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Housing

Welcome at Codarts Rotterdam! Of course, finding a place to live is a crucial step to start your studies here. We find it important to inform you that most cities in the Netherlands are facing serious housing shortages. Rotterdam is one of them. Especially for students it is very hard to find a good and affordable place to live. Therefore it is wise to find a place to live as soon as possible, we advise to start searching as soon as possible. There’s hardly a campus system in the Netherlands and students are responsible for their own housing.

Housing

Codarts - Housing

How do I find accommodation?

The possibilities for Codarts to arrange housing for students either directly or indirectly are very limited. Being able to find a room partly depends on having a local social network. This is of course hard to initiate and manage from abroad. The longer you stay in Rotterdam and the more people you will get to know, the easier it gets to find housing.

Most accommodation in Rotterdam is by means of a flatshare, whereby all flat mates have their own bedroom, but share the bathroom, toilet, kitchen and (when applicable) the living room. The Netherlands is a modern and liberal society, people with different genders do live together in such flatshares (we advice everyone not to be too picky, but if you really prefer not to, make this known).

In the Netherlands the procedure to find a room may differ from finding a room in your home country: sometimes there is a selection procedure, called “hospiteren” (co-optation) which can be compared with an application procedure for a job. If this is the case, we advise you to prepare well (for example by reading these tips & tricks of Twente University).

HousingAnywhere

Finding accommodation in Rotterdam can be a challenge. For this reason, Codarts has partnered with HousingAnywhere to make sure you can book your room with priority and in complete safety. Pick the subscription you prefer, safely contact all the landlords you want and book your favorite accommodation. You can also use HousingAnywhere to offer your room to an incoming student during your time abroad. In this way, you avoid paying double rent and you can move back into your place upon your return. Signing up with this link, you will receive priority access to all rooms available.

Do you need more information or have a specific question? Send an email to vip@housinganywhere.com and be treated with priority!
 

Useful websites

Next to HousingAnywhere there are more organisations to contact. For example:

Useful facebook groups

Additional help

Of course there are plenty other options to look for accommodation. We have listed valuable housing tips and housing tips by students to give you more information about other housing options in Rotterdam.

Housing for international students is a big issue in the Netherlands. Therefore the Dutch Student Union, in cooperation with the European Students Network, launched the Housing Hotline. Find more information.

For questions about your search for suitable housing, you can contact housing via housing@codarts.nl.

Costs

Housing is not cheap! The rents vary between €500 and €1000, and additional costs are not always included! Read more about the additional costs. Usually, landlords charge a deposit. But: be aware that money should always be transferred to a Dutch bank account. Otherwise it could be frauds.

Depending on your financial situation, you might qualify for housing / rent benefit. This is a subsidy provided by the government to residents on a low income with high rental costs. More information can be found on the website of the Dutch government and tax authorities.

Always make a financial plan that covers your entire study period at Codarts. It is important to know that you are able to cover the costs of multiple years of studying. Unexpected financial surprises can give a lot of stress, so try to avoid this by making a financial plan, for example by the Budget Calculater of the Erasmus University (international students) or Nibud (Dutch students).

Rental agreement

There are many websites offering and promising you their best services. Please be aware of the fact that not all agents or landlords can be trusted. Scams and illegal housing are part of reality. If you have any doubt or questions about the contract, your rights as a tenant or the rules and regulations, you can contact the Housing Hotline for advice. Please read the contract tips about what to look for in a contract before signing (below).

Housing permit

To live in certain neighbourhoods in Rotterdam you need a housing permit (HVV). This means that as a tenant you need permission to make use of a rental house.

It concerns the following neighbourhoods: Carnisse, Hillesluis, Oud Charlois, Bloemhof, Tarwewijk and the following streets in Delfshaven: Grote Visserijstraat, Mathenesserdijk, Mathenesserweg, Schiedamseweg, Willem Buytewechstraat, Vierambachtstraat, ‘s-Gravendijkwal, 1e Middellandstraat, 2e Middellandstraat and Middellandplein. More information about this can be found on the website of the gemeente Rotterdam. Are you renting a house for which you will need a housing permit? Please make sure to contact the International Office of Codarts before the beginning of the academic year. They can help you with this.