Finding a Room through University or Place of Work

Universities are a great place to get assistance with your property search. If you are a foreign student who has come to the university to study, you may be able to find a place in accommodation dedicated to students visiting from another country. However, often these places are allocated very quickly and so it may be difficult to find an available room. Often university newspapers or student magazines will have a section devoted to advertisements, including offers of available rooms and properties. You can search this section for appropriate rooms, or even put in your own advert asking for a room: these advertisements are usually free for students.

If you are moving to the Netherlands to work for a company, you may be able to ask them to help you in your search. Big international companies often own some real estate themselves, and take care of their foreign employees by offering them an apartment in one of these properties. Even if your company is unable to find you an appropriate place to stay, they will usually have contacts who can assist you in your search for a suitable place to live. They may even offer to organise accommodation for you: in this case you are advised to accept their help. If you find when you arrive that the property is not what you expected, you can begin searching for a more appropriate place to live. You may wish to consider accommodation with a Dutch family, who can introduce you to your new surroundings and help you to adapt to the culture before you move into a place of your own.