Housing Hotline

Finding a room/house in the Netherlands is a huge challenge and you are not the only one looking. There is a shortage of approximately 30,000 student residences throughout the country. This creates a tight housing market, in which many students compete for a relatively small number of rooms.

Unfortunately, the LSVb itself is not a student housing organisation and therefore cannot directly help students find accommodation. However, we have compiled information that we hope will make it easier for you as a student to find a room.

We have compiled a list of reliable websites and Facebook groups for you to check out. We hope this will be a suitable starting point.

Here are our best tips to help you in your search for a room:

1. Start your search early – we recommend starting your search at least 3 months before you need accommodation.

2. Remember that housing contracts are on a month-by-month basis. This means that contracts start on the 1st of the month and end on the last day of the month. The only type of contract that is different in this respect are on-campus contracts, which have a fixed start and end date.

3. Register on room.nl. This is the national platform for student housing associations. They provide affordable student accommodation. Be sure to register in good time, as most cities allocate accommodation based on registration time. You can register from the age of 16, so be sure also to register your brother or sister if they are already 16.

You do not have to be studying to register and build up waiting time.

4. Check social media for rooms. There are often Facebook groups with a lot of offers. Keep in mind that there is often less supervision on these types of pages, so there is a higher chance of encountering scammers.

5. Expand your search radius. You may be able to find a room that is a little further away from your educational institution if you are willing to use public transport to get to your classes. This may not be ideal, but you may find a room that better suits your needs and budget than something closer by.

6. Write a unique and well-thought-out application message that you can use for multiple rooms. A message that shows you care and stands out can make all the difference, as landlords often receive many responses per room.

I am afraid that a room advertisement is a scam. What can I do?

The housing shortage in the Netherlands has led to an increase in the number of people trying to scam (especially international) students. The problems are most evident on unmoderated platforms such as Facebook groups. We can imagine that it is difficult to determine whether a room advertisement is genuine or not. Here are some tips and tricks to avoid scams and fake offers.

The housing shortage in the Netherlands has led to an increase in the number of people trying to scam (especially international) students. The problems are most evident on unmoderated platforms such as Facebook groups. We can imagine that it is difficult to determine whether a room advertisement is genuine or not. Here are some tips and tricks to avoid scams and fake offers.

What are the signs of a scam?

• When an offer is too good to be true

The room you are being offered seems very cheap and/or centrally located. The advertiser may be very flexible about the start of the lease, furnishing and other requests. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is!

• The person offering the room works from abroad

Scammers usually post in English on platforms and social media, do not speak Dutch, do not live in the Netherlands and have a foreign bank account.

• Poor communication

The advertiser seems overly friendly, ignores your questions, does not give clear answers and/or uses text message-style sentences. They may also ask you to continue the conversation outside of the (paid) platform.

• Falsified information

Scammers usually use photos from other advertisements, pretend to be someone else and copy standard rental contracts. They may even pretend to be a current tenant to appear trustworthy. Comparing interior photos with the street or checking the images via reverse search on Google Images can help prevent you from being scammed.

• Payment requests

Scammers pressure you to transfer money, often via anonymous payment services, before you have even viewed the property. They may say that if you wait to pay, they will offer the room to someone else. Never pay before you have signed a contract and viewed the room.

What can you do to prevent being scammed?

Know what to expect

Read up on the average cost of a room. Knowing what to expect from the rental market can help you recognise offers that are too good to be true.

Schedule a viewing

Schedule an appointment and view the room in person or via video chat. If you feel unsafe going to a viewing alone, it is not unusual to bring a friend or parent with you.

Be careful on social media

Tenants often look for new flatmates on social media. Scammers take advantage of this and are particularly active in search groups for housing on social media such as Facebook. Scammers may pose as existing tenants or landlords.

Things to avoid

Do not make unsecured payments!

If you are planning to enter into a rental agreement with a private landlord, we recommend that you do not make any unsecured payments in advance. If you still want to make advance payments, be aware that some platforms, such as Kamernet, offer a secure payment service. This way, your money is kept safe on a server until you have received the key.

Do not share sensitive personal information

Do not share personal documents such as copies of your passport or bank statements and credit card numbers when responding to an advertisement. If you plan to send documents, be aware of the risks of identity theft and fraud. Also, know that the Dutch government offers an app that allows you to watermark documents and make personal information unreadable (App store / Play Store).

If you still have questions about the validity of an advertisement, feel free to contact us via the Housing Hotline Form above.

Finding out what the rent for your room should be

In the Netherlands, most student accommodations are regulated, but many landlords charge rents that are technically not allowed. The Dutch government uses a points system to determine what a fair basic rent is.

On the Rent Assessment Committee website, you will find the necessary forms to check how many points your room or studio is worth and therefore how much rent your landlord is allowed to charge for your room or studio.

If you are renting a room and your tenancy agreement started before 1 July 2024, you can use this form.

If you are renting a room and your tenancy agreement started on 1 July 2024 or later, you can use this form.

If you are renting a studio, you can use this form.

Requesting a rent reduction via the Rent Assessment Committee

If the points system shows that you are paying too much rent, we recommend the following:

Ask your landlord to reduce the rent to the permitted rent according to the points system by sending him/her a registered letter. Make a proposal to reduce the rent according to the Dutch points system and include proof of the check you carried out online. Give the landlord a specific period of time to respond to your letter. A reasonable period is at least five working days.

There is a good chance that you will not receive a response from your landlord. If this is the case, it is time to consult the Rent Assessment Committee. You can file a case with the Rent Assessment Committee to have a fair rent determined. The Rent Assessment Committee’s decision is legally binding. The Rent Assessment Committee is an alternative, out-of-court arbitration service. It provides information, mediates and arbitrates, and has the right to assess whether you are paying too much rent, based on the same points system.

After the Rent Assessment Committee’s ruling

If the Rent Assessment Committee determines that you are paying too much rent, your landlord is legally obliged to refund the money for the months that you have overpaid, including service costs. Unfortunately, the Rent Assessment Committee cannot and will not help you with this; they can only determine that you are entitled to a refund.

If it turns out that you were already paying a fair price for the room, you will only have to pay the £25 administration fee to the Rent Assessment Committee. The rent will not be adjusted. Although this is unlikely, as 8/10 cases submitted to the Rent Assessment Committee concerning the amount of rent are decided in favour of the tenant.

It is important to bear in mind that legal proceedings with your landlord over the rent are unfortunate and unpleasant. It can be frustrating, energy-intensive and may result in a poor relationship with your landlord. However, you are fully within your rights to do so and it is important that students stand up for themselves! If more students do this, landlords will be less likely to continue charging unfair rents in the future. If they intimidate or threaten you about the proceedings, contact your local council (every council has a place where you can report landlords for misconduct) or the police (depending on how serious the threats are) or your local rent team. On a more positive note, a landlord cannot simply evict you from your room for these reasons, as you are legally protected.

Your landlord must refund your deposit within 14 days of the end of the rental period, as long as you have left the property you rented in accordance with the agreements and without damage.

There is an exhaustive list of reasons for which a landlord may retain (part of) your deposit. These are:

• Damage to the property caused by the tenant
• Rent arrears
• Unpaid service charges
• Unpaid energy performance charges

If a final settlement is required, the landlord must refund the remaining amount within 30 days, instead of 14. Other items such as wear and tear and damage resulting from poor or overdue maintenance by the landlord may not be deducted from the deposit by the landlord.

If your landlord has refused to refund (part of) the deposit at the end of the tenancy period, the first step is to send a formal letter requesting (part of) your deposit back. You can find a template for such a letter here.

Has the landlord not responded to the formal letter? Then we recommend that you contact us using the form above. We will be happy to help you find legal support.

Proper documentation: preventing disputes about deposits

There are several ways to prevent disputes with your landlord about the deposit. At the start of the tenancy agreement, make as complete an inventory of the property as possible in collaboration with your landlord. If no report has been drawn up at the start of the tenancy, it is expected that the property has been handed over to you in good condition. And before the end of the tenancy agreement, record your living space as accurately as possible. This way, you can prove to the landlord that you have left the property in good condition.