Difference between revisions of "Housing"

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Finding housing in Eindhoven is challenging. New students can receive help from the TU/e when coming to the university for the first time, but others will have to search in multiple places to find a good place to live that fits all your needs.
Finding housing in Eindhoven is challenging. New students can receive help from the TU/e when coming to the university for the first time, but others will have to search in multiple places to find a good place to live that fits all your needs.  
 
  
 
== TU/e Housing for New Students ==
 
== TU/e Housing for New Students ==
The TU/e helps new international students with finding housing. You should receive some information by email, which includes deadlines etc. More information can be found [https://www.tue.nl/en/education/studying-at-tue/practical-information-for-international-students/housing/ here]. If you are here for Erasmus/Study abroad, follow the link above. The following information is for new students only.  
+
The TU/e helps new international students with finding housing. You should receive some information by email, which includes deadlines etc. More information can be found[https://www.tue.nl/en/education/studying-at-tue/practical-information-for-international-students/housing/ here]. This information is for prospective students only.
  
== Housing Agencies ==
+
When you obtain a house, make sure to [[Register at city hall|register at city hall!]] It’s very important to do so in a timely manner to meet Dutch regulations.
TU/e works with several different housing agencies to help students find housing. It is important to note that if you ignore the housing email from the TU/e, do not reply to the email in time, or choose to find housing on your own, you will be responsible for finding your own accommodation and will not receive assistance from the TU/e.  
 
  
The housing agencies are:
+
==Finding Your Own Housing==
 +
It’s highly recommended that you also search for a house yourself, as TU/e cannot provide housing to every student with their resources. We recommend you to be in Eindhoven during your search. This will help prevent you from being scammed. Most students choose accommodation either from the TU/e or The Student Hotel for the first year of their stay and look for housing during their first semester or first year of school.
  
'''Holland2Stay''' [https://holland2stay.com/eindhoven] - If you have been allotted housing with Holland2Stay, you will be contacted by Holland2Stay with information on how to make your booking. This will happen in June/July.
+
As many landlords who wish to provide housing to students need proof that you are a student, '''make sure to be prepared''', because the competition is quite high! Have evidence that you are, or going to be, a student at TU/e. A letter of enrollment is the best proof, which can be obtained by emailing esa@tue.nl after you have been enrolled. However, if you wish to start searching as soon as possible, acceptance emails may be allowed by some landlords.
  
Apartments reserved for TU/e can only be obtained by students who apply via TU/e. Rental agreements will start between 1 August and 15 September. The indicated start date of the rental agreement is indicated in the advertisement of the apartment. Start dates are fixed and cannot be changed. A maximum period of stay of one year applies to all accommodations from Holland2Stay reserved for TU/e. You are allowed to cancel the rental agreement with a notice period of one month during your stay. Apartments listed on the public website of Holland2Stay are not part of the property reserved for TU/e.
+
[https://www.thesocialhub.co/eindhoven/ The Social Hub] - The Social Hub, previously known as the Student Hotel is a medium-term housing option. Located close to campus, the hotel is a great place to stay if you are planning on looking for housing on your own and need a place to stay while looking. Note that The Social Hub has a maximum stay of 1 year and does not allow for Housing Allowance.
  
All students who are allotted housing with Holland2Stay will be able to choose their studio in the booking website of Holland2Stay. Therefore TU/e cannot take in account a preference for a specific building or studio type.
+
===Rental agencies===
  
Eindhoven2Stay offers studios located in various locations in the city of Eindhoven. All in rental prices vary from € 675 up to € 900 per month. If you are at least 23 year of age and you meet the criteria, you can apply for rent benefit. Students under the age of 23 cannot obtain rent benefit for accommodations from Holland2Stay.
+
You are more likely to find cheaper accommodation yourself. Below there is a list of all rental agencies offering housing in Eindhoven. The most popular sites are placed first. Most sites are free of charge, however a few are subscription based meaning you have to pay a little amount of money to be able to reply to their ads.
  
'''Friendly Housing''' [http://friendlyhousing.nl/nl/Home]- A number of 100 accommodations is reserved with Friendly Housing. Friendly Housing offers accommodation in single bedrooms in student houses. All accommodation is fully furnished.Student houses are shared by several (international) students. In the Netherlands it is common for boys and girls to live together in a student house. There is no separate accommodation for boys or girls.
+
Additionally, we recommend signing up for Vestide as soon as possible, even before you arrive in the Netherlands. It is based on a waiting system, where those who have accumulated the most waiting time since their sign up date will get the rental agreement out of those who apply to a room. More information about how this waiting system works can be found [https://www.vestide.nl/en/alles-over-huren/finding-a-room/subscribing-applying-for-accommodation/ here.]
  
Rental prices for a room vary from approx. €350 to €550 per month.
+
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Rental Agency !! Further Information
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.vestide.nl/ Vestide] || Vestide is probably the cheapest agency, offering rooms with shared facilities, however it is very unlikely that you get your first room in Eindhoven from them. The reason is that Vestide works with a special waiting list that favours students who have been waiting for a room longer or are moving here from a farther distance. Since they are one of the cheapest agencies, the waiting lists are always full. Nonetheless, if you are planning to stay in Eindhoven for multiple years, you should sign up as soon as possible, so you start accumulating 'months' and you can get to the top of waiting lists in your second year or later. Furthermore they manage the Aurora building on campus, so keep an eye out for openings there!
 +
|-
 +
| [https://plaza.newnewnew.space/ Plaza Resident Services] || Getting an account to search for housing has a registration fee of €25 per year. If you find and rent housing, this fee will be returned to you. They manage the Luna building on campus, but the rent can be expensive! Places are rented out quickly, so apply as early as possible and have important documents such as but not limited to: proof of enrollment, proof of income, identification, and other requested documents ready for digital upload.
 +
|-
 +
| [https://holland2stay.com/eindhoven Holland2Stay] || A popular choice due to their many rental properties in Eindhoven. Note, when you subscribe for a residency, you enter a lottery. This way everyone has an equal chance to win. It has a one time subscription fee.
 +
|-
 +
| [https://pararius.nl/ Pararius] || This is not an agency itself, but a platform for landlords to post advertisements for homes. Make sure to keep this in mind while browsing!
 +
|-
 +
| [https://funda.nl/huur/ Funda] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://jaap.nl/huur/ Jaap] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://huislijn.nl/ Huislijn] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://marktplaats.nl/ Marktplaats] || This service is not limited to rooms and rentals. Other products are available here as well.
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.brickvastgoed.nl/ Brick Vastgoed] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.stoneshousing.nl/ Stones Housing] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://goethvastgoed.nl/nl Goeth Vastgoed] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.vesteda.com/ Vesteda] || Not to be confused with Vestide!
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.trudovbt.nl/ VB&T verhuurmakelaar] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.rotsvast.nl/ Rotsvast] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.vansantvoort.nl/huurwoningen/ Van Santvoort Makelaars] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.coppelmansmakelaardij.nl/aanbod/woningaanbod/huur/ Coppelmans Makelaardij] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://ikwilhuren.nu/alle-woningcomplexen/eindhoven MVGM] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.stoit.nl/search?search=Eindhoven Stoit] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.smarthousing.nl/nl Smart Housing] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.123wonen.nl/huurwoningen/in/eindhoven 123wonen] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.huurinc.nl/nl Huurinc] ||
 +
|-
 +
| [http://friendlyhousing.nl/nl/Home Friendly Housing] || Friendly Housing is not a popular choice. Many students have reported trouble with the landlords, dirty rooms at move-in, and unfair fees.
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.kamernet.nl/ Kamernet] || Subscription based!
 +
|-
 +
| [https://www.directwonen.nl/ Directwonen] || Subscription based!
 +
|}
  
All Bachelor's and Master's students who rent a single bedroom in a student house with Friendly Housing receive a rental agreement for a minimum period of 6 months. The start will be between 1 August 2018 and 1 September 2018. The earliest end date of the agreement is six calendar months after the start date. After the six months the rental agreement can be cancelled with a notice period of one calendar month. There is no maximum period of stay for this type of accommodation. You will be able to choose and book your accommodation via the website of Friendly Housing.
+
===Facebook Groups===
 +
There are a variety of resources on Facebook for finding roommates and housing. There are many rooms offered in these groups and although most of them are reliable, be careful because unlike official websites, '''Facebook cannot guarantee the ads are not scams'''. Keep in mind: '''never transfer money before signing a contract and seeing the property. By law you are always allowed to see the property.'''
  
When you are allotted housing with Friendly Housing, you will receive an e-mail from Friendly Housing on 29 June with booking instructions. Please note that you need to complete your booking before 17 July. At time of booking the following costs are due:
+
<ol start="1">
 +
<li>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/eindhoven.housing/ Eindhoven Housing]</li>
  
The first month’s rent
+
<li>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/kamer.in.eindhoven/ Kamers in Eindhoven]</li>
The deposit of € 450
 
At the end of the rental period an amount of € 50 will be deducted from your deposit to cover mandatory cleaning costs.
 
  
'''Vestide''' [https://www.vestide.nl/] - Vestide offers accommodation in shared, semi-private accommodation (private bathroom or private kitchen) or private accommodation on the TU/e campus and in the city of Eindhoven. All accommodations are fully furnished.Rental prices vary from approx. €400 to €650 per month.
+
<li>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/686911071512903/ Housing Eindhoven]</li>
  
When you rent accommodation with shared facilities, you should note that in the Netherlands, it is common for boys and girls to live together in a student house. There is no separate accommodation for boys or girls.
+
<li>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/kamer.in.eindhoven/ Find a room(mate) or house in Eindhoven - kamer(s) in Eindhoven]</li>
  
You will be able to choose and book your accommodation via the website of Vestide.
+
<li>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/343270165754461/ Housing DAE] (Mainly for Design Academy Eindhoven students)</li>
 +
</ol>
  
When you are allotted housing with Vestide, you will receive an e-mail from Vestide in June/July with booking instructions. With the information in the e-mail you can enter the booking website for TU/e students. You will be able to choose your accommodation from the available options. Please note that options with Vestide are limited.
+
The Dutch word for room is 'kamer'. It is important to know that many Dutch students prefer Dutch roommates. Don't be discouraged or surprised if you see 'Dutch Only' ads, you will eventually find the right accommodation.
  
 +
Credits to [https://www.facebook.com/notes/expats-in-eindhoven/finding-a-place-in-eindhoven/1890529391029127/ Christoph Hauenstein] who collected a list of housing websites, which is what our list is mostly based on.
  
==Finding Your Own Housing==
+
==Beware of Scams!==
If you would like to find housing yourself, we recommend to be in Eindhoven during your search. This will help prevent you from being scammed. Most students choose accommodation either from the TUe or The Student Hotel for the first year of their stay and look for housing during their first semester or first year of school.  
+
People are not always looking out for your best interests. There are many scammers out there who will gladly take advantage of your inexperience and take money from you for properties that may be illegal or simply do not exist! Be careful to avoid scams. If something looks way too good to be true, it probably is! Treat all advertisements and offers with a degree of skepticism, and read your contracts thoroughly.
 +
 +
Common areas to be scammed are in places like Facebook or unregulated group chats. Other warning signs include paying to non-Dutch bank accounts, images that don’t appear to be of Dutch apartments (such as foreign electrical plugs or mountains outside of windows), avoiding viewings, and more. For more in-depth explanation on avoiding scams and being prepared to rent, please see these helpful documents from TU/e: [https://assets.eu-central.w3.tue.nl/w/fileadmin/content/Education/4_BecomeTUeStudent/Housing/International%20Student%20Housing%20Toolkit%20-%20Eindhoven.pdf  International Student Housing Toolkit – Eindhoven, Rental checklist]
  
'''HousingAnywhere''' [https://housinganywhere.com/s/Eindhoven--Netherlands]- To help you find and book your new room abroad before your arrival, TU/e has a cooperation with HousingAnywhere, the international housing platform. Through HousingAnywhere you can safely book your accommodation, offered by our outgoing students or by verified private landlords.
+
If you do happen to find a scammer, make sure to contact TU/e or the agency you had intended to work with, and provide details about the scammer as best as possible. This way we can help prevent others from getting scammed too!
  
As a student of TU/e you are entitled to priority access to all accommodation available on HousingAnywhere.com. Priority access comes with the following perks:
+
==Tips From Students==
 
+
After talking with several students, we have come up with a list of tips for you to navigate housing.  
A verified student badge on your profile
 
Priority access to new rooms available
 
Priority within the booking process
 
Landlords and housing providers are educated to accept Verified Students first.
 
The platform allows you to choose from accommodations listed by local students or verified landlords and securely book prior to your arrival. Use of the platform is free of charge. Only if you successfully find a room, a small booking fee will be charged.
 
 
 
To start looking for rooms in Eindhoven, you first have to sign up. Sign up here to receive a VIP profile on HousingAnywhere.com.
 
 
 
To start looking for accommodation in Eindhoven, look here.
 
 
 
Keep in mind: The housing market in Eindhoven is very seasonal. So if you don’t find a room listed right away check back regularly.
 
 
 
'''The Student Hotel''' [https://www.thestudenthotel.com/eindhoven/]- Another short-term housing option is the Student Hotel. Located close to campus, the hotel is a great place to stay if you are planning on looking for housing on your own and need a place to stay while looking. Note that The Student Hotel is only short-term stay and does not allow for Housing Allowance.
 
 
 
== Huurtoeslag (Housing Allowance)==
 
Rent benefit is a subsidy provided by the Dutch government to residents on a low income with high rental costs. If you qualify for this benefit you should contact the ‘Belastingdienst’, the Dutch tax administration.
 
 
 
Only residents on low income and living in '''independent''' residences, with their own front door and private (unshared) facilities such as kitchen, shower and toilet, are qualified for rent benefit. AKA you must live in a studio apartment to qualify.
 
 
 
To find out if you are entitled to rent benefit, enter your details in www.toeslagen.nl, the website of the ‘Belastingdienst’.
 
 
 
'''Terms and conditions'''
 
- A number of factors will influence your qualification for rent benefit, including the amount of rent paid, your current taxable income, your household make-up and any assets.
 
 
 
If you are 23 years of age or older the total amount paid for rent (including service charges) may not exceed € 710,68 per month.
 
Your gross annual income may not exceed €22.400,00 if you live alone.
 
If you live with your partner, your gross annual income may not exceed € 30.400,00.
 
  
If you are younger than 23 years old, your monthly rent (including service charges) may not exceed € 417,34. The rules concerning your gross annual income are the same as for people of 23 years and older.
+
*No matter the company, be sure to take pictures of your house/apartment/room when you move in and send a copy to your housing agency when you first arrive. This helps you document any damages that were on the property BEFORE you arrived and can help prove this should issues arise when you move out. You can send these pictures when you return the move-in form (a form given to you at move-in for documenting inventory and damages. Note: This is usually only given when renting from large companies. Check with your landlord during move-in.)
  
In order to apply for rent benefit you need a BSN (burgerservicenummer). The BSN is a Dutch personal identification number also known as the Citizen Service Number. In order to get a BSN, you need to register with the ‘Gemeente’ (Dutch local government offices/city hall).
+
*Many ads are not taken down from sites, although the room or studio has been taken by someone. To minimize the amount of time you would waste with these "false" ads, we suggest calling the agency immediately when you see something you like.
  
'''BSN & Digid'''
+
*Since agencies often require you to send them some relevant information about yourself (regarding renting), we suggest you prepare a CV-like PDF to speed up the process. This can go as far as sending a motivational letter too. Similarly, if you are applying to ads in Facebook groups, prepare a short introduction text about yourself that you can send in a personal message.
You will not receive your BSN until you move to Eindhoven and register at City Hall!
 
You also require a DigiD to be able to apply for rent benefit. You can request a DigID from www.digid.nl , after your have registered with the municipality. Within five days you will receive an activation code in the mail. You can also request an application form by calling the ‘Belastingdienst’ directly on 0800-0543.
 
  
'''Changes'''
+
*The Dutch have a tradition called "kijkavond", which is similar to the open house concept in English. In many shared houses, when a room becomes available the roommates get to decide about who moves in. They do this by selecting a few of the applicants who they think would make good housemates and invite them to see the house - altogether. This evening is called kijkavond, which is practically an informal event involving a short introduction round, and the applicants have a chance to see the room and meet the housemates. If you are invited to a kijkavond, make sure you arrive on time, don't be afraid to ask questions and have conversation with both the housemates and fellow applicants - in general you want to show your most social side, that's what makes a good housemate.
- You need to inform the ‘Belastingdienst’ as soon as your living situation changes, for example changes in the members of your household, a change in income or a different address.
 
  
'''Starting date of rent benefit'''
+
==Housing Allowance==
- You can apply for rent benefit at any time. When you sign a rental agreement and become eligible for rent benefit, the starting date of your benefit will be the first day of the following month. For example, if a rental agreement is signed March 17th, the start date of the rent benefit is April 1st.
 
  
==Tips From Students==
+
There is a possibility you can receive housing allowance (huurtoeslag) while being a student. This can be applied for via [https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontentnl/belastingdienst/prive/toeslagen/huurtoeslag/ Belastingdienst] which is the Dutch Tax Office. Dutch tax office pages are in Dutch, but with a Dutch friend or Google Translate they are easy to navigate. The conditions for getting housing allowance (huurtoeslag) vary with age, income and living conditions. All conditions are described on the web page.
After talking with several students, we have come up with a list of tips for you to navigate housing.  
 
  
*Friendly Housing is not a popular choice. Many students have reported trouble with the landlords, dirty rooms at move-in, and unfair fees.
+
Your housing company might offer to arrange housing allowance for you, most likely for a substantial fee. Arranging housing allowance online by yourself is very simple, so it might be worth considering doing it yourself before accepting the offer from your housing company.
  
*No matter the company, be sure to take pictures of your house/apartment/room when you move in and send a copy to your housing agency when you first arrive. This helps you document any damages that were on the property BEFORE you arrived and can help prove this should issues arise when you move out. You can send these pictures when you return the move-in form (a form given to you at move-in for documenting inventory and damages. Note: This is usually only given when renting from large companies. Check with your landlord during move-in.
+
==Huurcommissie==
 +
The [https://www.huurcommissie.nl/ Huurcommissie] (Rent Committee in English) helps tenants and landlords with any kind of issues regarding renting. For example, if you suspect that your rent is too high or your landlord doesn't do yearly maintenance on the house, you could contact the Huurcommissie for help. Unfortunately, their website is not available in English, therefore we advise to call or email them.

Latest revision as of 17:59, 23 August 2023

Finding housing in Eindhoven is challenging. New students can receive help from the TU/e when coming to the university for the first time, but others will have to search in multiple places to find a good place to live that fits all your needs.

TU/e Housing for New Students

The TU/e helps new international students with finding housing. You should receive some information by email, which includes deadlines etc. More information can be foundhere. This information is for prospective students only.

When you obtain a house, make sure to register at city hall! It’s very important to do so in a timely manner to meet Dutch regulations.

Finding Your Own Housing

It’s highly recommended that you also search for a house yourself, as TU/e cannot provide housing to every student with their resources. We recommend you to be in Eindhoven during your search. This will help prevent you from being scammed. Most students choose accommodation either from the TU/e or The Student Hotel for the first year of their stay and look for housing during their first semester or first year of school.

As many landlords who wish to provide housing to students need proof that you are a student, make sure to be prepared, because the competition is quite high! Have evidence that you are, or going to be, a student at TU/e. A letter of enrollment is the best proof, which can be obtained by emailing esa@tue.nl after you have been enrolled. However, if you wish to start searching as soon as possible, acceptance emails may be allowed by some landlords.

The Social Hub - The Social Hub, previously known as the Student Hotel is a medium-term housing option. Located close to campus, the hotel is a great place to stay if you are planning on looking for housing on your own and need a place to stay while looking. Note that The Social Hub has a maximum stay of 1 year and does not allow for Housing Allowance.

Rental agencies

You are more likely to find cheaper accommodation yourself. Below there is a list of all rental agencies offering housing in Eindhoven. The most popular sites are placed first. Most sites are free of charge, however a few are subscription based meaning you have to pay a little amount of money to be able to reply to their ads.

Additionally, we recommend signing up for Vestide as soon as possible, even before you arrive in the Netherlands. It is based on a waiting system, where those who have accumulated the most waiting time since their sign up date will get the rental agreement out of those who apply to a room. More information about how this waiting system works can be found here.

Rental Agency Further Information
Vestide Vestide is probably the cheapest agency, offering rooms with shared facilities, however it is very unlikely that you get your first room in Eindhoven from them. The reason is that Vestide works with a special waiting list that favours students who have been waiting for a room longer or are moving here from a farther distance. Since they are one of the cheapest agencies, the waiting lists are always full. Nonetheless, if you are planning to stay in Eindhoven for multiple years, you should sign up as soon as possible, so you start accumulating 'months' and you can get to the top of waiting lists in your second year or later. Furthermore they manage the Aurora building on campus, so keep an eye out for openings there!
Plaza Resident Services Getting an account to search for housing has a registration fee of €25 per year. If you find and rent housing, this fee will be returned to you. They manage the Luna building on campus, but the rent can be expensive! Places are rented out quickly, so apply as early as possible and have important documents such as but not limited to: proof of enrollment, proof of income, identification, and other requested documents ready for digital upload.
Holland2Stay A popular choice due to their many rental properties in Eindhoven. Note, when you subscribe for a residency, you enter a lottery. This way everyone has an equal chance to win. It has a one time subscription fee.
Pararius This is not an agency itself, but a platform for landlords to post advertisements for homes. Make sure to keep this in mind while browsing!
Funda
Jaap
Huislijn
Marktplaats This service is not limited to rooms and rentals. Other products are available here as well.
Brick Vastgoed
Stones Housing
Goeth Vastgoed
Vesteda Not to be confused with Vestide!
VB&T verhuurmakelaar
Rotsvast
Van Santvoort Makelaars
Coppelmans Makelaardij
MVGM
Stoit
Smart Housing
123wonen
Huurinc
Friendly Housing Friendly Housing is not a popular choice. Many students have reported trouble with the landlords, dirty rooms at move-in, and unfair fees.
Kamernet Subscription based!
Directwonen Subscription based!

Facebook Groups

There are a variety of resources on Facebook for finding roommates and housing. There are many rooms offered in these groups and although most of them are reliable, be careful because unlike official websites, Facebook cannot guarantee the ads are not scams. Keep in mind: never transfer money before signing a contract and seeing the property. By law you are always allowed to see the property.

  1. Eindhoven Housing
  2. Kamers in Eindhoven
  3. Housing Eindhoven
  4. Find a room(mate) or house in Eindhoven - kamer(s) in Eindhoven
  5. Housing DAE (Mainly for Design Academy Eindhoven students)

The Dutch word for room is 'kamer'. It is important to know that many Dutch students prefer Dutch roommates. Don't be discouraged or surprised if you see 'Dutch Only' ads, you will eventually find the right accommodation.

Credits to Christoph Hauenstein who collected a list of housing websites, which is what our list is mostly based on.

Beware of Scams!

People are not always looking out for your best interests. There are many scammers out there who will gladly take advantage of your inexperience and take money from you for properties that may be illegal or simply do not exist! Be careful to avoid scams. If something looks way too good to be true, it probably is! Treat all advertisements and offers with a degree of skepticism, and read your contracts thoroughly.

Common areas to be scammed are in places like Facebook or unregulated group chats. Other warning signs include paying to non-Dutch bank accounts, images that don’t appear to be of Dutch apartments (such as foreign electrical plugs or mountains outside of windows), avoiding viewings, and more. For more in-depth explanation on avoiding scams and being prepared to rent, please see these helpful documents from TU/e: International Student Housing Toolkit – Eindhoven, Rental checklist

If you do happen to find a scammer, make sure to contact TU/e or the agency you had intended to work with, and provide details about the scammer as best as possible. This way we can help prevent others from getting scammed too!

Tips From Students

After talking with several students, we have come up with a list of tips for you to navigate housing.

  • No matter the company, be sure to take pictures of your house/apartment/room when you move in and send a copy to your housing agency when you first arrive. This helps you document any damages that were on the property BEFORE you arrived and can help prove this should issues arise when you move out. You can send these pictures when you return the move-in form (a form given to you at move-in for documenting inventory and damages. Note: This is usually only given when renting from large companies. Check with your landlord during move-in.)
  • Many ads are not taken down from sites, although the room or studio has been taken by someone. To minimize the amount of time you would waste with these "false" ads, we suggest calling the agency immediately when you see something you like.
  • Since agencies often require you to send them some relevant information about yourself (regarding renting), we suggest you prepare a CV-like PDF to speed up the process. This can go as far as sending a motivational letter too. Similarly, if you are applying to ads in Facebook groups, prepare a short introduction text about yourself that you can send in a personal message.
  • The Dutch have a tradition called "kijkavond", which is similar to the open house concept in English. In many shared houses, when a room becomes available the roommates get to decide about who moves in. They do this by selecting a few of the applicants who they think would make good housemates and invite them to see the house - altogether. This evening is called kijkavond, which is practically an informal event involving a short introduction round, and the applicants have a chance to see the room and meet the housemates. If you are invited to a kijkavond, make sure you arrive on time, don't be afraid to ask questions and have conversation with both the housemates and fellow applicants - in general you want to show your most social side, that's what makes a good housemate.

Housing Allowance

There is a possibility you can receive housing allowance (huurtoeslag) while being a student. This can be applied for via Belastingdienst which is the Dutch Tax Office. Dutch tax office pages are in Dutch, but with a Dutch friend or Google Translate they are easy to navigate. The conditions for getting housing allowance (huurtoeslag) vary with age, income and living conditions. All conditions are described on the web page.

Your housing company might offer to arrange housing allowance for you, most likely for a substantial fee. Arranging housing allowance online by yourself is very simple, so it might be worth considering doing it yourself before accepting the offer from your housing company.

Huurcommissie

The Huurcommissie (Rent Committee in English) helps tenants and landlords with any kind of issues regarding renting. For example, if you suspect that your rent is too high or your landlord doesn't do yearly maintenance on the house, you could contact the Huurcommissie for help. Unfortunately, their website is not available in English, therefore we advise to call or email them.