We hope that you are happy or at least trying to be happy in these uncertain times. Today's blog post is focused on all those who will be arriving in the Netherlands very soon. In this post, we will cover different ways of renting a place in the Netherlands
If you are arriving in the month of September then we highly recommend that you start your search as soon as possible because it's not that easy to find a place here. In this post, we will list and describe 5 ways in which you can find a rental property in the Netherlands.
Student housing: This is the easiest way to save yourself from any possible scams and procure a well-furnished place to live in. But then again, because of these very reasons, this category is very competitive. Every university has some contract with housing companies and they reserve a limited number of rooms with each company. The price of each room can range from 400-1000euros. Some of the very popular housing companies are Camelot, Holland2Stay, Duwo, Student Hotel, SSH also known as Short Stay Housing and much more. Once you get your acceptance from a Dutch university and you confirm your admission, you will receive an email in a few weeks which will inform you about future housing options. This email will let you know the housing companies with which the university has a contract with. You will then have to say that you will opt for such housing. The university will then send you the dates on which the housing company will start taking bookings. That will be the day when your clicking and typing speed will be tested. This is because the listed properties get booked within minutes! Harshil wanted to book an SSH apartment for herself but till the time she finished entering her details, all the apartments were gone. So when you decide to go for this option, don't limit yourself to just one housing company. Always have backups. Some companies will put you in their waiting list if you did not manage to book a room and you will be notified if an apartment becomes available. If you manage to book a place for yourself then you will be contacted by the housing company asking for your arrival details. You will then have to pay the deposit and some other initial charges like a cleaning fee or registration amount to proceed with the booking.
Say you were like us, and unfortunately you did not manage to get a place for yourself through the student housing option. Don't lose hope! There are still some ways in which you can find a place for yourself. We know your frustration, we have been there done that!
Housing Services: There are companies like Clawq, which will find a house for you. Again you will have to register with these companies by paying a small amount. You will then fill out a form stating your situation and your requirements. So you can say that "I am looking for a room for one person, the room should be unfurnished, the room should be near my college and the rent I am willing to pay is say 500 euros". The company will then confirm the reception of your request and will let you know the date by when they will be ready with some housing options. On the said date, you will receive an email with say 10 apartment choices. You can select the one which you think is best for you and the company will connect you with the landlord and you can proceed with the booking. This is another safe option for newcomers. You can be assured that the apartment you are booking is an authentic deal and you are getting scammed. But please understand that these apartments will not be as great as the ones from the housing companies. Those companies regularly maintain their studio apartments and will give you facilities like microwave, refrigerator, wifi. When you go to an independent apartment, there will be a lot of things that you will have to take care of.
Brokers: Just like the housing services, you can also find a broker for yourself. He/She will then look for an apartment for you. But before giving them any money, make sure that they are authentic. In the upcoming category, we have a list of tips that you can use to ensure that the deal you are getting comes without the tag of "SCAM".
Search Yourself: This is a complete DIY or Do It Yourself category. This requires immense patience, proactiveness and investigation skills. There are many housing websites which list the properties available to rent. Some examples are Pararius, Kamernet, Funda or the very famous Facebook marketplace. Of course, there are so many other ones. All the websites or housing companies that we have been talking about, you can their links in the description box below. There are so many things to say about this category so we thought that maybe we can divide into tips and tell you one by one:
Join as many Facebook groups as possible and actively look for available rental options there. Before coming here and even now we are a part of around 20 groups! Many people rent their places and they do post these availabilities on the groups. Thus always be on a lookout.
Once you join a group, post your requirement there. Lose your shy self behind. Just go ahead, write about yourself, your requirements and say that you need a place. Do this very often because most of the times it will happen that your post will go unnoticed. So do this as frequently as you can.
When you are writing that Facebook post for a rental requirement, don't write your introduction as your resume. Don't say, "I have been a software developer for 4 years and worked with technologies like Java and DevOps." Describe yourself! Use sentences like, "Hey I am from India. I will be studying in Utrecht soon and I am looking for a place to rent for at least one year. I am a clean person, I don't have any pets. I am also a no nuisance individual. So rest assured that your place will be harm-free."
Reach out to as many future colleagues as possible. It is quite hard to find a place when you have so many requirements like one bedroom, furnished, 500 euros. What you can do is connect with your future colleagues. Say you found two more colleagues who are in the same position. The three of you can then look for a place together. Thus you are increasing the search parameters. The three of you can easily afford a pricier place if you divide the cost among yourself.
Usually, when a homeowner decides to rent out his/her apartment, they like to know the tenants beforehand. Thus, be open to video calling options or any other method of communication. Many homeowners organize house viewings which you, of course, cannot go to! In that case, tell them that a friend of yours (which you found through Facebook groups as suggested by us) will be coming in your place. Your friend can then video call you when he/she will reach there and then the homeowners can get to know you better. Thus, be open to everything and be as much proactive as you can be.
Say you didn't find any friends through the Facebook group but you managed to find a good place for yourself. How to make sure that it is indeed an authentic deal? You can contact the university! Yes, the university has a whole different department to help out the international students. You can tell them your situations, give them the address of the place that you think you will be renting. the university will then perform their own search and let you if the deal is indeed authentic. This tip works in real life and we say this from our personal experience. We were looking for one-bedroom apartments and finalized a place and were about to transfer the deposit amount. This amount was 1000euros. At the very last moment, the university emailed us that the pictures of the place on the website were fake. And the listed address was true but the property there costed much more than the so-called homeowner was telling us!
And that was the post guys. We tried to cover-up as many points as possible and in as many details as possible. Let us know if we missed something, any questions that you might have or future blog requests. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.
#thenetherlands #studyabroad #studenthousing #studentlife #sparkletogether