Frequently Asked Questions

AUAS Housing

Please make sure you've visited our housing pages - particularly the applications guides - before browsing the questions below.

Pick a topic

• Eligibility
• Application
• Locations and providers
• Fees and other costs
• Receiving a room offer
• Cancellation
• During your stay
• Privacy and data

Eligibility

Why can’t AUAS help every student with accommodation?

Amsterdam is a very popular place to live. Students (Dutch and international), as well as many others are looking for places to stay, and therefore affordable housing is scarce. Under certain conditions, you may be eligible for AUAS housing. In this tight housing market, AUAS Housing has a limited number of rooms (approx. 600 units) reserved, which can accommodate roughly 60% of the newly incoming international students every semester. ​​​​​​To give everyone a fair chance, we organise a lottery.

I am an international student (from e.g. the Dutch Antilles, Suriname) but I will be starting a Dutch-taught degree programme in August/September. Am I eligible for housing?

AUAS cannot guarantee housing for international students starting a Dutch-taught degree programme, but we will try to assist you depending on availability. Please contact us to explore your options, preferably before June as AUAS housing will be fully booked after that.

I am going to do a part-time degree programme. Am I eligible for AUAS Housing?

No, unfortunately we cannot assist part-time (deeltijd) students. Due to Dutch legislation we cannot offer shortstay rental contracts to part-time students.

What if I don't receive conditional acceptance in time for my housing application?

The processing time of study applications can differ per faculty. Your study application might therefore not receive the status ‘conditionally accepted’ in time for the housing application period. The housing department works with a lottery system and a short application period and we can unfortunately not prioritise students when their admission to the study programme has a long processing time. 

Can I apply for AUAS Housing if I am younger than 18 years old?

Yes, most of our housing providers accept students younger than 18 years old. In some cases, they will ask your parents or legal guardian to (digitally) co-sign the rental contract with you.

If you are going to search on the private market, keep in mind that finding housing will be particularly difficult for you. Some (commercial) housing providers do not accept rental contracts signed by parents/legal guardians or do not even provide any accommodation to minors.

I started my studies at the AUAS in September 2023 and did not use AUAS Housing before. Can I still apply for the AUAS housing lottery?

Unfortunately it is not possible anymore for degree seeking students who already started their studies in September at the AUAS to apply for housing. We advise you to register for waiting time-based platforms and also check our recommendations for finding housing on the private market.

Application

Why do I have to wait until June to apply for housing? 

Unfortunately, we cannot start any earlier with the housing applications. Several AUAS study programmes have different application deadlines up until June. These study applications need to be processed and reviewed. We would like to give everyone a fair chance to apply for housing. Therefore, everyone can apply for the hosuing lottery at the same time in a specific period in June (and in November for exchange students coming in the Spring semester).

How can I be sure my housing invitation email will get through to me?

Your personal housing invitation email is sent from myinfo@hva.nl. We recommend you add this address to your 'safe senders' list in your AUAS email account. Check your spam folder as well.

What is my AUAS-ID?

Your AUAS-ID is a 5 to 7 letter code, sometimes followed by a number. Your AUAS-ID is not your student number. You have to activate your AUAS-ID(opens in new window) first before you can access the housing application form. 
Degree students: You should have received your AUAS-ID at the email address you provided in your Studielink account.
Exchange students: You will receive your AUAS-ID in May (Fall semester) or October (Spring semester). Please contact us if you have not received your AUAS-ID.

Can I share housing with friends or book the same building as my friends or close to my friends?

We do offer a very limited number of shared rooms (sleeping and living together in the same room) in budget category 1, but it is unfortunately not possible to sign up with a friend for flat sharing (having your own separate bedrooms but share a kitchen/bathroom).  It is also not possible to indicate a preferred building or location. If you want to share a flat or apartment together with friends, we advise you to explore the private market instead, but keep in mind that this will be a very challenging and expensive search.

Can I share housing with my partner when they are not an AUAS or UvA student?

No, unfortunately not. We do offer a very limited number of couples rooms and both of you need to be an AUAS or UvA student. More information on our locations & room types page.

Does AUAS Housing provide housing for families?

No, unfortunately not. We only offer rooms for single occupancy. We do have some couples rooms to share with your partner -without accompanying childeren-, but your partner also has to be a student at the AUAS or UvA. If you plan on coming to the Netherlands and bring your partner and/or childeren, we strongly advise you to start your search as soon as possible on the private market. Keep in mind that the average single room rate in Amsterdam is € 945 per month and for an appartment approximately € 1200-2200 per month.

Locations and providers

Can I view any of the housing locations/buildings?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to view any locations or buildings before you apply. We work with several different housing providers and our buildings are spread out throughout the city of Amsterdam. Our rooms are also always fully booked. For privacy reasons we cannot show any inhabited rooms. To get an impression of the offered accommodation, you can visit the websites of our housing partners Lieven De Key(opens in new window), DUWO(opens in new window), StuNest-Spartaan(opens in new window), Student Experience(opens in new window) (location Amsterdam NDSM and Minervahaven) and OurCampus(opens in new window).

Can I use AUAS Housing if I have a medical condition?

Yes, if you have any special needs regarding your accommodation due to a disability or medical condition, please contact us to discuss your housing options and to request a form which needs to be filled in by you and your treating medical professional. The deadline to submit your form to the International Student Housing Office for the Fall semester is 12 June 2024. The deadline for Spring 2025 will be early November 2024. Submissions after this deadline will unfortunately not be taken into account. You also need to upload the statement in your housing application in November/June. If you do not contact AUAS Housing well in advance, it will be unfortunately difficult to meet your housing needs.

Can I bring my pet?

No, unfortunately pets are not allowed in our student accommodations. If you want to bring your pet, we advise you to search for housing on the private market.

Will my room mates/house mates be from the same university/faculty?

All of our housing is also offered via other higher educational institutions in Amsterdam. It is therefore likely you will also be sharing with students from other higher educational institutions (universities or universities of applied sciences).

Are meals included?

No. Your housing offers your own (shared or private) kitchen to cook your own meals. We do not offer any accommodation with meal plans.

Fees and other costs

What is the difference between the AUAS housing fee and the administration fee at the housing provider?

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 which incurs when renting to and providing customised services for international students.

Are there any hidden costs?

All our monthly rental rates include electricity, water, gas and internet. In addition to rent, you must pay administrative fees, a refundable deposit and in some cases local taxes. Our offered housing is not always in walking distance from the university campuses. So please note that public transport in Amsterdam can be expensive. You need to calculate this in your monthly budget. Please also see our cost of living page.

Can I pay the total rent for an entire semester or year upfront?

Sometimes. With some housing providers, it is possible to pay your rent for an entire year or semester upfront. The default option is to pay in monthly instalments. Contact your housing provider when you are interested to pay your total rent upfront.

Receiving a room offer

I still haven't received a room offer.

If you received a message that your lottery result was positive, it may take several days to a few weeks before you will receive a room offer. Not all students will receive a room offer on the same day.

Does a housing offer mean I have been accepted to my study programme?

A successful housing application does not imply that you have been admitted to your study programme. The housing department has no information about your study programme admission progress.

Will I receive an offer from all housing providers?

You will receive a room offer from one of our housing providers only. Due to the housing shortage, it is not possible to 'shop around'.  If you miss the room offer, we will not be able to send another room offer.

Can I choose a location or building?

It is unfortunately not possible to indicate a preferred building or location. On our housing application platform, you will be asked to indicate your monthly budget. You will be offered a room in this budget, depending on availability.  

In the different budget categories, different room types are offered. Can I give a preference for a specific room type?

No, unfortunately we cannot meet any requests for a particular room type in a specific budget category, as this depends on availability. Choosing a higher budget will not increase your chances of receiving a room offer. Just choose the budget you can afford based on your monthly budget.

Why can I not change the end date of my contract?

The AUAS Housing service offers rental contracts for a fixed period of time (1 or 2 semesters).  This way we can keep the rental rates low for everyone. Therefore it is unfortunately not possible to change the end date of your contract. Start and end dates may differ per room. The exact start dates and end dates are listed in the room offer during the booking process and on the contract for the accommodation. Some rooms will not have an end date in Mid August, but an end date in June or July due to arriving Summer School students. Unfortunately it depends on the availability of rooms which specific end date you will be offered.

When can I move in?

You will be able to move in from the start date stated in your rental contract. Early arrival is not possible. Late arrival is possible, but you have to contact your housing provider about your arrival date and to arrange your key pick-up. Check the Housing Regulations page for our rental periods.

Cancellation

Cancellation policy and refunds

It depends on when you cancel your housing application if you receive a refund. For an overview of the cancellation and refund policy of the AUAS housing fee and the costs that you made when booking your room at one of the housing providers, go to the Housing Regulations page.

I have not received a room offer yet. How do I cancel my housing application?

You can cancel your housing application yourself. Open your housing request via your personal page on MyInfo(opens in new window). After your cancellation, the AUAS housing fee will be refunded within 6 weeks to the bank account you have provided in the cancellation form.

I have already received a room offer. How do I cancel my housing application?

Contact us in order to cancel your housing application. Please note that the AUAS housing fee will not be refunded at this stage. The housing fee remains non-refundable if your visa application or study/course enrolment was unsuccessful.

I have already booked a room and signed my contract. How do I cancel my housing application?

If you want to cancel your room reservation and signed contract, please contact us. Be aware that you will not be able to reserve another room when you cancel your reservation and that costs are involved. It depends on when you cancel your room reservation if you will receive a refund or not. Check the table on our Housing Regulations page.

I have already arrived in Amsterdam. Can I still cancel my contract?

Our rental contracts are semester contracts with a fixed end date. When you sign your rental contract, you agree with the fixed rental period with a maximum of 1 or 2 semesters. These contracts can only be terminated early when you cancel your study enrolment for compelling reasons.

I have terminated my degree programme. Can I cancel my housing contract?

Yes. Please contact us to arrange early termination of your housing contract. Send proof of your study disenrolment. this can be the confirmation of your disenrollent in Studielink. Please note that costs and a term of notice (usually 4 weeks) are involved and that a rental cotnract cannot be shortened retroactively. After 30 April 2024, it is no longer possible to shorten your rental contract.

Note for exchange students: leaving Amsterdam before the official end date of your (Erasmus) exchange period does not count as a cancellation of your study enrolment.

During your stay

What should I do with personal issues?

In case of significant personal circumstances, we advise you to contact the student counsellors or student psychologists. They are specialised in assisting international students.

What should I do with issues with room mates?

We understand that living with someone from a different culture can be hard to get used to. In case you keep experiencing issues with your room mates, you can take the following steps:
1. Try to come to a solution together by setting up house rules together. If this does not help;
2. You can talk to the building caretaker or Resident Assistant (together). They can act as a mediator. Still no solution?
3. Contact a student counsellor for help and advice.

What should I do with health issues?

In case you are experiencing health issues, we advise you to contact your doctor. Do not have a doctor in Amsterdam yet? Go to the General Practitioners Practice AUAS(opens in new window). They are specialised in assisting international students. Make sure you have health insurance, to avoid high costs.

What should I do with maintenance issues?

In case you are experiencing maintenance issues, please contact your housing provider. They handle all maintenance requests.

Privacy and data

What will you do with my personal data after my housing application?

The information sent in the housing application form will be used by the AUAS to offer our housing services. For that reason, the AUAS stores and shares this information with its housing partners and the municipality of Amsterdam. These housing partners require this information to offer rooms within the contingent of AUAS, while the municipality needs it to identify you as a resident of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. To establish if you are still eligible for accommodation through the housing service of the AUAS, we will save your data for a maximum of 3 years. We may also use this information to approach you for participation in customer research to improve our service.