Student Housing in the Netherlands: DUWO, ROOM.nl, Deposits and Scams

Fee figures: catalogue of 6 October 2026.

Finding a room is the hardest part of moving to the Netherlands to study. Institutions do not guarantee housing, waiting lists are long and the private market attracts scammers. Start looking the day you apply.

Who rents to students

• Student housing corporations. Non-profit landlords such as DUWO (Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Delft, The Hague, Leiden, Wageningen and other cities) and SSH (Utrecht, Groningen and other cities) let rooms and studios to students. DUWO alone has more than 33,000 student rooms and homes.
• Commercial student residences. Companies such as Xior run purpose-built student buildings at market rents.
• The private market. Rooms in shared houses and small studios let by private owners, often through platforms such as Kamernet.

How allocation works

For regular rooms at DUWO and several other corporations, you register on ROOM.nl. Rooms are allocated mainly by how long you have been registered, and you can register from the age of 16.

For international students the more realistic route is a contingent through your institution. DUWO, SSH and others reserve furnished rooms for new international students, and many universities run a housing office that books them. Places are limited, often go quickly after admission and may be offered for your first year only, so watch your email and read the contract length.

What it costs

Study in NL, the official portal run by Nuffic, says an average room costs between €450 and €1,000 a month, and quotes an average student rent of €561 a month based on 2024 figures from Nibud, the Dutch budgeting institute. Rooms reserved for international students are usually furnished, and their price often includes energy and internet.

Deposit and fees: what the law says

The Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap), in force since 1 July 2023, sets national rules that every landlord must follow:

• Deposit: at most two months' basic rent for contracts signed from 1 July 2023.
• Return: within 14 days after the tenancy ends, or within 30 days if the landlord deducts costs, with a written breakdown. Only unpaid rent, service charges, damage you caused and the energy performance fee may be deducted.
• Agency fees: if an agent works for the landlord, you pay no agency fee. Charging you for drawing up the contract is not allowed, and neither is key money (sleutelgeld).
• In writing: the landlord must confirm the tenancy in writing and inform you in writing of your rights, the deposit, service charges and the municipal reporting point.
• No discrimination of tenants or applicants.

Municipalities enforce these rules, and every municipality has a reporting point for complaints.

Is your rent fair?

Room rents are capped by a points system. The Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie) has an English rent check for rooms, and its rulings bind the landlord.

Rent benefit (huurtoeslag)

The Tax Administration pays rent benefit to tenants of a self-contained home: one with its own lockable front door, kitchen, toilet and, since 1 March 2024, its own shower or bath. A room that shares a kitchen or bathroom usually does not qualify, though there are exceptions. Income and savings limits apply (savings of at most €38,479 per person on 1 January 2026), and non-Dutch tenants must meet extra conditions about their residence status.

Registering your address

If you stay longer than four months, you must register at your address with the municipality within 5 days of arrival, usually showing your rental contract. Before signing, check that the landlord allows you to register at the address: offers that do not are a warning sign.

Avoiding scams

The typical scam: a cheap room, a "landlord" who cannot show it, and a request to transfer the deposit before you have a contract or a key. Never pay for a room you or someone you trust has not seen, and check that the person is actually the owner or official agent. See finding student housing in Europe without being scammed.

Tips

1. Register on ROOM.nl and with other local housing organisations as soon as you decide to apply.
2. Apply for your institution's housing for international students the moment you are admitted.
3. If you arrive without a room, book a few weeks of temporary accommodation and search on the spot.

Where to look next

• How much it costs to study in the Netherlands
• How to get into a university in the Netherlands
• Student visa for the Netherlands
• Credential evaluation for the Netherlands

Official sources

• Rijksoverheid: deposit rules and extra costs a landlord may charge (in Dutch)
• Huurcommissie: rent check for rooms
• Belastingdienst: can I get rent benefit? (in Dutch)
• DUWO: student housing and ROOM.nl registration
• Study in NL: cost of living

Always check current information on the official website of the university before you apply.