Now that you are ready to move to the Netherlands, something exciting and crucial is up next; finding a place to stay during your studies!

Securing an accommodation should be on the top of your to-do-list as soon as you receive your admission letter. The Netherlands currently has a housing shortage, often making it difficult for students to find affordable housing near their education institutes. Unfortunately, Delft is no exception. Nevertheless, this is no reason to panic. Here are several options you can take while searching for suitable accommodation.

Option 1: TU Delft’s housing service
TU Delft has partnerships with various housing services to provide its students with affordable housing within a travel distance to the campus. There are two things you must do before you are eligible to have access to the housing portal; first is to indicate your desire to have access whilst submitting your Confirmation Statement and the second is to complete your full payment as indicated in your Financial Letter.  The Housing Portal has an assigned number of rooms for Master and Bachelor students. The portal also works on a first come first served basis and you are not guaranteed to be offered accommodation through the service. If TU Delft cannot find accommodation for you, the housing fee will be refunded to you. Make sure to sign up quickly if you plan to use the housing service and click here for more information!

Option 2: Self Seeking
Take the matter into your own hands and seek accommodation through rental agencies or private landlords. This can be a time-consuming process, so starting as early as possible is very important. There are many organizations and platforms that you find online which are also useful for students such as Pararius and HousingAnywhere. You can find a list of such websites here. Going through these websites as often as possible is a good idea. Facebook and Whatsapp groups are usually also helpful in the search for accommodation and could help you find roommates or rooms available. Delft is a relatively small city so you could also search for accommodation options in nearby cities. However, you should be aware of rental frauds as well as make sure you are able to register at the municipality you are going to live in with your address.

Option 3: Short term housing
Although it may not be your first choice, short-term accommodation for a few months could also be a way to get started. In their second year, it is common for students to go abroad for an internship or exchange. This creates a constant flow throughout the year and opens up subletting opportunities. If you have saved up a short stay for a few months to start with, you can use the time to look for your next accommodation. It is certainly a bit of a risk and requires trust with the offering student, but it could be the way to go!

Finding accommodation is important also because you require a registered address to obtain a BSN (Citizen Service Number) which is needed to handle formal business such as opening a Dutch Bank Account. The importance of starting your search early cannot be emphasized enough in whichever option you follow. 

Best of luck in your search and see you on campus next September!