How to find student housing in the Netherlands

When and where to start looking for housing 

Start searching for accommodation at least three months in advance but of course the earlier the better. The first possibility is to apply for the housing offered by Saxion in Deventer and Enschede. The locations are not on campus but located throughout the cities that are within walking or cycling distance. Applying for housing via Saxion is only possible within a certain period, find the deadlines here.

If you are arranging housing yourself, start in April at the latest (but again, the earlier the better). Register on multiple housing platforms to spread your chances of finding housing. Studying in NL offers good resources to get connected to legitimate housing providers. In addition to the information on the website about where to search, you can also use these non-profit housing platforms to find housing as well.   

• For Enschede, register for free at Roomspot  

• For Deventer, sign up with our partner Room

• For Apeldoorn, we recommend Onshuis  

There are also commercial parties like housing agencies, but it depends on your budget (as you often must pay a commission or subscription fee), what you’re looking for and when you can start rental payments (e.g., you arrive in September, but the apartment you're looking at is available from August). If you rent through an agency, check if the organization is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce (this website is in Dutch but just type in the company name in the search bar). 

If you are still unsure about how to start your search for housing, check out this page with useful information on where to start. 

Saxion housing 

Saxion offers housing only for international students that are coming to the Netherlands for the first time, including bachelor, master and exchange students. There are two buildings in Enschede with around 170 rooms and one in Deventer with around 120 rooms available. All accommodation is shared. Students get their own room for themselves that is not a shared space, however the bathroom, kitchen and if available living room are shared spaces with other students. The kitchen is fully fitted (basic) with a fridge/freezer, cooking utensils and dishes. If you are an exchange student, please check this information here if you wish to have Saxion housing as the process is a bit different. 

Check all the arrival information here.  

Finding a room  

There are two ways for students to find rooms: responding to a room offer or finding a room through co-optation or a vote-in system. In Dutch, this process is known as “Hospiteren.” There will be a selection procedure in which the existing students choose who they are going to live with. This usually takes place in the student house where the housemates spend a lot of time together, which is why they select their own flatmates. 

When it comes to responding to a room offer, be careful when searching for housing on social media platforms like Facebook. There are many scammers, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Students should always do their research and be cautious with Facebook groups. When renting from a private person, students should make sure they know what they are signing, and if they need help translating, they can always contact Saxion's international office.  

When renting from a private person, ask for a video call so that the person you are renting from can show you the accommodation. Further, most often the rental agreement is in Dutch. Students need to make sure they know what they are signing, and if they need help translating, they can always contact the international office ([email protected]), other Dutch students, and the crew from onboarding. 

The risks of finding housing from abroad 

There are a lot of red flags when it comes to scams. If it’s a really big, luxurious apartment, five minutes walking from Saxion, for a very cheap price – it's probably too good to be true. Do your research. 

Facebook groups can be useful for second-year and higher students that are already in the Netherlands because they can physically meet the landlord and arrange housing in person. However, it is not recommended for newcomers as you cannot easily verify whom you are dealing with. It is possible to arrange housing on Facebook from abroad but there are a lot of risks involved. Ask yourself: 

Is it a fake offer? 

• Is this person/offer findable on Google/Google maps? 

• Is this house/room listed on other housing platforms? 

• Does the housing seem safe?  

• Is the person pressuring me? 

• Is this person making reasonable requests? (e.g., asking for personal info, credit card, etc.) 

Don’t trust landlords who claim to be out of the country and who will ship keys. 

Check out this ultimate red flag guide here.  

Tips and tricks  

Besides giving yourself enough time, at least three months if not longer, it is also handy preparing a budget. It’s important to know what the cost of a student living in the Netherlands is and how much money you have for rental costs plus additional expenses like groceries and social activities. One frequent question is: “how much rent do I have to pay per month?” Unfortunately, there are no hard numbers here as it depends on factors like shared or individual housing, and if rent includes gas, water and electricity.  

Students should consider looking at cities outside of Enschede, Deventer and Apeldoorn as well. Cities like Hengelo or Almelo are alternatives, or for EU citizens cities just across the German border, like the city Gronau, is also a good option. Then you must also consider travel expenses as part of your budget.  

Here are some points on a checklist that is useful when arranging housing yourself:  

• Will I get a rental agreement in English?  

• Is the accommodation inclusive of curtains/walls and floors?  

• Is the kitchen fully fitted? 

• Is the rental price inclusive or exclusive of water, gas, electricity?  

• Does city hall accept registration at this address?  

Click here for more tips and tricks!

Rent allowance  

In some cases you can apply for rent allowance in the Netherlands. It depends on the rental price of the apartment and whether the individual has an income or not. Usually, its only for those who are living alone in a studio type apartment. It is possible to get it for those who are eligible, however, it’s bureaucratic procedure and therefore takes time. It is not possible for individuals that are sharing a house.  

Students need to register at city hall with their rental agreements/contracts, obtain a BSN, apply for a DigiD and open a bank account. Only then with a DigiD, can students apply for the rent allowance. The application is completely in Dutch, therefore students can ask the international office for help when applying for it. That means students still have to pay the normal rental fee and it could take maybe 2-3 months before the money is in their bank account.   

Goin’ App 

The app Goin' is a social platform for new students at Saxion. This is a nice way to connect with other (international) students from the Saxion community. 

You can join smaller groups with a shared interest and make your own community. From workouts, soccer, yoga or vegan cooking, to LGBTQ+ students, or music, concerts and the best parties in your student city. Basically, just what suits you best! Besides the communities, the app also contains all kinds of interesting topics for new students. For example, about the Saxion introduction week or starters information.