Moving to a new place brings many challenges and opportunities; that’s common knowledge. However, moving to a new country can surprise and change you even more than you think! This is why it’s important to be well informed and make the most out of your temporary (or permanent) stay in a foreign country.

This series of articles is made especially for our beloved foreign exchange students, for whom a stay of 4 months eventually feels like 4 weeks. We know the feeling, which is why we want to prepare you as well as possible for you stay in the Netherlands with basic information, tips and some pointers from locals!

So, you decided on the Netherlands for exchange? Here you can find all the student housing options the Dutchies offer!

There are a lot of options for exchange students to find student housing in the Netherlands. However, it might be a good idea to review all of the options. Of course renting or even buying an apartment or studio just for you is a great idea, but there is a chance that this is too expensive. Below you can find all of the options that Holland offers their own and foreign students.

1. Campus housing
Although on-campus housing is not common in the Netherlands, some campuses do offer this form of housing. For example, the campus of Erasmus University Rotterdam and the University of Utrecht offer these services. The availability of housing is very limited, so applying on time via the university is a must!

2. Renting a full house or a studio for yourself.
While this option is expensive in cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, in other student cities in the Netherlands housing costs are lower. This makes renting a private place feasible and attractive. You can search for full apartments and studios on Kamernet.

Are you looking for housing – why don’t you check out Kamernet? Click to see all our offering!

3. Shared housing
Since rent in large cities, which are usually student cities, can be very expensive the typical Dutch thing to do is to share housing with roommates. The inhabitants of the apartment change often, since some go abroad, finish studying or decide to study elsewhere. This leads to the members of the house being very open to new people. Shared housing can vary from just one roommate or up to six or more roommates. If you like this option, we advise you keep your eyes open and check Facebook or Kamernet for roommate call-ups!

4. Living with a landlady
Just hear us out! This sounds really boring, we understand that, but there are a lot of Dutch students that choose this form of housing. Living with people who have large empty houses and busy lives in student cities can definitely be a good experience! While the landlord or lady gets some friendly company and a nice payday, students can enjoy tad more luxurious housing with the benefits of home, but with a lot more freedom. Important in such a situation is a clear statement of the expectations of both parties, so that everyone remains happy. In Dutch, we call this a ‘hospita’, so you can go ahead and search with that term.

5. Sorority or frat-house
This fun lifestyle might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the Dutchies also live in sororities and fraternities! While a requirement is to actually join the club, this is a fun way to bond quickly with locals and enjoy your new home optimally. These clubs are located in nearly all student cities; so finding one is not that hard. In the Netherlands, most houses are mixed, which can be extra fun. If you are interested in such housing, you can check with the university that you will attend or search for ‘studentenverenigingen’ on Kamernet!

Let us know in the comments below what you will be doing when you come to Holland! Do you have any other tips and suggestion? Feel free to share them with others!