{"id":138684,"date":"2022-04-08T17:36:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T15:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=138684"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:14","slug":"lsvb-the-municipality-of-rotterdam-makes-it-difficult-for-students-to-find-a-room","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2022\/04\/08\/lsvb-the-municipality-of-rotterdam-makes-it-difficult-for-students-to-find-a-room\/","title":{"rendered":"LSVb: \u2018The municipality of Rotterdam makes it difficult for students to find a room\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rotterdam has strict rules to prevent dividing houses into student rooms. In fact, until 2022, no more permits were issued at all. That limits the supply of student accommodation and pushes rents up so high that alongside Delft, Rotterdam is the worst city for student accommodation, claims the National Student Union. The municipality says it will look for solutions, although they will keep the rules as they are.<\/p>\n

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The shortage of housing for students continues to be high every academic year,\u00a0Rotterdam students even stop studying there as a result.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

In a recent report, researchers from the National Student Union (LSVb) claim that Rotterdam and Delft are the worst cities in the Netherlands for student housing and the role that the municipalities play in this.<\/p>\n

Union president Ama Boahene feels that municipalities must take the conclusion of the report seriously. \u201cIt is becoming increasingly difficult for students to live in Rotterdam.\u201d The union evaluated how the student cities manage the private rentals for students, housing association rentals, information provision and the presence of a rental team.<\/p>\n

Division of buildings<\/h2>

Particularly with respect to private rentals, Rotterdam scores worse than all the other cities. This low score is mainly because it is no longer possible to divide a building into several student rooms. That requires a permit, which can only be applied for after September 2022. Furthermore, the municipality does not allow a building to divided into separate rented rooms within 50 metres of a similarly divided building.<\/p>\n

The spokesperson of councillor Bas Kurvers, responsible for housing policy in Rotterdam, says that the municipality had introduced the permit because dividing buildings into rented rooms reduces the number of homes for starters and young families. She explains: \u201cIf we don\u2019t do anything, more houses will be divided into separate rented rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Viability<\/h2>

What the municipality calls viability also played a role in the decision to make it more difficult to divide building into separate rooms for rent. The municipality wants to reduce nuisance by students in Kralingen and to distribute them more over the city.<\/p>\n

Union president Ama Boahene sees that argument as a sliding scale. \u201cIt will make it increasingly difficult for students to find anywhere to live at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018If you can divide more buildings into more living space, you will soon reduce that shortage\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Support<\/h2>

According to the report, Rotterdam also scores badly for the information it provides about renting and support for students if they have rent complaints. For example, the report says that on the \u2018Huurwoning Rotterdam\u2019 [Rented housing Rotterdam] webpage, there is no information for students. According to Boahene, this does not make it easier to find a room and know what you can expect as a tenant. She is critical: \u201cStudents don\u2019t know what to do if they have problems with the landlord and want to start proceedings. They don\u2019t know how to approach the rent commission, so find themselves in a vulnerable position.\u201d<\/p>\n

The councillor\u2019s spokesperson argues against the alleged shortage of information about student housing. \u201cTogether with education institutions, the municipality expects to be able to provide students with sufficient information.\u201d She points here to rotterdamstaatomjoutespringen.nl<\/a>, an information site specially for Rotterdam students.<\/p>\n

Solution<\/h2>

It looks as if the permit requirement will remain in the coming years, says the councillor\u2019s spokesperson. \u201cThis policy has only just been introduced.\u201d To address the shortage of student housing, the municipal spokesperson says that a Student Housing Agreement is being signed with education institutions and student housing associations. \u201cWe are currently making agreements about reducing the shortage of student housing, compensating increasingly expensive energy bills, the affordability and quality of student housing and wrongdoings on the housing market for students.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the LSVb, the problem is much too acute to just sign an agreement in the future. Rotterdam must therefore reverse the ban on dividing properties. Boahene emphasises: \u201cIf you can divide more buildings into more living space, you will soon reduce that shortage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Volgens de LSVb is het probleem veel te acuut om alleen een akkoord in de toekomst te sluiten. Rotterdam moet daarom meteen beginnen om de stop op verkamering af te schaffen. Boahene benadrukt: \u201cAls je meer panden kunt opdelen in meer woonruimte, dan kom je snel van dat tekort af.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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