International students in the Netherlands still face growing housing problems, from fraud to unsafe living conditions

THE HAGUE-- International students in the Netherlands are facing increasing housing challenges, with reports ranging from fraud and illegal subletting to bedbug infestations, leaks and unsafe living conditions.

According to NL Times, citing reports from the National Student Union, LSVb, the organization received 263 requests for help from international students through its housing hotline this year. The union has expressed concern that the actual number of affected students may be higher, as many students are unsure where to turn when they experience housing problems.

LSVb chair Maaike Krom told AD that “students often don’t really know where to get help,” pointing to a larger problem affecting international students who arrive in the Netherlands and quickly find themselves under pressure to secure accommodation in a difficult and competitive rental market.

The reports received by the LSVb include distressing living situations. One student reported living in a small, windowless room with a hole in the wall, without an official rental contract, while paying €725 per month. Another student reported living for months with a bedbug infestation and being unable to convince the landlord to address the problem.

Several international students also reported paying substantial down payments to secure rooms, only to later discover they had been scammed.

The situation reflects a wider and long-standing shortage of student housing in the Netherlands. International students are often more vulnerable because many arrive without family support nearby, are unfamiliar with Dutch rental rules and may not know how to verify whether a room, landlord or rental agreement is legitimate.

Unlike Dutch students, many international students cannot return to a parent’s home if they fail to find housing. This makes them easier targets for scammers and abusive landlords, particularly when the start of the academic year is approaching and students fear becoming homeless.

“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,” Krom told AD.

Housing experts and student organizations have long warned that international students face several specific disadvantages in the Dutch rental market. These include limited knowledge of local housing rules, language barriers, difficulty attending in-person viewings before arrival, competition for rooms in major student cities and rental listings that exclude international applicants.

Some students also struggle with “hospiteren,” a Dutch practice in which current housemates interview prospective tenants before choosing who may rent a room. For students living abroad, this process can be difficult or impossible to complete before they travel to the Netherlands.

In addition, international students may not always understand their legal rights as tenants, including rules on deposits, contracts, service costs, rent levels, maintenance responsibilities and unlawful clauses. This lack of information can leave students exposed to poor conditions, excessive fees, informal arrangements and intimidation by landlords.

Krom said more must be done to ensure students are properly informed about their rights. “Students often do not know exactly where to get help. We understand that educational institutions cannot fully support them, but as far as we are concerned, the need to do more to ensure that students are better informed about the rights they have,” she said.

The growing number of complaints underscores the importance of early preparation for students planning to study in the Netherlands. Students are being urged to search for housing well before departure, avoid paying large deposits without verifying the landlord and property, insist on written rental agreements, check whether the address and landlord are legitimate and seek help immediately if they suspect fraud or unsafe living conditions.

For students from St. Maarten and the wider Caribbean who plan to continue their studies in the Netherlands, the warning is clear: housing should not be treated as a last-minute arrangement. Securing safe, legal and affordable accommodation has become one of the most important steps in preparing for study abroad.

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