Finding accommodation on the private market

The private market offers an endless range of rooms and apartments owned by an infinite number of private individuals. This page lists websites giving access to the private market. Certain sites function as an intermediary, others are housing agencies that can make any necessary arrangements for you.

Since there are so many landlords and we don’t liaise with them, we recommend you carefully read the legal section on the EUR website.

If you need a declaration that you are enrolled at an education institution (ISS), contact pso@iss.nl.

Room rates start at about €500 per month ranging up to €750.  Apartments with three bedrooms start at about €900 – 1200 per month. A rental property in The Hague has an average monthly rent of €16.34 per square metre. That means that a house of 60 square meters has an average rent of about €980. The use of gas and electricity is usually included in the rent (but not always). Landlords usually charge a deposit.

The legal section on the EUR website includes a checklist that will help you find out what is and is not included in the rent of the room or apartment you’re considering. 

Be aware of landlords who ask you to wire money to a Money Transfer Agent (such as Western Union or GWK), because they could be frauds; money should always be transferred to a Dutch bank account. 
 

Accommodation prices The Hague 2020
Accommodation prices The Hague 2020
source: https://www.nestpick.com/the-hague/

The rooms and apartments on offer will be situated all over The Hague and its neighbouring cities.

Check out the neighbourhood section to see which area appeals to you and the distance to ISS.

Try and judge the quality of a room or apartment as best you can based on the information at hand. ISS has no dealings with privately offered accommodation.

However, if a student or PhD candidate has a complaint about a landlord or agency ISS may decide to remove the link from this website after looking into the matter.

Once you have found accommodation, your landlord should provide you with a contract, but the odd one doesn’t in an attempt to avoid pay tax. You must, however, insist on getting a contract. Again, make sure you have read the legal aspects before signing your contract.

There are agencies that ask for fees to help you find accommodation, ranging from under €50 to hundreds. This is a grey area in terms of legality, so it is recommended to contact the housing hotline or send an email to housing@iss.nl before paying. 

Before signing your contract, make sure you know how much notice you will be required to give should you wish to terminate the contract. If you give insufficient notice your landlord may refuse to return your deposit.

Real estate agencies look at your income on a monthly basis to check the rent/income ratio. This ratio is generally a maximum of 1/3-1/5 of your income.

For example, if the rent of the accommodation is €700, then your income needs to be at least €2100 (pretax).

The Dutch Student Union (LSVb) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) have launched a Housing Hotline for international students. 

You can, for example, ask questions concerning finding a room, your rights or duties as a tenant, or how to deal with a conflict with your landlord.

Use the list below to get started in your search for a room or apartment. Not all websites are available in English, so to make your life a bit easier, use this condensed glossary with housing terms. This should help you to judge the rooms on offer more easily.

Are you coming to the Netherlands with your partner and children? If so, you cannot make use of the available ISS dorms, so start your search for accommodation as soon as possible.

There are several housing agencies that our international PhD candidates have had good experiences with. These include: 

These agencies are willing to think along with you, as long as finance conditions of landlords are met.

Our PhD candidates have also found fully furnished accommodation at the Torenstraat apartment complex

Respond immediately when you find an apartment that meets your requirements!

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