Renting a room in a private home is a good alternative, but ‘make sure you have a tenancy agreement’

PhD student Nuria is full of praise for her landlady, a fifty-year-old woman who lives alone. Before moving to Rotterdam, she told an acquaintance in Cuba that she was looking for a room. “That acquaintance said: ‘You need to get to know this woman. I think you guys would get along great’”, she says. This turned out to be true. She moved in with the woman two years ago and she finds it regrettable that she will move house soon. “She’s so sweet. She takes me on fun outings, cooks for me and gives me advice on my life problems. She has really become like family to me”, says Nuria.

The government wants to change the law on private room rentals to make it more attractive to take someone in. Especially for students, renting a room in a private home could be a godsend, as according to the creators of the National Student Housing Monitor there will still be a shortage in student accommodation of between 26 and 42 thousand places in eight years’ time.

Erasmus University Rotterdam is also committed to working on this. In July, the International Office called on employees to take in an international student via Hospi Housing. Every little helps to combat the student housing shortage, says Karen de Man of the International Office. “It’s not for nothing that we advise international students not to come if they don’t have a room. Unfortunately, we can’t solve the nationwide problem, but private room rentals offer a good alternative for students.”

To house international students in private homes, the International Office works with the municipality and Hospi Housing, an online platform that matches homeowners who have vacant rooms to let with potential tenants. “We make sure to inform new students about private room rentals, as they’re not always familiar with this form of accommodation”, explains De Man. “They can then create their own account on the website and search for a match.” This year, the platform paired 750 students across the Netherlands with homeowners, including 50 in the Rotterdam region.

Exchange student Sara found a room this way. Although she does not call her landlords family, she is satisfied with her living situation. She is renting a room with a couple in a family home in Schiedam. “We don’t actually have any rules in the house. The daily routine comes naturally”, she says. She has not had any issues with using the kitchen and bathroom. “For example, the homeowners don’t have breakfast, so I have the kitchen to myself in the morning. In the evening, we sometimes cook together. It’s also no problem to take turns using the bathroom.”

Sara argues that renting a room in a private home gives you the opportunity to experience Dutch daily life up close. “For example, I can ask my landlady where the best place to buy Italian products is, or the quickest way to get somewhere”, she says. Is there anything she dislikes? “You have little space for yourself. For example, I don’t really sit in the living room because the landlords often hang out there”, she says. “Also, you have less privacy. You’re renting a room in a house, so you have to share the rest of the space.”

Julian, on the other hand, has had a less positive experience with his landlords. The lack of privacy is his main concern. He found a room with landlords in Capelle aan den IJssel through contacts. His room is on the ground floor of a family home. The living room, kitchen and bathroom – which he shares with the owners of the house, an elderly couple whose adult children have left home – are on the first floor. “During the viewing, the husband already imposed many rules: don’t invite friends, be economical with water and electricity and don’t turn on the heating when the temperature is above 17 degrees”, he says. “A bit harsh, but it sounded reasonable. Besides, I had no other options.”

His room can be locked from the inside, but the owners have a spare key. “I didn’t think that was a problem, but I noticed that they entered my room when I wasn’t there, because they commented about the mess in my room”, he says. “Once I was in bed all day because I didn’t feel well. My landlady thought I was out and came into my room. She got quite a shock when she saw me. She claimed she wanted to check that the heating was off and the windows were closed. Since that time, I lock the door and leave the key in the lock when I’m in my room”, Julian says.

Julian recommends that you make sure you have a tenancy agreement when renting a room in a private home. He has none himself, as the homeowners are family friends of an acquaintance of his. “Once I had to pay an extra ten euros because, according to my landlady, I’d done too much laundry that month. I’d just returned from two weeks’ holiday and had a mountain of dirty laundry in my suitcase. I had to be able to wash that somehow, right?”

These kinds of situations are not unfamiliar to Hospi Housing, founder Daan Donkers admits. “But it’s not very common”, he says. Out of a thousand matches, they receive about ten complaints. Usually these involve small niggles that build up, such as students complaining that their household is too strict, or landlords getting annoyed by students who shower too long or come home too late.

To ensure student safety, Donkers’ company screens potential landlords. Every household that applies is checked. “We have an intake interview with them to find out what their motivation is”, he explains. “We also visit to check whether the room is suitable and fire safe, and whether the rent is reasonable.” However, Donkers admits that, since the pandemic and with three thousand households on the books, most screenings these days take place online.

If there is a conflict between the student and the homeowner, Hospi Housing tries to mediate, says Donkers. If the issue cannot be resolved, the student may be transferred to one of the emergency homes. “These belong to people who don’t want a student living in their home all the time, but are willing to accommodate students in emergencies”, Donkers explains.

Last summer, the platform transferred two EUR students to emergency homes. “The International Office asked us if we had emergency accommodation for two students who hadn’t been able to find a room yet, even though classes had already started”, Donkers says. De Man confirms the story. “That’s why we always tell students: if there’s any problem, come to us. We’ll do our best to help.”

According to Donkers, one thing is key if you live in a private home: “Communication. You have to be able to discuss everything to make sure that things remain pleasant for everyone.”