Finding housing on your own

Finding a room in Amsterdam can be difficult due to the housing shortage. We therefore advise you to start your search as soon as possible. On this page you can find useful information to get you started.

Finding a place to stay: how to get started

Before you start searching, decide which type of accommodation you are looking for and determine your monthly budget. You could consider renting a room in a private home, flat-sharing with other students or staying in a student hotel. Write down your wishes and start searching within the categories of your preference. To make this easier, we created two useful documents for you:

Webinars: How to find a room in Amsterdam? 

We host live webinars a few times per year to help students along on the subject of finding accommodation on their own. A short presentation and the opportunity to ask questions to housing staff and student ambassadors were part of the webinars. You can see two of the recordings below, both with different student ambassadors. We will host a new webinar in Spring 2024. 

Podcast: finding student housing in the Netherlands

Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, made a podcast about finding housing. International students share their experiences and give tips on managing your expectations.

Rental law & how to avoid housing scams

Scams

Please be wary of scams while searching for accommodation on various platforms (such as Facebook). Check the !WOON website(opens in new window) for tips on how to avoid housing scams. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 

Support

Rules and regulations protect tenants’ rights in the Netherlands. Many tenants, especially students, aren’t sufficiently aware of this. The !WOON tenant support agency(opens in new window) (funded by the Amsterdam municipality) provides information, advice and support for tenants. Confidentially and free of charge. By giving internationals more insight into the Dutch rental market and their rights and obligations as tenants, !WOON hopes to contribute to their stay in Amsterdam.

Protection for tenants & rental law

Check the video below by the municipality of Amsterdam for more information on your rights as a tenant and for rules & legislation regarding renting an accommodation.

Youth hostels and affordable hotels

If you arrive before the start of your rental contract, you will need to find temporary accommodation for those first nights in the city.

Staying longer than 1 year? Register with waiting time-based platforms (longstay housing)

If you are planning on staying in Amsterdam for longer than one year, we strongly advise you to register as soon as possible on Dutch student housing websites: long before your arrival and as soon as you have registered for your degree programme.