Costs of AUAS student housing

On this page you find information about the costs of living in AUAS accommodation, including the application fee and possible council taxes. You can also see if you are liable for housing benefit. 

AUAS housing fee

When applying for student housing on our housing platform, you are required to pay a one-time AUAS housing fee. The housing fee helps to cover the AUAS expenses related to providing student housing and reserving a designated quota of rooms for international students. These costs can legitimately not be covered by university funds, which are meant for academic purposes. The housing fee is non-refundable* and will also not be debited from future rent or future fees at the housing provider or any other fees at the AUAS.

AUAS housing fee per person**:
€245 for 1 semester
€485 for 2 semesters

You can pay online in euros, using either a credit card (Visa or Eurocard/Mastercard), PayPal or Ideal. Other payment methods are unfortunately not possible.

Bachelor/master students will receive a housing invitation for the entire academic year (2 semesters) and pay the full 2 semester housing fee. The 1 semester housing fee is only available for exchange students who will study for 1 semester at AUAS.

Rent

AUAS student housing rent varies between €400 to €1000 per month. The exact figure depends on the room type, the size, whether it is a private or shared room and the type of facilities (private or shared). The monthly rent includes electricity, gas, water and internet. The rent has to be paid directly to the housing provider. Most students pay rent per month. With some of the housing providers it is also possible to pay the entire semester upfront. The rent does not include administration fees, deposit and local taxes. 

Tip: Check the cost of living in Amsterdam and public transport costs(opens in new window) before determining your monthly rent budget.

Fixed rental period
When you sign your rental contract, you agree with the fixed rental period and commit to paying for this fixed period: minimum 1 semester and maximum 2 semesters. Find out more about rental periods.

AUAS Housing providers: administration fee, deposit and first rental payment

You will be offered a room from one of the housing providers we work with. To finalize the booking at the housing provider, you need to pay the first month’s rent, administration costs and a deposit. This means that the first payment can be a significant amount. Make sure you are able to pay this before your arrival in Amsterdam. 

Non-EU students: These amounts can unfortunately not be deducted from your proof of financial means for obtaining your residence permit.

Payment method
The first rental payment to the housing provider always has to be done by credit card (Visa or Eurocard/Mastercard). The creditcard has to be valid for at least 1,5 years from now. Other payment methods are unfortunately not possible. Monthly payments can be done by bank transfer. You will receive payment instructions from your housing provider.

Administration fee
On top of the AUAS housing fee and to finalise your room reservation, you will need to pay a one-time administration fee to the housing provider. This fee is non-refundable and covers the extra costs that are incurred when renting to and providing customised services for international students.

Deposit
Tenants are required to pay a deposit before the start of their rental contract. This deposit is refunded at the end of your stay if you leave the room clean, tidy and undamaged and after returning your room keys.

First rental payment
Your room reservation will be confirmed only after the housing provider has received your first payment prior to your arrival:

Local taxes

Anyone living in accommodation with private bathroom and private kitchen is expected to pay local taxes for services such as rubbish collection (waste collection charge) and water treatment (water authority tax). This applies to both AUAS and non-AUAS housing.

These taxes are not included in the rent. The tax bill will be sent to you directly by the municipality of Amsterdam. Because this happens once a year, you might receive message of this during or after your stay in Amsterdam. Or you might not hear anything at all. 

Please contact your housing provider to find out if you have to pay for local taxes. See our departure page for more information.

Rent benefit

If you live in housing with private bathroom and kitchen - whether AUAS or non-AUAS housing - you may be eligible for a rent benefit (in Dutch: huurtoeslag) from the Dutch government. Check the step-by-step instructions in the PDF below. When calculating your monthly budget, do not take this rent benefit into consideration. This benefit will not be deducted from your rent, but received separately, often only months later after your rent benefit application. Therefore, we advise you to see the benefit as a nice bonus, and definitely not a certainty. The Dutch tax office provides detailed information on rent benefit eligibility conditions and how to apply (opens in new window).

Please note:

• If you applied for AUAS housing, we can unfortunately not guarantee that you will receive a room offer for an address which is eligible for rent benefit.
• Exchange students can unfortunately not apply for rent benefit.
• If you change accommodation or if you no longer fulfil the conditions, do not forget to end the rent benefit. You need to notify the Belastingdienst 4 weeks upfront. If your new housing still fulfils the requirements for huurtoeslag, you can apply again for your new address.