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Student Accommodation in Gelderland

Students in the Netherlands often live together in a student house. This means you have a bedroom of your own, but share the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Some student houses may offer more facilities for private use. The Arnhem – Nijmegen region has many student houses or apartments on offer that are specifically made available to international students. You can of course also choose to rent a room, apartment or house in the private sector — possibly via an estate agent if you want a hand — or actually buy and accommodation.

Student housing

Size and price — how to find the ideal accommodation

Renting a room in a student house amounts to an average of €300 to €600 a month. The national monthly average (utilities and taxes included) is €436. This does depend on where you rent housing accommodation. Renting in the Randstad megalopolis can easily cost you €100 more than in Arnhem, for instance.

Rooms may vary when it comes to size, but you can generally expect them to be between 12 and 20 m². Rooms can vary in size, but regardless of whether you are renting a shoebox or a ballroom, rooms are usually well suited for the needs of an individual student. Finding a place to live may prove somewhat of a challenge, both for Dutch and international students. Luckily, you are not on your own, as there are multiple pathways to find accommodation. Many educational institutions have specially organised housing for their international students. These places are often furnished. If you decide not to rent through university, you will usually have to provide your own furniture.

Which city? Student cities in the area Arnhem, Nijmegen and Wageningen are nationally renowned university towns that are situated in our area. These towns are relatively close to one another geographically, but in some respects, they can be quite different. You will probably have a different student experience living in one or the other. The rental costs can differ in general, but especially if you consider how much bang you’re getting for your buck when it comes to square metres.

Arnhem

Arnhem is Gelderland's capital and accommodates different universities of applied sciences, but no academic universities. The city centre is vibrant, with an inspiring artsy vibe due to the influence of ArtEZ. On average, the rental price of a student room is €457 a month. This is a higher price overall than in you would be paying in Nijmegen or Wageningen, but it’ll get will get more in terms of space. The average price per square metre is €20.53.

Student accommodation in Arnhem

Nijmegen

Nijmegen is the largest of the three cities with a population of approx. 170,000 people. It has a large academic university as well as a large university of applied sciences, which it shares with Arnhem. Because of these, the student life is arguably more active than in Arnhem, and Nijmegen also has two large student associations, Ovum Novum and Carolus Magnus. It's also home to the Vierdaagsefeesten, the largest freely accessible event in the Netherlands that over the course of seven days attracts over a million visitors. A student room in Nijmegen costs €401 (€21.88 per square metre) on average.

Student accommodation in Nijmegen

Wageningen

Wageningen is much smaller than the other two cities ( population of around 40,000 people) but is home to a highly successful academic university. This allows the city centre to be way more vibrant than you would expect from such a small town. Its rural surroundings are ideal for the agricultural foundation of the university and make for an attractive place to live. Renting a student room in Wageningen is cheaper than in any other university city in the Netherlands. On average, a room in Wageningen costs €347, €21.20 per square metre. Fun fact: Wageningen has a lot more students living on its university campus than Arnhem and Nijmegen — this adds a real buzz to on-campus university life!

Student accommodation in Wageningen

Wageningen University and Research

SSH&

SSH& is a housing association for students who are looking for a place to live in Arnhem or Nijmegen. SSH& housing properties are only available to students, which means the rooms are very affordable and only lived in by people your age. You will be surrounded by fellow students and live close to your university.

Idealis

Idealis is a student accommodation provider in Wageningen and Ede. With over 5,600 rooms and apartments, they offer students and PhD students the space to live pleasantly and affordably in Wageningen or Ede.

Stichting DUWO

DUWO is a foundation that has been providing housing to students for sixty years and it is the oldest and largest student housing provider in the Netherlands.

Social Housing

Another option for students looking for an affordable accommodation is social housing. Subsidised accommodations are usually the cheapest in the country, but the waiting lists are long. Expats often do not qualify and strict regulations concerning minimum and maximum yearly income apply. Social housing available in the Arnhem – Nijmegen region is collected and on offer on entree.nu, a good place to start looking for social housing accommodations in the area.

Through an estate agent

You may prefer to purchase accommodation with the help of an estate agent. On this page you can find our partners that can help you find a place to live in Gelderland.

Rent Tribunal

If you’re experiencing issues with your landlord while renting an accommodation in the Netherlands, the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie in Dutch) is there to help! This organisation is impartial and aids tenants as well as landlords if a dispute over rental prices arises. If necessary, it will issue a ruling on the price. This decision is then final and will have to be adhered to by both parties. The Rent Tribunal can provide you with more information.

Help for international students

Housing for international students is a big issue in the Netherlands. Therefore the Dutch Student Union, in cooperation with the European Students Network, launched the Housing Hotline. The Housing Hotline provides a place for international students to ask questions regarding housing and voice their complaints.

For legal support you can get help from Student union AKKU. Their team consists of fifteen talented, motivated law students from both Radboud University and the Hogeschool van Arnhem and Nijmegen.

Good to know: Usually a landlord, letting agency or similar will require a deposit before you start renting their accommodation. The deposit often amounts to one or two months’ rent. When you move out of your accommodation you will get your deposit paid back if you leave the place nice and tidy. Everyone who lives in the Netherlands has to register at the municipality they live in. Do NOT forget to do this when you’ve found a place to live! Keep a close eye on the rental price of your accommodation and whether the utilities are included or not. This way, you’ll avoid unpleasant (financial) surprises. If you’re experiencing issues with your landlord while renting an accommodation in the Netherlands, the Rent Tribunal (Huurcommissie in Dutch) is there to help! This organisation is impartial and aids tenants as well as landlords if a dispute over rental prices arises. If necessary, it will issue a ruling on the price. This decision is then final and will have to be adhered to by both parties. The Rent Tribunal can provide you with more information.

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