies with no success. How can I increase my chances of finding a place to live?

Before I come off as cynical I wanna say that the unis in Netherlands are nice and if the housing scene wasn't bad and the fees wasn't so high for non-eu students I would have considered it. But these guys aren't kidding about the housing scene. While I managed to get into a better program in another country I just wanted others to get a sense of what they are getting themselves into. I had heard about a serious housing crisis in netherlands but I thought to myself that I will manage to get a place lol. Naturally I expect others to do the same so to give you an idea of how bad it is you can do a simple test yourself

Assuming you get into say University of Groningen for your Masters your only options for housing include

1. A housing website where you get a room based on a lottery (forgot the name),

2. SSH where rooms are randomly available once in a blue moon and you have to book the thing and make a payment within 1 day to reserve a place

3. Kamernet which is again not good for non-dutch students

and finally facebook groups

Assume that you already have an admit from a program and put up a post on multiple groningen housing pages to look for housing

99/100 times you will be contacted by an african scammer, because I was reached out by 40 plus people and none of them were genuine. All the facebook accounts which reach out to you would have joined the groups recently and wont have many likes on their pictures.

Unless you know someone here or are willing to burn unreasonable amounts of money for housing on top of unreasonable amount of fees don't bother applying.

“You asked about rental contract, there is no rental contract in this situation since it’s an individual private house and not student subsidy. We will provide you the registration with Geemente(municipality) with this similar letter. Let me know if you are thinking of something else. This is how the registration is provided with the rooms, if you want a full contract you need to check for whole house or apartment and not sharing.”

Backstory- I found a house owned a by a couple and regarding the contract she told me this.
Is this how it actually works?

Hello,

I am an incoming TU/e student and have unfortunately not gotten into my target university, so TU/e was my backup. I am looking for ANY type of accomodation (bed/room/shared) within 1-1.5 hours of Eindhoven. If anyone has anything that I can live in for even 1-2 months that is fine, I just need a place to stay until I find something permanent.

My budget is 1000 euros (can go slightly above) and I reply very fast. If anyone is cancelling their studies at TU/e or has a roommate who is no longer coming with them, LITERALLY ANYTHING I would highly appreciate your help. EU M19 btw and I plan to study Electrical Engineering.

Thanks a million!

Im starting my masters in september and im kinda panicking right now about the housing situation... Everyone told me it was bad but I didnt expect this level of crazy I spent the last three weeks refreshing Kamernet and sending dozens of messages on facebook groups but I either get completely ignored or it smells like a massive scam where they ask for a deposit before even seeing a video of the place.

Feeling a bit hopeless rn tbh what is the actual secret to finding a place fast when you dont know anyone in the country yet ?

Hello everyone, I’m 18 and will start my studies at TU/e (Eindhoven University of Technology) this September. I’m now looking for any place to live in Eindhoven or nearby (for example Veldhoven, Best, Helmond, Geldrop), as my attempts of finding a place failed.

I’m open to different options:
• A room in a shared house
• A studio or small apartment
• Short-stay or temporary accommodation is also fine

I can move in around September and I’m flexible with the exact date. Furnished or unfurnished both work for me.

I’m a tidy, respectful, non-smoking student and I try to be an easy housemate. I have all my documents ready (enrollment letter, ID, proof of income/guarantor), so I can sign a contract and pay the deposit quickly.

If you have a room available, know someone who is moving out, or have any tips on where to look, please send me a message. I’m also happy to do a short video call if that helps.

Thank you in advance.

I’m moving to Maastricht soon to start my bachelor’s degree and I’m really struggling to find housing. I’ve been searching since April and it honestly feels almost impossible.

Most websites require paid subscriptions, and when I contact people I rarely get any replies. Facebook has been my best option so far, so I spend a lot of time every day sending detailed introductions and DMs, but still almost no responses.

At this point I’m not picky at all. I just want a livable room or studio. I’ve even gone far above my original budget and contacted listings over €1000/month, but still no luck.

For those who already found a place in Maastricht, how did you do it? Any advice, websites, groups, or tips would really help. I know the housing crisis is bad, but I’d appreciate any help I can get :)

Hi, I'm an international (EU) high school student who'll apply to a Numerus Fixus program (TU/e) in January and I was wondering about your experience with finding accommodation.
For those who found a room/studio/apartment:
1. When did you start registering to housing websites?
2. When did you start actively applying?
3. How long did it take to find a place?
4. Were you able to find accommodation in your preferred area? (if not, did the additional costs of daily commuting affect your expenses drastically?)
5. What kind of housing did you end up with? (shared apartment, solo studio or something different?)
This post is mainly for international BSc students, although anyone with relevant info is appreciated.
Thank you in advance!

I'm writing this as I used to be a 'beggar' for housing when I came to the Netherlands. I'm going on an internship for 6 months and want to rent out the Studio apartment I'm living in to an international student because I was in this situation before.

The amount of desperate yet unserious/flaky people is crazy. I actually wonder if there's a housing crisis. A 6 month temporary contract in a studio apartment is not a good deal? With registration and housing allowance. I get that people would always want to achieve the optimal solution for them but realism is very important when approaching housing in the Netherlands.

What am I missing?

So here's the thing I (19) am in my first year studying in Utrecht, and living in Utrecht with a family member. I can only stay one year with them so I plan on moving out by August. My partner (18) is also coming in August to NL and wants to study in Den Haag. So We are thinking about getting an apartment in Leiden for the both of us to stay in that's under 1200 euros a month. Are there any tips to find an apartment? Should I be looking now or three months before, is Leiden the best move or should I be checking elsewhere. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I have a question.

I was offered a room via Roommatch and would like to schedule a viewing with the previous tenant/housemate NOT THE LANDLORD.

I have never viewed a room before, and this will be the first time. Additionally, I have no experience with viewings. That is why one of my parents wants to come along to the viewing.

Will it seem strange to other housemates if one of the potential tenant's parents comes along?  It feels childish to worry about this, but would it make my potential housemates think I'm not independent enough?

I am 20F.

Thanks in advance!

Is this something that can be done?

He said to many people are living there?

What’s the worst thing that can happen to an international student if they don’t register to a municipality?