International students in the Netherlands are turning to emergency help in growing numbers, with the National Student Union (LSVb) housing hotline fielding over 260 requests for assistance, the organisation tells AD.
Their complaints paint a familiar picture for anyone who’s navigated Dutch student housing.
Think illegal rentals, social media scams, and poor living conditions — what Dutch students have long called kamernood (room distress).
On the more extreme end of the spectrum, the housing hotline has heard reports of bed bug infestations, landlords who refuse to cooperate, contract-free rentals, and extortionate deposits (as if the sky-high rents weren’t enough).
One student called in saying they were paying €725 for a room with no window, a hole in the wall, and no contract — you’d get a better deal in a Swedish prison.
Declining international students also means declining rental teams
International student numbers in the Netherlands are falling, partly as a result of government measures designed to reduce their numbers.
You’d think fewer students would mean less competition and less fallout.
Instead, this is being compounded by the declining number of rental teams in student cities like Utrecht and Rotterdam, leaving international students in the dark about their rights and who to turn to.
With less support to lean on, those who remain continue to fall victim to exploitation via language barriers, lack of local support networks, unfamiliarity with Dutch rental law, and, put simply: being desperate.
READ MORE | ‘No internationals’: A tale of exclusion in the Dutch housing market
As Maaike Krom, chair of the LSVb, tells AD, “It is very easy for scammers to take advantage of someone in an emergency, for example, when that person is at risk of becoming homeless.”
Are you an international student in the Netherlands? Let us know about your housing experience in the comments.
