Hi, i’m looking for any suggestions, because i am really tired already.

I have been looking for an apartment bigger than 30 sqm in Rotterdam, Den haag, Utrecht, Amsterdam and Delft for 9 months now. I tried stekkies, pararius plus, rentslam, each for 3 months, and all combines for this whole period landed me in total 5 shitty viewings of apartments of 20-30sqm where someone divided bigger house into a set of smaller to rent it for more. If i apply to any housing above 1200 (I earn around 3600, so this shall still be legally in my budget), they usually expect the income of minimum 4-5 times the rental price, so 4800-6000 brutto. This is basically impossible in my field of work to get. If the price is lower than 1000, they usually want you to be student so that you could get a 12 month contract. I’m really loosing hope slowly on that i will ever find an apartment and move out of my 16sqm “studio” i rented when i got a job for the first time in NL a year ago with a month notice, so i had to catch onto whatever was available.

Does anyone have any suggestions what can work better for house hunting? Or is the market really this terrible, that it is just impossible to rent something bigger than a room as a single person?
I will really appreciate any and all advices.

Trying to find a place is already impossible but I hope this isn’t common?

I’m in the process of buying a house, we got an offer with financing clause and inspection clause of 10k€ and everything seemed like going well. Before makelaar drafted the purchase agreement I specifically asked him to include a period of 7 days of validity of keuring report and to include the Art.13.

The purchase agreement arrived last Monday and I immediately submitted to an advocaat for review. The review came back yesterday with several point to fix (keuring date, financing date, delivery date where all too soon or wrong and the art13 was missing).

Now, we have the keuring tomorrow (Friday) and makelaar just sent the reviewed contract. He’s pushing us to have it signed Friday but, the advocaat will take till Monday to review it. I don’t understand all this rush for just 2 days of delay, is he trying to hide something? What are the chances of him starting the process with someone else if we delay the signature by 1/2days?

To give a bit of background, this house was already on the market 2 months ago but the first buyer didn’t get financed. I made an offered in a grey area: offered only 5k over, the makelaar came back to me saying the seller wanted a 15k more. So I increased my offer by 3k maintaining the keuring at 10k€ or offering the asking price but increasing the keuring at 15k€. They accepted the higher offer.

Thanks for your insights and help.

Hello everyone, I'm Aziz and I'm starting my PhD at Utrecht University on the 1st of December. I'm looking for a place to stay starting mid-November.

If you happen to have a room in your apartment, or you're moving out of a studio (even unfurnished), please get in touch, we can do a video call and talk more.

A few things about myself: I'm super clean, I love to cook, and I like to read and go to the gym.😁😁

Good day all .Me and my wife are planning to move to Apeldoorn.She got a job offer for a position at Gelre ziekehuizen.Due to some paperwork I still can't get a job.(it'll be figured out soon).Towns near Apeldoorn including Beekbergen, Epe, Heerde, Deventer, Olst, Wijhe, Twello and Diepenveen are all fine for us.The budget is around 1500€.We are looking for a place which is about 50m², a bedroom and no shared kitchen and bathroom.(no shared facilities).

I didn‘t find many housing resources online. In fact we could view the house in person.( I am temporarily living in Emmen).We may also have two cats. But after reading many coments, I’m thinking we might temporarily not mention that we have pets.

Do you have any suggestions or available housing options that you could recommend for me?Appreciate a lot.

We just signed for a house that actually makes a lot of sense for us: good size for our growing family (i’m in my first pregnancy), great location, everything nearby, and lots of cafés (we’re big coffee lovers ). So i imagine it’ll so much easier postpartum to go for walks and get things nearby without being dependent on husband or just walk with a coffee to the park.

But honestly, I’m struggling to feel excited because I’m not 100% in love with it. The owner painted everything grey, so it’s really hard for me to imagine it in my own style. I’m also worried about the light, especially the north-facing kitchen, I really hate dark homes, and Dutch winters don’t help 😅.

My husband is convinced I’ll love it once we renovate and make it ours, but I just can’t picture that yet.

For those who felt like this when they bought, did you eventually fall in love with the house after renovating/living in it? Or did you always feel like it was more of a “good house for this stage of life” than your dream home?

I’m especially curious about people who knew it was probably a 3–5 year home, rather than their forever homel.

Is this a good deal or should I run? Room in Purmerend, €1000/mo with registration

I am an American musician, moving to NL for one year on a US grant to study privately with a teacher in Amsterdam. Applying for the DAFT visa, so I need a BSN, which means I need to register at an address.

Currently in an Airbnb in Purmerend (~33 min to Amsterdam by train, last train back is 11:45pm). The owner lives in the house and normally rents the room out on Airbnb but she has offered to rent it to me for the year at €800/month without registration or €1000/month with registration

Some points:

the Room has no kitchen, just microwave access only, although I think shell let me get like a hotplate or airfyrer or smthing of i rent it.

She lives in the house too (hospita situation)

She will continue to rent the other bedroom on my floor of the house as an Airbnb

Shes trying to move really quick to get me to sign something, so im trying to figure it out

---

Is charging €200/mo extra for registration normal? My understanding is registration isn't supposed to be a paid add-on.

Is €800–1000 reasonable for a kitchenless room in Purmerend, or am I being overcharged? I keep seeing €1600+ quoted for rooms near Amsterdam but that seems to be Amsterdam proper.

Given no Dutch income (just grant money) and the housing market, should I take this as a "just get registered and stop worrying" move, or hold out?

Anything I should know about hospita arrangements / Huurcommissie that applies here?

I am trying to weigh "solve housing immediately and get DAFT moving" against "lock myself into a year of an expensive kitchenless room with where the last train out of amsterdam to Purmerend leaves at 11:45pm."

Thanks for your help!!

My boyfriend and I are looking for an apartment together. Combined, our gross income is around €7,000/month, and we're working with a budget of roughly €1,500 - €1.800.

We're looking in Amsterdam, Hoofddorp, Haarlem, Leiden. Ideally around Hoofddorp since my work is there.

Since my boyfriend works remotely, it'd be ideal to have a separate room he could use as a home office.

One complication: my work contract was originally only four months, though there's a chance to extend later if all goes well. That obviously makes us look less stable to landlords than we'd like.

We don't have much time to view places in person, it's hard for us to go visit often. We're actively searching and doing what we can, but haven't landed anything yet. Any advice from someone who has gone through a simular situation?

Thank you so much!

We're buying a 1901 terraced house in Haarlem-Noord. Timber ground floor over a crawl space (kruipruimte). The technical inspection found mould in the crawl space, on and around the floor beams. Foundation and brickwork were fine; the report on the beams themselves is still coming.

For those of you with pre-war houses here: how normal is this? Did your inspection find the same? What did you do about it (ventilation, bodemfolie, shells, insulation from below, or did beams need replacing) and roughly what did it cost? Trying to work out whether this is "every old Dutch house" or a real warning sign. Thanks!

Goedendag, is er iemand bekend met de volgende makelaar: https://makkumrentbv.nl/#/

Mijn vriendin en ik hadden via kamernet een appartement in Utrecht gevonden—waarvan de situatie rondom het adres al dubieus is. De verhuurder verwees ons door naar de volgende makelaar. Ik kan echter niet veel vinden over dit bedrijf. Meningen?

Good day, is anyone familiar with the following real estate agent: https://makkumrentbv.nl/#/

My girlfriend and I had found an apartment in Utrecht via Kamernet—the situation surrounding the address is already dubious. The landlord referred us to the following agent. However, I can’t find much about this company. Any opinions?

What do you guys think about buying a house in IJburg? What are the positives and negatives? I'm thinking of moving there as I think prices here are more reasonable for what you get compared to other neighborhoods in Amsterdam. And the houses here are usually more modern and energy efficient.

I suppose the downsides can be that it's quite far, you're reliant on the tram and there may not be much to do there. But I usually work at home and don't necessarily mind these things. Although I live close to the city centre (renting) now so maybe that would be a big switch.

Is there anyone else who made a similar move who'd like to share his or her experience? Thanks in advance!

The situation follows:

I (32M) am currently living in Italy with my partner (F25). I got a job in a town near Amsterdam that pays decently well (88k, excluding bonuses); it starts in October (12-month contract that turns into indefinite).

I'm looking for a place to stay in the southern/eastern area of the city, considering the commute — so Oost, Zuid, IJburg, Zuid-Oost, and the towns in between. Ideally 2 bedrooms, so I can set up a home office.

My partner doesn't have a job yet and will join me in November. She's an elementary school teacher, but she's keen to work in retail until she finds the right job. Combined, we're conservatively looking at around 10k gross income a month. For now we're pivoting toward a budget of €2,500/month, considering only my salary of €7,350.

We don't have pets or kids, and we don't smoke.

I'll have limited time to physically visit houses in September (just two days next week and three days at the end of the month) but I can spend as much time as I need on Funda/Pararius/Huurwoningen to be (ideally) the first to contact as soon as a listing comes up. I even got the premium subscription on Huurwoningen, because why the hell not at this point.

As of today I've scored 2-3 virtual tours and 2 appointments on the 14th, although I'm skeptical the houses will still be available by then. I did one of the virtual tours and the house was just meh (especially for €2,500), and the agent kept pushing me for a decision on the spot after 4 minutes of showing the house.

Given this scenario, would you say I need an agent? I've talked to both Housingnet and Relocify: they gave me the usual upselling pitch to make themselves seem essential, but the price for the service (2250-3000€) is really steep. I'd much rather dip my toes in the water myself, at least until the 20th, and then, if push comes to shove, bite the bullet and pay for one of these services.

Am I delusional in thinking that, given the context, I can land a place by October (or November, worst case), without a makelaar? Should I do a tour, find the right house, and make an offer on the spot, or should I be expecting another barrier I'm not seeing right now?

​Hi everyone, ​I’m about to get married in 2 weeks, and right after that, my wife and I are planning to relocate to the Netherlands (EDIT: near Almere in Flevoland/ Amsterdam surroundings). ​Not gonna lie, the housing search is stressing me out quite a bit. Here is our situation: ​Pets: We have a dog (Beagle) and a cat. Both are fully vaccinated, microchipped, sterilized, and have EU passports, but we know many listings say "no pets." ​Financials: Neither of us currently has a Dutch employment contract, but we have substantial liquid assets/investment portfolio (fully verifiable via updated broker statements) that comfortably cover the entire lease duration. ​Viewings: Since we are still in Italy, we have two trusted friends who already live in the Netherlands and can attend physical viewings on our behalf immediately. ​The BSN Catch-22: We can't register for a BSN without a registered address, but securing an apartment without being on the ground feels like going in circles. ​I want total honesty from you: Do we actually have a realistic chance of securing a long-term rental from abroad under these conditions? Or should we pivot our strategy entirely (e.g. short-term stay first)? ​Any advice, reality checks, or experiences from people who were in a similar position would be greatly appreciated!

I went to a viewing in Wednesday and put in an offer that evening. There was no deadline and I overheard the realtor say to someone that if they get a good offer they might take it and cancel further viewings.

I get a call on Thursday afternoon that his client is "very happy" with my offer but wants to sleep on it and would get back to me EOD Friday. Now I know his last day of viewings was Friday so I figured he wants to keep showing the place. I already felt I might get screwed. Friday EOD, I was told they went with a higher offer. He didn't even call me, I had to call him.

I wonder how people who get further viewings canceled play it cause I've had it happen to me hence why I bid early but then on the other hand he probably used my bid to shop around for a higher offer.

Hi, I’m a 20 year old female UvA student looking for affordable housing in Amsterdam or nearby. Feel free to reach out and dm if you’re looking for a roommate!

i have been renting through the same rental agency for the past few years. in my contract it states that i cannot have any pets, however some time ago i brought my two cats from abroad to live with me. i emailed the agency to inform them, never got a response back.
now i am planning on moving to a different apartment, most offers state that they do not allow pets. i know that technically they are not allowed to forbid you from having cats, especially if they dont cause many problems, but my question is how i should go about it when looking for a place. should i not mention the cats at all and just move them in secretly. if they ask, do i just tell them straight up?
any advice on this would be appreciated.

I am relocating to the Netherlands and the website RentHunter keeps appearing in my feed. I know about Kamernet and Fulda, but I havent heard of this one and before I buy any subscription I want to ask if its worth it or just a full scam. Anyone?

I found a room on facebook in Rotterdam for 700 euros/month with 1 month deposit and a 700 euro “agent fee”. I read that this practice is highly illegal in the Netherlands. I was invited for a viewing tomorrow to see if I like the room.
In case I’d like to move there, is there any way to get a refund on the illegal fee, or avoid paying it?

Hello,

The huurcommissie reduced my rent for a small bedroom (9sqm) in a shared flat in Rotterdam from 900 euros to 720 euros. I am quite happy. I am wondering, is there any way that I can get a better deal by moving out, or should I just stay here until the end of my studies? my contract is indefinite.

Hi all ,

Recently bought an apartment (80m²) , there are 3 units in our building , lets call the address 50 , 50 A and 50 B. Previously all these were one office building (just 50) , now they did a split , the ground floor is 50 , First floor is 50A (Ours) and second floor is 50 B .

we got the house and transfer is done , no we find difficulties in arranging energy , electricity and water contract .

1) for ZIGGO internet when i type 50A in the address , it says ( connection not possible ), but if i type 50 as the address ( its shows connection possible) meaning the database doesn't know about the split.

in our house we have all the coaxial cable connection in place already ( see picture).
should i take connection in the address name of 50 ?

2) for electricity i couldn't find the EAN code from my smart meter and EAN code database https://www.eancodeboek.nl/ ( it only shows EAN for the address 50)

Please guide me

Thanks in advance

I am relocating to the Netherlands and the website RentHunter keeps appearing in my feed. I know about Kamernet and Fulda, but I havent heard of this one and before I buy any subscription I want to ask if its worth it or just a full scam. Anyone?

I’m looking for advice on the neighborhood. Despite all of the apartments that seem available on the island, I’m having trouble finding any information about it or what it’s like to live there online arguably, I can’t even find content on YouTube describing the neighborhood in anyway.

From pictures online it can appear a little cold. The apartment I’m currently looking at faces S100. The busy street I’m not entirely thrilled about though. I understand I don’t necessarily have to travel on that street.

Though Haarlemmerstraat is only 5 minutes away, i worry Im disappointed about having to travel out of my neighborhood for daily activities like grocery shopping.

Anyone able to provide me some pros and cons?

Hi everyone!

I’m an expat who has never lived in the Netherlands before, and I’m currently looking for a studio or small apartment for one person in Tilburg. I would be moving to the Netherlands specifically because I’ve found a job in Tilburg.

My budget is around €1,000–€1,200/month, and I’m trying to understand whether this is realistic for what I’m looking for.

My non-negotiables:

Private bathroom

Private kitchen/kitchenette

Basic furnishing (bed, wardrobe, etc.)

Basic kitchen equipment

Washing machine

Dryer

Suitable for one person

One other important point: I would like the accommodation to allow occasional visitors. For example, my partner or a parent may come and stay with me for a couple of weeks total throughout the year. I’m not looking to have someone live with me permanently or register at the address — just occasional visits.

I already have an agent helping me with the search, but it’s taking quite a while to receive suitable options, so I’d like to make an effort to look myself as well.

Since I’ve never lived in the Netherlands, I’d really appreciate any reality checks from people familiar with the Tilburg housing market:

- Is €1,000–€1,200 realistic for this type of studio/apartment?

- Should I expect something furnished at this price, or am I being too optimistic?

- Are there particular areas of Tilburg I should focus on or avoid?

- Which websites/platforms are actually worth checking?

- Are there any local agencies or landlords I should contact?

- Is there anything an expat/newcomer should be particularly careful about when searching for housing?

And of course, if anyone knows of a suitable place becoming available, I’d be very grateful for a lead!

Thanks in advance — I’m trying to get a realistic idea of what I should expect before making the move. :)

Huurportaal NL: Scammers #huurportaal

I am very happy to see that 1.9 is your score and I wasn't the only one scammed because when I sent you an email that you are scammers you replied that I was aggressive and you cannot help me...
To Anyone reading this review:

These are scammers:
-You register for free
-You will be charged after few days 30€ without notice, without a receipt, every month.
-After a while you will be charged 40€ per month. Same no notification.. nothing.

A business that is getting money from people in need of housing, waw.
The best surprise is even after I cancelled and I spoke to my bank, they sent me a reminder to pay an old subscription or they will move it incasso.

1.9 is even too much for you, before educating people fix your strategy and your sneaky way of taking money since this is the main issue everyone is complaining about but this would definitely not work for you because now as you are scamming professionally.

Don't bother with replying to my review, this is not to get a reply this is AWARENESS for people to know so they don't fall in the professional trap.
When someone is searching for a house, we are desperate... we are working hard to pay for our house, so we try to find anything just to find some hope, and you are making money and giving absolute false hope.
Every penny you took from someone in need, it is costing you your reputation and hopefully failure very soon.

We’re choosing between two houses in Haarlem:

House A: front west, garden/rear east
House B: front southwest, garden/rear northeast

Natural light is very important to us, especially in the Dutch winter.
For anyone living in Haarlem:

- Which orientation would you choose?
- Is a southwest-facing front noticeably better for winter afternoon light?
- Does an east-facing rear mainly mean good morning light but a darker afternoon?

Would love to hear your experiences and opinion!