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Housing

Are you planning on moving to Arnhem, Enschede or Zwolle for your study at ArtEZ? All three cities have a lot to offer you as a student. In the Netherlands, students do not live on a campus, and ArtEZ does not provide any form of housing. As a student you have to find your own housing.

Project Plein 16, ArtEZ master of Architecture
Project Plein 16, ArtEZ master of Architecture

Without any permanent accommodation you are highly likely to find yourself in hotels or hostels, if there is still space. This will involve high costs, inconvenience, and stress. This will likely last for a long period of time, probably months after your arrival. Therefore, finding accommodation must be a priority. Please do not underestimate the challenge of finding accommodation, as it is often a long and stressful process. On this page we will give you some tips for your search.

Housing Crisis

There is a Housing crisis nationwide in the Netherlands. The number of available rooms available (in all of the three cities ArtEZ is located) is far too low. So start your orientation on housing months before coming to the Netherlands. We kindly invite you to take this situation seriously before coming to the Netherlands. It could be that none of the options for finding a place has worked for you, and you have not found a permanent place before you travel to the Netherlands. If that is the case, there is nothing we can do to help you when you arrive here and you have no place to stay or live.

Our advise to you: listen to the podcast below before you start your search for housing. Three students share their experience and insights on their search of a place to live in the Netherlands. All topics that are relevant for you are discussed. After listening the podcast you have a more realistic view of the current housing situation in the Netherlands and what is to be expected. 

Listen here to the podcast

 

Tips & Facts

    • Affordable housing in Arnhem, Zwolle and Enschede is scarce, so start your search early.
    • Consider a room nearby the cities ArtEZ is located in. If you find a house outside of the city, then make sure you consider the potential extra travel time and travel costs.
      • For Arnhem: Ede, Velp, Rhenen or Ede
      • For Zwolle: Deventer and Kampen
      • For Enschede: Hengelo, Almelo, Oldenzaal or even Gronau (Germany, so, if you are an non-EU student, check if your visa is compliant).
    • Consider a temporary room (1 - 3 months) as a good option to start with. Multiple students have stayed temporarily in a chalet/bungalow on a campside when they could not find anything.
    • Facebook is an well used platform for finding housing. Use keywords as “Kamers te huur Enschede/Zwolle/Arnhem” to find groups where Housing is offered. Beware that most of the pages will be in Dutch. Also Facebook is often used by scammers. Below you can find some tips on how to avoid a rental scam.
    • It is common that commercial websites ask for a one-time or monthly payment, which gives you the opportunity to apply for rooms. You can consider to pay these fees so it increases your opportunities. At the end of the page there is a list of commercial websites that offer housing.

    Tips to avoid rental scamming

    Unfortunately, students are often the victim of a rental scam. Especially international students are an easy target for scammers. Scammers can be active on all kind of platforms that offer accommodation. Here you can find some tips how to recognize potential scamming:

    • Always check if the address of the accommodation you would like to use really exists.

    • Compare the pictures of the accommodation from the advertisement with Google Maps Streetview. Do not trust the advertisement when they do not match.

    • Do not visit a property alone. Make sure someone goes with you.

    • Arrange a viewing in person or via video chat. When a landlord cannot show you the room for some reason, this can be a warning sign.

    • Never transfer money to a landlord who claims to be abroad and will therefore post you the keys.

    • Get a receipt for the deposit you pay.

    • Make sure you understand the implications of your tenancy agreement. Check the website of the student union to know more about your rights as a tenant.

  • In some buildings, residents have the right to nominate new roommates themselves. This is called vote-in. Residents often invite a few candidates to a 'viewing' and choose their new roommate based on the viewing. Invited for a viewing? Here you can find a few tips for viewings.

  • In general, rooms are 10 – 24 m2. This may be quite small in comparison to what you are used to. It is common for men and women to live together in a shared house.

    • You might have to share facilities (shower, toilet, kitchen, living room).
    • Most rental contracts run for at least six months or a year.
    • In the Netherlands, an average room costs 400-700 euros per month. However due to the housing crisis prices can be higher than average. The deposit of the room can be one or two times the rent. The deposit needs to be paid before you move in.
    • For most of the rooms the costs for electricity, gas and water are included in the rent.
    • Additional costs may be charged for internet and other services such as a shared washing machine.
    • Most rooms do not have any furniture included.

  • Here are a few housing websites*

    Kamernet
    Kamer.nl
    Nestpick
    Pararius
    Rooming
    SJHT
    SSH Student Housing
    Kamers Arnhem
    Kamers Zwolle
    Kamers Enschede
    Hospi Housing
    Woninghub
    Housingtarget
     

    *It is always possible that scammers can be active on these websites. Please pay attention when you search on these websites.

  • You can also find more information about living in the Netherlands at Study in NL and check this video: Student Housing in the Netherlands | Study in NL.