Upon departure

Accommodation check-out

Room check-out

Check your departure instructions with your housing provider. Please note that it might not be possible to hand in your room keys or schedule a room end inspection during weekends or holidays. Always notify your housing provider well before you leave.

How to leave your room behind

Clean your room thoroughly and leave your room without personal belongings and undamaged: in the same condition as you found it during check-in, to avoid a fine or deduction of your paid deposit.

Go green!

Inform yourself where and when you can leave any garbage near your building. Avoid any fines: do not leave garbage or large items outside of the waste bins. We encourage actions taken toward sustinability. Donate or sell any goods or furniture. Check if your building community organises any give-away events or platforms. Facebook marketplace and the platform Marktplaats(opens in new window) are also easy to use platforms to sell or give away items.  
 

End of AUAS rental contract

If you rent through one of the AUAS housing partners, it is unfortunately never possible to end your rental contract early. All contracts are semester contracts, ending after the Fall semester or in Summer. For example: If you leave before or during the Christmas break, you still need to pay for the month of January.

Refund of deposit

If you have paid a deposit at the start of your rental contract, this amount will be refunded after your rental contract ends, on the condition that you leave the room clean, tidy and undamaged. Your housing provider may need a processing time of your deposit refund of max. 90 days after the end of your lease. It is unfortunately not possible to skip the rental payment of the last month and to deduct this amount from your deposit. So you will always still have to pay for the last month upfront (payment is due as usual at the end of the previous calendar month).

Deregistration or change address with the municipality

Leaving the Netherlands
Deregistration is not done automatically. You have to deregister with the municipality yourself and in time, to avoid being taxed while you no longer live in the Netherlands. If you are leaving the Netherlands just temporarily, only deregister if you are expecting to spend at least eight consecutive months abroad.

Municipality of Amsterdam
Send the municipality your deregistration request online (only possible with DigiD(opens in new window)), by post or at a city office. Check their contact details and notification deadlines here(opens in new window).

If you rent from housing provider Lieven De Key, you can deregister online on the De Key website(opens in new window). This makes the process easier, as De Key will forward your deregistration to the municipality for you. Please note that you will not receive a confirmation of the deregistration from the municipality.

Municipality of Diemen
Send the municipality your deregistration request by post. 

If you live in a different municipality (e.g. Amstelveen), check with this municipality on how to deregister.

Moving to a different address within Amsterdam? 

You need to notify the municipality of your relocation. Your BSN will stay the same. You can do this online(opens in new window) if you have a DigiD, by post or at a city office.

Moving to a different municipality in the Netherlands?

If you move to a different municipality in the Netherlands, you need to inform the new municipality of your change of address within 5 weekdays of moving. You will be registered as a new resident and you will be deregistered from your former municipality. Your BSN will stay the same. If you continue your studies at AUAS, we will receive your new address automatically via the BRP (Municipal Personal Records Database). It is your own responsibility to make sure the municipality always has your current address, so please keep it up to date.

Appeal your municipal taxes

If you do not deregister from the municipality, you risk getting taxed in your home country. Even if you have deregistered, tax letters may still be sent to your address in your home country.

Local taxes

Anyone living in accommodation with a 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). These taxes are not included in your rent. The tax bill will be sent to you directly by the municipality of Amsterdam or the water authority. Because tax bills are sent once a year, you might receive it after your stay in Amsterdam has ended. Or you might not hear anything at all, if you are lucky. 

Appealing local taxes

I did not receive a tax letter
Great! You do not need to take any action.

Did you receive a tax letter?
For some students it is possible to get exempted from the local taxes. You do not need to pay these taxes for example if your income is low. There are certain (financial) requirements you will need to meet. Unfortunately, the housing team cannot assist you in these appeals, as these go beyond our knowledge and expertise. Please find the links below to ask for assistance directly at the specific authorities.

Appeal waste collection charge (afvalstoffenheffing)

• Consult the municipality of Amsterdam website for information on how to submit an appeal(opens in new window). 
• Find more information here on the waste collection charge(opens in new window).

Appeal water authority tax (Waternet - waterschapsbelasting)

• Consult the Waternet website for information on how to submit an appeal(opens in new window). 
• Find more information here on the water authority tax(opens in new window).

Arranging housing after the first semester(s)

The AUAS can unfortunately only provide housing for the first year of your study programme. We cannot offer another room. You will have to find alternative housing by yourself after the end date of your current rental contract.

As you probably know, it is very hard to find affordable housing in Amsterdam. Therefore we strongly recommend to register with Studentenwoningweb(opens in new window) and ROOM(opens in new window), in case you have not done this already at the start of your stay. Both platforms work with a waiting list. The sooner you apply, the longer your waiting time (meaning: more chance of finding a new place). They offer affordable rooms with housing corporations such as DUWO and De Key.

You can find some other recommendations for finding housing independently here.

Redefine your budget

If you change housing in the Netherlands it is very common that you have to pay double rent for your current rental contract and for the new rental contract. Also, housing providers always request a deposit prior to moving in. The refund of your current deposit will probably arrive too late to cover the deposit of your new rental contract. Therefore, make sure you have a financial buffer if you switch houses.

What else?

If you leave the Netherlands:

• Close your Dutch bank account by notifying your bank. Recurring bank charges will be continued, if you do not close your account. Set your account balance to € 0,00 before closing the account. 
• Cancel your Dutch health insurance. Be sure to file your insurance claims before leaving and before cancelling your insurance.
• Cancel any other insurances or allowances
• Cancel your rent benefit  (but be aware not to close your Dutch bank account too soon to receive your last allowance)
• Hand in your residence permit(opens in new window) (non-EU only)
• If you have furniture, books or a bike which you would like to leave behind, you could try to sell them or give them away for free. For instance at a second-hand shop or in the social media group of your building or on @uva.secondhand(opens in new window).
• Donate your clothes! There are green deposit boxes all over Amsterdam.