Housing Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a popular city to live in. This means finding a place to live can be challenging sometimes. It is important that you start looking on time. Also, you have to keep in mind that you might not be able to find what you are looking for the first time.
Tips & tricks
- Be actively looking. For example, join the introduction week, get to know people or join a student association.
- Accept a room in sublease or from a live-in landlord.
- Register on time and look at different places at the same time.
- Do not be too picky. You can always move on to a better room.
- Most people find a room through friends. Tell everyone you are looking for a place.
Also, take a look at the housing tips for international students for more information about living in Amsterdam.
Priority for international students
As an international student, you can get a priority when looking for a room in Amsterdam. Follow the steps below to find available rooms, or read the detailed instructions.
Log in to ‘My ROOM’ and click on ‘Suitable range’. Here you’ll find the available rooms you can respond to. You can respond to all ads. However, to increase your chances of finding a room, it’s strongly advised to respond to ads that give you a priority as an international student. If you filter on ‘priority’, you’ll get a selection of all the priority rooms for you. If you’re interested in a room, click on ‘Respond’ at the bottom of the page.
Happy ROOM-hunting!
Housing options
Social housing corporations
- Corporations: De Key, Duwo, Stadgenoot, Kamer Amsterdam of Ymere
- How: Sign in at their platforms through www.studentenwoningweb.nl and www.room.nl.
- When: React in May and June (July and August are often too late).
Already renting with Duwo or Idealis in Delft or Wageningen? Contact Duwo directly about the possibilities of moving to Amsterdam.
Private accommodations
A few options for private accommodations in the Amsterdam area are:
- CASA Academica (October till June, waiting list, €455 - €660 a month).
- The Student Hotel Amsterdam
- Campus Diemen Zuid
- The Student Experience
- Camelot
- Holland2Stay
How to avoid rental scams
- Does the offer sound too good to be true? Then it probably is.
- Be wary of landlords who only offer an email address, a mobile phone number or a Facebook page.
- Check who owns the apartment via the Kadaster property register.
- Talk to neighbours.
- Be extra careful about renting an apartment you haven’t seen. If you’re not in the country yet, can you ask someone – for example a colleague, friend or classmate – to view the apartment for you?
- Take your time and don’t let anyone pressure you.
- Deposits are legal, many other fees, such as agency fees, disproportionally high administration fees or contract fees are not.
- Don’t pay cash!
- Test the keys before you hand over large sums of money.
- Contact the police if you have been scammed.
