It’s no secret that the strained housing market has left many a desperate student in the lurch. Nowadays, some are seeking shelter in homes with live-in landladies.
Since the accommodation crisis has swept across every Dutch university city, people with an extra room to spare have been taking in students who are down and out (in exchange for some liquid assets).
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For students who are currently on the lookout for somewhere to live, Hospi Housing is a platform that hooks you up with available house-shares all over the Netherlands.
Shared kitchen/bathroom, separate bedroom
What do these housing arrangements look like exactly? They typically consist of a communal bathroom and kitchen that the student shares together with the landlord and possibly the landlord’s family.
The bedroom, which the student has all to themselves, is reportedly significantly cheaper than most self-contained accommodation. 🤑
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Municipalities in various cities seem to be on board with this hospita renting solution — so much so that places like Delft and Amsterdam have united with Hospi Housing and other platforms to get roofs over more student heads.
Landladies who act as “second mother”
One student making use of this renting solution is Robin de Hoogh, in Utrecht. He was interviewed by RTL Nieuws.
After his fruitless one-and-a-half year search for a place to stay, he struck lucky by finding a woman who had a spare room on Facebook.
READ MORE | 5 things to know about the Dutch student housing crisis
Now they cohabitate, living happily ever after, with Robin comparing his landlady to a “second mother”. Awww. 🥺
Still, there are often house rules live-in landlord want students to follow, such as keeping showers tastefully short, turning the taps off when needed, not partying too hard, and not letting your significant other crash over every night. Sounds reasonable enough, right?
How do you feel about this hospita renting solution for students? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
