Over 5,000 signatures against ‘equal opportunities’ in student housing selection

In a short period, 5,300 signatures have already been gathered on a petition against ‘equal opportunities’ in the selection process for housing provided by student housing provider DUWO. Residents want to maintain control over who becomes their new housemate.

Can you become our new housemate? First, come along to our hospiteeravond, a common selection procedure for housing in the Netherlands. Some students find a room immediately, while others are turned down time and again.

Last week, student housing provider DUWO announced that the selection policy is set to change. This could have implications for many student houses. With over 33,000 rooms in cities including Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden, and Wageningen, DUWO is one of the largest student housing providers in the Netherlands.

DUWO believes that the current selection system is unfair: “Students without a network, with less access to information, or without connections to certain organisations, stand considerably less chance of securing a room.”

A group of students from Leiden holds a different view and has launched a petition, which has garnered 4,600 signatures in just four days. They are asking DUWO to ‘refrain from plans that limit the autonomy and freedom of choice of residents when selecting their future housemates’.

However, the new direction (or, rather, the mere announcement of it) is not entirely unexpected. The housing provider has previously stated its commitment to ‘providing a fair home for all students’. Therefore, from 2026, a shift in approach will occur.

DUWO intends to make a pre-selection. Residents will then choose their new housemate from the remaining candidates. This aims to ensure ‘equal access and social cohesion’.

Criticism of the selection process is not new. In Utrecht, the student housing provider SSH has abolished the selection process for new buildings: there, the principle of ‘first come, first served’ applies. This has also led to discussions.

In an opinion piece for the Utrecht university publication DUB, a law student – who was selected immediately for a room – wrote a few years ago that the selection process promotes sexism and discrimination. He advocated for the complete abolition of the selection system.