Housing service provided by Vrije University – Short stay (furnished & for 1 year)
VU Amsterdam works with several housing corporations. Please see below the corporations and the
housing that they provide.
Below are the facilities of the buildings that the housing corporations provide:
If you prefer a modern, clean and relatively new building, we advise you to choose accommodation at
other locations than Uilenstede. For the buildings at Uilenstede it is important to note that most of
them were built in the 1970s, although some of them have been renovated in recent years. In general,
this location is suitable for students who are looking for budget accommodation.
If your plan is to meet many students, have dinners and/or drinks together, we advise you to choose a
room with shared facilities (kitchen and/or bathroom). If you rather prefer a more private
environment, we suggest you book a (self- contained) studio. If you prefer both, our advice would be
to book a studio at Uilenstede, which is our largest housing campus where you can find a lively student
community and many student facilities. Generally speaking, there is less social interaction between
students at other locations.
In contrast to the city center, Uilenstede is located in a green area in between two parks and close to
the Amsterdam forest (Amsterdamse Bos). Krelis Louwenstraat, Cornelis Lelylaan, Mosaic World, and
StuNest are located in the Western part of town. Pierre Lallementstraat is located in the East area of
Amsterdam, and is considered to be more multicultural. Please note that De
Boelelaan/Groningenstraat is accommodation in a residential area and not suitable for parties. On the
other hand, De Boelelaan/Groningenstraat is very close to the university campus of VU Amsterdam.
OurCampus/OurDomain Amsterdam Diemen is located in the adjacent town of Diemen in the Southeast. Finally, BOLD is located across the river IJ in the upcoming North area. Student Experience is an
innovative full service concept that offers sustainable housing for students from all backgrounds. A
place where you can fully focus on your studies while enjoying student life to the fullest. Mosaic World
has two different locations, WASA student village and a newly built building called De Flier (opened in
July 2023).
On the map, you will find an overview of where these buildings are located in Amsterdam. In terms of
logistics, please view the tables below:
For pictures of the location, please check the webpage:
https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/e5834b58-b891-41aa-bc281bce1cc370ee/Short%20stay%20furnished%202023-2024.pdf
Housing service provided by Vrije University – Campus contracts (unfurnished and unlimited)
Campus contracts are offered by the housing corporation Student Experience. For our Bachelor and
two-year Master students we have reserved accommodation in 2 different complexes:
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Student Experience Amsterdam Zuidas
Student Experience Amsterdam Amstel
The map on the following page will provide you an overview of where these buildings are located in
Amsterdam.
For pictures of the location, please check the webpage:
https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/65156215-87af-4e77-baeb0190fd3f26ee/Campus%20Contracts%202023-2024.pdf
Time-based platforms in Amsterdam:
If you decide to stay in Amsterdam for longer than one year, we strongly advise you to register anyway
on:
https://www.room.nl/en/
https://www.studentenwoningweb.nl/en/
These are working with registration time. Out of all students responding to a listing, the room is offered
to the student ranked highest on the waiting list. This registration might not offer you a room for the
first year but can be an option for students who have housing via VU Amsterdam for the first year and
need to find housing for the second or third year of their studies.
The benefit of registration at the platforms is that you are building up registration time for after your
first year. Self-contained housing on the platform ROOM is allocated on the basis of registration time.
Self-contained means you have your own kitchen and bathroom. The longer you are registered, the
more options you will have.
Since you will be at a disadvantage compared to Dutch students, who often registered a while ago
already, the social housing provider DUWO has a priority ruling for first-year students (Bachelor's and
Master's) coming from abroad. For self-contained housing, there is priority for the following buildings
in and around Amsterdam:
If you are offered one of these rooms, you will receive a campus contract for the entire duration of
your studies. Please note that these rooms are non-furnished. You will have to arrange your own
furniture (and sometimes flooring and fixtures too). DUWO does not inspect the room beforehand. If
the room is not in good order upon arrival, please contact DUWO as soon as possible.
When you register at ROOM.nl with an address from outside the Netherlands, you will automatically
skip the waiting list when you respond to listings at the above-mentioned locations.
The priority is valid for contracts with start dates between June 1st and September 30th. This means
that you can respond to priority rooms from May 1. For more information, please see below:
https://www.duwo.nl/en/i-search/student-room/are-you-searching-for-a-room/priority/translate-toengels-voorrangsregeling-voor-internationale-studenten#/
You must be able to prove that you have recently come from abroad. This can be done, for example,
by sending a copy of a recent diploma or bankstatement. The document must prove that you have
lived abroad in the past 3 months.
Once you have found a room, you will receive a campus contract. This means that you can rent the
room as long as you study in the Netherlands. After completing your studies, you can continue to rent
for 6 months.
Finding a flat outside of Amsterdam:
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Zaandam
Hoofddorp
Almere
Haarlem
Diemen
Purmerend
Support during search:
The !WOON tenant support agency (funded by the Amsterdam municipality) provides information,
advice and support for tenants and owner-occupants. Confidentially and free of charge. By giving
internationals more insight into the Dutch rental market and their rights and obligations as tenants
they hope to contribute to their stay in Amsterdam.
https://www.wooninfo.nl/english/
Platforms for searching flats:
 https://www.funda.nl
 https://studentexperience.com
 https://kamernet.nl/en/for-rent/room-amsterdam
 https://www.pararius.nl
 https://clawq.com
 https://www.duwo.nl/#/
 https://www.nestpick.com
 https://www.plazaresidentservices.com/en-nl
 https://rentslam.com
 https://www.roomspot.nl/en/
 https://www.smart-wonen.nl/en-gb/woningaanbod?status=rent&offer=any
 https://www.sshxl.nl/nl
 https://www.thesocialhub.co
 https://www.uniplaces.com
 https://www.xior.be/en/
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We advise you to sign up for RoomPlaza, Housing Anywhere and Kamernet. They all offer housing not
only in Amsterdam, but also in surrounding towns and villages.
https://www.roomplaza.com
The platform where (international) students can book their accommodation with a group or as an
individual entirely online. Booking a flat is safe and secure. Tenants can book flats on the basis of
accurate descriptions, photos and video viewings. And what’s more - as long as your numbers are
correct - RoomPlaza offers flats for your entire group. If you do not have a group yet, you can use the
find-flatmate-tool to create one! Their Customer Service Team is available and can be contacted daily,
so you can be assured that things will run smoothly.
https://housinganywhere.com
For Housing Anywhere, you can get a 20% discount on the subscription fee, a VU Amsterdam priority
profile and priority access to the listings in Amsterdam sign up here. You can find information about
finding your new place on the how it works page.
https://hospihousing.com/gb/
Hospi Housing is the biggest platform for homestay in the Netherlands. They offer a free-to-use
platform with hundreds of verified hosts and guest families. Hospi Housing does not charge any
registration fees, you only pay a one-time fee if you find a room. Before and during your stay they
provide personal advice to get you well prepared for your arrival in Amsterdam.
Staying with a host or guest family will provide you with a soft landing in town and is the perfect way
to get in touch with Dutch culture and language. You’ll have your own private room and shared facilities
like a kitchen and bathroom.
For more platforms, please see the link below:
https://assets-us-01.kc-usercontent.com/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/5d1f2769-fcb04013-b5b8-9e61ce4e2c54/Finding%20housing%20independently%202023.pdf
Rental law
https://dutchstudentunion.nl/rental-law-how-does-it-work/
Rent allowance
For now, it is good to know that you need to:
1. Book a room that is qualified for rental allowance
2. Arrive in NL
3. Register yourself at the municipality with your contract (possible during the arrival days)
4. Wait for the confirmation letter with your BSN (it is like a social security number)
5. Apply for your DigID (it is a login for all governmental stuff)
6. Once you have a DigID, you can apply for rental allowance, please send an e-mail for the
instruction sheet.
In general: all housing units with 100% private facilities. (Private room, private kitchen and private
bathroom) are eligible for housing allowance. Selected housing units with shared facilities might be
eligible. The allowance is only given for a certain part of your monthly rent. This amount is called the
REKENHUUR. The REKENHUUR is the sum of 4 rent components:
1. Basic rent (‘kale huur’)
2. Energy cost common areas (maximum is € 12,00)
3. Cleaning cost common areas (maximum € 12,00)
4. Caretaker cost (maximum € 12,00)
There is no fixed income limit for rent allowance. The Dutch Government looks at your qualifying
income. This is approximately your gross annual income. The higher your income, the less housing
benefit you will receive. Financial support through parents, scholarships or study grants is NOT seen
as part of your income! Your personal total assets should not exceed €31.747,00. Total assets for
partners should not exceed €63.494,00.
If you are younger than 23 years of age the so called ‘Rekenhuur’ may not extend €442,46 in order to
apply for housing allowance. In case your age is 23 or older, this ‘Rekenhuur’ may not exceed €763,47.
The housing corporation can explain how much the ‘Rekenhuur’ is.
It is not possible to apply for housing allowance from abroad. You must apply after arrival. First you
need to sign your housing contract and have registered with the municipality.
For more information, please check the below website:
https://www.belastingdienst.nl/wps/wcm/connect/bldcontenten/belastingdienst/individuals/benefit
s/moving_to_the_netherlands/i_live_in_a_rented_house/i_live_in_a_rented_house?projectid=c512
a2f0-55d3-45fa-89e5-57a0c9b583cc&projectid=c512a2f0-55d3-45fa-89e557a0c9b583cc&projectid=c512a2f0-55d3-45fa-89e5-57a0c9b583cc&projectid=c512a2f0-55d3-45fa89e5-57a0c9b583cc&projectid=c512a2f0-55d3-45fa-89e5-57a0c9b583cc&projectid=c512a2f0-55d345fa-89e5-57a0c9b583cc
https://assets.vu.nl/d8b6f1f5-816c-005b-1dc1-e363dd7ce9a5/b0e998d4-44fa-46c7-af4d64e7f4da2203/Housing%20allowance%20Rent%20allowance%202021-2022.pdf
https://www.iamexpat.nl/expat-info/allowances-benefits-netherlands/rent-allowance-huurtoeslag
Taxes
https://www.amsterdam.nl/en/municipal-taxes/apply-tax-waiver/
Scams
Please make sure a housing offer is legitimate. Check the address, the landlord and the letting agent
via an internet search or through the Kadaster property register:
https://www.kadaster.nl/about-us
https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/live-work-study/living/housing/avoiding-housing-scams
https://www.wooninfo.nl/english/how-to-avoid-housing-scams/
Real estate realtors
https://www.nvm.nl/expat/
Regulations good to know
Under Dutch law a contract can already be reached by mutual agreement, even if nothing has been
signed yet. If a landlord agrees to let tenants use the living accommodation and to accept their rental
payments in return, that is a legally binding contract. Tenants in this situation are protected by Dutch
rental law, with all of the same tenants’ rights and obligations as tenants who do have written
contracts. In fact, tenants without written contracts can sometimes even be better off. Written
contracts often contain restrictions to the tenants (such as a “no sub-letting” clause) which otherwise
wouldn’t apply.
Please note that this also means that if tenants asked to rent an apartment by a certain date and the
landlord or agent accepted, they could already be legally bound by a contractual agreement. Which
could mean that if the tenants changed their minds and decided to rent a different apartment the only
way out of the first apartment would be to give notice. The legal notice period is usually one month so
they could still be obliged to pay at least one month’s rent on the first one.
How to reclaim unjust agency fees
A lot of internationals living in Amsterdam have paid a fee to an agent. According Dutch law in most
cases this is not allowed. Here’s what you can do if you did pay a fee.
How to reclaim unjust agency fees
If you rented an apartment in the past five years and you were charged agency fees, usually about a
month’s rent plus taxes, this might not have been legal. If so, you might be able to claim a refund. This
article offers guidelines on how to do this.
https://www.wooninfo.nl/english/reclaim-unjust-agency-fees/
Useful website:
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How to avoid housing scams
Reclaim unjust agency fees
Deposit and how to get it back
Q & A kosten en procedures Change= (English below)
https://www.wooninfo.nl/english/