{"id":673,"date":"2017-02-09T10:05:25","date_gmt":"2017-02-09T09:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/?p=65804\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:05","slug":"residents-weigh-in-on-possible-lawsuit-against-the-student-hotel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/02\/09\/residents-weigh-in-on-possible-lawsuit-against-the-student-hotel\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The reception can come in whenever they want’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Student Hotel Rotterdam<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIvar Laanen<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Students looking for an affordable, fully-furnished place in Rotterdam are finding it increasingly difficult to score a good unit. There\u2019s a shortage of accommodations that fit the bill \u2013 and even fewer located within a bikeable distance of the university. Rotterdam\u2019s Student Hotel, which opened its doors in 2012, has capitalised on this lack of convenient housing for students by offering them digs in one of their 500 rooms.<\/p>\n

Standard accommodation is a room with a double bed, a kitchen shared with up to twelve fellow students and access to a variety of facilities including the colorful common areas, chic study rooms and fitness facilities. The starting price? 700 euro. And since the Student Hotel officially operates as a hotel rather than as student housing, its guests lack rent protection. This means that if they are evicted, they have no further recourse \u2013 despite the fact that many of them register at the hotel\u2019s address.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u201cI have to take care of my own \u2018apartment\u2019 so I don\u2019t feel like a hotel guest, but l\u2019m still treated the same as a hotel guest as far as rights go.\u201d\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The Dutch Student Union (LSVb) believes that the denial of renters\u2019 rights, in combination with the hefty room rates, is unacceptable. LSVb is currently considering proceedings against the Netherlands\u2019 Student Hotels. With a trip to court in the cards, there\u2019s a whiff of controversy surrounding Rotterdam\u2019s Student Hotel. But how do the people living inside actually feel about this question? What do they make of the fact that if hotel management decided to throw them out, they wouldn\u2019t actually enjoy any legal protection? At EM, we were curious to hear their thoughts. That\u2019s why we paid a visit to one of Rotterdam\u2019s most sought-after student accommodations, to find out what the Student Hotel\u2019s long-term guests have to say about the matter.<\/p>\n

Nikki Doijen, Switzerland\/The Netherlands (Communication & Media Studies)<\/h3>
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Nikki Doijen takes a seat in The Student Hotel's mini-library.<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u201cI don\u2019t think they should treat our rooms as regular hotel accommodation, since there are specific rooms here that are actually for hotel guests. We don\u2019t get treated the same as the actual hotel guests, in the sense that we don\u2019t get room service or cleaning service. I have to take care of my own \u2018apartment\u2019, so I don\u2019t feel like a hotel guest. Even though l\u2019m treated like a hotel guest as far as rights go. If people have a contract that says they\u2019ll be living here for a year, then it should be counted as a conventional apartment contract and not as a hotel stay. It\u2019s hard to get too mad about it though. It\u2019s amazing to stay here. From the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed, I\u2019m always surrounded by other people. You don\u2019t even have to use your phone to message people, because you know someone\u2019s always right around the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kevin Pijper, The Netherlands (Masters in Financing & Investments)<\/h3>
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Keven Pijper gives his take on the rules<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u201cWe\u2019ve been told that this is a hotel. The rules are clear. If you break them, you suffer the consequences. Look, the people who work here are reasonable. I\u2019ve seen some crazy stuff happen, and it hasn\u2019t led to much trouble. They\u2019re all quite relaxed as far as the residents are concerned. The only downside is that it\u2019s quite expensive here. I had been looking for a room until November, so when one became available here, I jumped on it. At the end of the day, it\u2019s only for this one year so it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laia Bogaarts, Spain\/The Netherlands (Liberal Arts & Sciences)\r\n<\/h3>
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Laia Bogaarts is enjoying life at The Student Hotel<\/span><\/p><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>

\u201cWhat really concerns me is that since I\u2019m considered a hotel guest, there\u2019s not much that prevents them from entering my room. The reception can come in whenever they want if they think this is necessary. I don\u2019t like that idea. And since I\u2019m an EUC student, if something bad were to happen I won\u2019t be able to stop it because I\u2019m obliged to stay here for my first year. Fortunately I\u2019ve never had any problems. The people here are nice and no one\u2019s ever looking for trouble. I love staying here.\u201d<\/p>\n

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