Finding a place to live

You may consider the following points before deciding to buy or rent a house:

• The length of your stay: for a short period, it may be best to rent a house/apartment because of the costs associated with buying (approximately 6-7% of the purchase price) and potential renovation costs
• Your budget: if you wish to buy, the bank will consider your income and assets to determine your maximum mortgage amount
• Tax returns: depending on personal situation and taxable income

In comparison to a hotel, a short-stay apartment may offer more comfort, more space and more privacy with lower rates. Short-stay apartments are a great solution for:

• flexible workers who are working on a project for weeks or months
• accommodating friends and families who are visiting
• new arrivals who first want to explore the city before renting long term
• a temporary stay while renovating or moving

Renting a student room is difficult. All student towns share the difficulty of finding accommodation at a reasonable price, especially in cities such as Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague. Help should be available from the university that you are studying at; they often have dedicated departments to help students find a suitable accommodation. They may even have a department which helps foreign students. Your university is a good place to start your search. If your university cannot help you, see below other suggestions:

• Contact the municipality for information about low-priced rooms
• Look for non-commercial agencies for students. Consider renting an anti-kraak (anti-squatter house). An anti-squatter house is a way of using an empty apartment or house in order to avoid squatters taking possession of it. A small group of people live in the house temporarily for a low rent and with little legal protection
• Check websites such as Kamernet.nl/en or join facebook groups by keyword + location (e.g. search for ‘rental student rooms Amsterdam’ or ‘rent a room in Utrecht’)
• Check out if there is a room available at the Student Hotel in your city of residence

Most foreigners settle in the Randstad, which is the name for the areas that encompass Amsterdam, Haarlem, Leiden, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht. Many international corporations are located in this region, as well as international schools, shops, churches and social clubs. Within the Randstad and in other parts of country, like Maastricht and Eindhoven, there are many options for various living spaces. Areas surrounding the international schools are usually very popular with expats.

There are five main types of dwellings in the Netherlands:

• Vrijstaand (detached)
• Twee onder een kap (semi-detached)
• Rijtjeshuis (terraced /town house)
• Appartement (apartment)
• Woonboot ( houseboat)

The most common type of dwelling is the rijtjeshuis. This is a family home, two or three stories high, with a front and back garden, adjoined by two, three or more identical homes.

A standard Dutch house has two rooms in addition to the kitchen, living room, toilet and bathroom. Most Dutch people live in urban areas, yet the limitation of space is putting pressure on rural areas too. Many city dwellers would love to live amidst the water and the greenery of the countryside. Since space is limited in the Netherlands, many people live in low- or high-rise flats.