LSVb: Increasing number of student renters scammed

The National Student Union (LSVb) has observed a substantial increase in the number of students being scammed while searching for accommodation. They sometimes pay thousands of euros in deposits for properties that are not actually available for rent.

“We are extremely shocked by the stories from students”, writes LSVb president Abdelkader Karbache. “There seems to be an element of organised crime involved.”

Internationals

For the past eight years, students have been able to reach out to the LSVb’s Housing Hotline for support with rental issues. Last year, a total of 236 queries were received. The proportion of reports regarding fraudulent practices in rental housing significantly increased: from 1.4 per cent in 2022 to 9.3 per cent in 2024.

International students are particularly vulnerable. Some transfer thousands of euros as a deposit only to find out later that the accommodation is not actually available for rent. Others pay hundreds of euros just to be allowed to view a room. The number of fake advertisements for rooms also appears to have risen.

Deposit

Another major complaint is that private landlords do not return deposits when students terminate their rental agreements. Some students who do not trust their landlords have devised a solution: they do not pay rent for the last two months to secure their deposit in advance.

The LSVb is pleased that students with questions about their rights can now also turn to rental teams, but it laments that these teams are less active and harder to find in some municipalities compared to others.

Quality mark

The union advises the Ministry of Housing to publish an overview of rental teams by municipality online. These teams should also receive a quality mark, as many organisations currently refer to themselves as rental teams when they are not genuinely so.

Furthermore, the LSVb hopes that educational institutions will improve their information for international students regarding fraudulent practices in the housing market. The police should take reports on this matter more seriously, according to the union.