Housing

Now that you are ready to move to the Netherlands, something exciting and crucial is up next; finding a place to stay during your studies! 

Securing an accommodation should be on the top of your to-do-list as soon as you receive your admission letter. The Netherlands currently has a housing shortage which often makes it difficult for students to find affordable housing near their institute of education. Unfortunately, Delft is no exception. Nevertheless, this is no reason to panic. Here are several options you can take while searching for a suitable accommodation. 

Make sure to arrange your accommodation before arriving in the Netherlands, as you are officially required to register a valid Dutch address within 5 days after arrival in the Netherlands. Registering a valid Dutch address at the local municipality is a legal obligation for all who intend to stay in the Netherlands for 4 months or more, irrespective of nationality or purpose of stay. A valid and registered address allows you to obtain a BSN (Citizen Service Number), which is needed to interact with Dutch authorities.

How to find a room

For those of you who have not arranged their accommodation yet, it should be your number one priority right now! The ongoing housing crisis makes this a difficult process. We have already shared some resources to seek accommodation in the previous editions of this newsletter, they might be helpful to you. In this chapter, we would like to offer you some tips if you are still struggling with housing! 

First option is using TU Delft’s housing service.  TU Delft has partnerships with various housing services to provide its students with affordable housing within a travel distance to the campus. There are two things you must do before you are eligible to have access to the housing portal; first is to indicate your desire to have access whilst submitting your Confirmation Statement and the second is to complete your full payment as indicated in your Financial Letter.  The Housing Portal has an assigned number of rooms for Master and Bachelor students. The portal also works in a first come first served basis and you are not guaranteed to be offered an accommodation through the service. If TU Delft cannot find an accommodation for you, the housing fee will be refunded to you. Make sure to sign up quick if you plan to use the housing service and click here for more information! 

Second option is to take the matter into your own hands and seek accommodation through rental agencies or private landlords. This can be a time-consuming process, so it is very important to start as early as possible. There are many organizations and platform that you find online which are also useful for students such as Pararius and HousingAnywhere:

  • DUWO: DUWO is an agency that works with the University. The advantage is that utilities are included, so you only need to make one payment per month. The disadvantages are that you need to pay for having access to the portal. Additionally, you need to decide via photos on your home country whether you want accommodation with them. Moreover, you have only one week to decide you place, and the offers work by first come first served. We recommend you create an account on www.room.nl because the offers vary according to how old your account is. 
  • Xior (Xior.nl) --> (Premium) student housing provider. There are shared housing and studio apartment. 
  • HousingAnywhere.com: an international housing platform for mobile talents, book your accommodation in Delft before your arrival. Through HousingAnywhere you can safely book your new room, offered by verified private landlords and by outgoing students. To receive a 20% discount on the subscription fee, a TU Delft VIP profile and priority access to the listings in Delft, sign up here. NB. After signing up, send an email to support@housinganywhere.com to pay the discounted amount. You can find information about finding your new place on the how it works page. Do you need more information or have a specific question? Send an email to vip@housinganywhere.com.
  • Makelaar (rent-a-room-delft.nl) --> Usually rent studio rooms. 
  • Kamernet.nl --> Have to subscribe the website first before you can contact the landlord (34 Euro).  

There are Facebook groups to search rooms:  

  • Kamer in Delft 
  • Find a room(mate) in Delft 
  • Find a room / roommate Delft 

It is a good idea to go through these websites as often as possible. Facebook groups are usually also helpful in search for an accommodation and could help you find roommates or rooms available. Delft is a relatively small city so you could also search accommodation options in nearby cities. However, you should be aware of rental frauds as well as making sure you are able to register at the municipality you are going to live in with your address. 

Make sure you can do viewing (online video call/directly to the rooms) before paying the rent. (Be careful of the scams).

Best of luck in your search and see you at campus next September! 

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