Room Shortage by City
The Netherlands has a shortage of 20,000+ student rooms. Here is how each city is affected based on projected capacity loss by 2027.
Only 25% of international students find housing in their first month. Smaller cities (Enschede, Maastricht, Wageningen) have far more manageable markets. The education is excellent — the only trade-off is the city vibe.
City Housing Explorer
Select a city to see room types, price ranges, and tips.
Tip:
Scam Detection Quiz
Housing fraud targeting international students grew from 1.4% to 9.3% of all fraud cases. Can you spot the scams?
Anti-Scam Checklist
Follow every rule. No room is worth losing EUR 1,000+ to a scammer. Toggle each item as you verify it.
Housing Types Explained
Largest student housing provider. Rooms allocated through waiting list — the longer you have been registered, the higher your priority. Register on room.nl the moment you decide to apply to a Dutch university. Wait times: 1–5 years for a studio.
Active in Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden, The Hague, Amstelveen. Both temporary and permanent student housing. Often the first option universities point students to. Wait: 6 months to 4 years.
Most expensive option. Amsterdam shared rooms start EUR 600–800. Use kamernet.nl (EUR 30/3 months). Much higher scam risk on platforms like Facebook and Telegram. See Living Costs for full budget context.
Living in vacant buildings to prevent squatting. Very cheap but temporary (can be asked to leave with 2 weeks notice). Less tenant protection. Good short-term option while searching for permanent housing. Providers: Camelot, Ad Hoc, Alvast.
Survival Checklist
- Register on room.nl and kamernet.nl months before admission. Queue position = registration date.
- Email your university's housing service the moment you get admitted. Be persistent.
- Book temporary housing (hostel/Airbnb) for first 2–4 weeks. Budget EUR 500–1,000.
- Join incoming student WhatsApp/Signal groups. Many rooms pass between students informally.
- BSN catch-22: No address = no BSN = no bank/insurance/job. Ask your university about temporary registration addresses. See Visa Guide.