The national housing crisis has serious consequences for those studying in the Netherlands on the hunt for affordable and appropriate housing. While the battle for rooms is already fierce, new figures reveal it is expected to worsen over the coming years.

Student housing shortage in the Netherlands

The housing shortage is a well-known fact among students in the Netherlands who regularly face long waiting lists, competitive viewings, and extortionate prices when looking for a room in their city of study. While the situation is already extremely stressful, figures released by Kences - the Centre for Student Housing - have revealed that the current shortage is expected to double by the 2024-2025 academic year.

According to Kences’ annual National Student Housing Monitor, last autumn 22.000 students were left without accommodation. Kences chief Jolan de Bie expects that, by 2024-2025, this figure will have risen to at least 50.000.

While 18.000 new student residences are expected to be built over the next three years, De Bie warns that it won’t be enough to combat the growing issue: “Only if they are actually built can the shortage be limited to 50.000 even in the quietest time of the year.”

Housing for international students at Dutch universities

De Bie expects the situation to be particularly competitive this year, as many second-year (international) students who chose to stay at home in their first year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic are now on the hunt for accommodation closer to their chosen university. 

A predicted increase in the number of international students is also likely to exacerbate the situation. It is expected that, after Brexit, many EU students will instead turn to Dutch universities. Not only is this demographic more desperate to find housing, but they are also unfamiliar with the Dutch housing market.

Therefore, some Dutch universities have attempted to warn international students about the severity of the situation. The University of Twente has appealed to foreign students who are yet to find accommodation to study elsewhere, while the University of Groningen has arranged for a temporary shelter for students without a room in the hopes that more will become available in the autumn.