Housing Hotline opened for international students
The Dutch Student Union LSVb and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) have launched a Housing Hotline to help international students with questions about accommodation.
‘We’ve heard the craziest stories when it comes to student housing for international students in The Netherlands,’ says Tariq Sewbaransingh, chair of the LSVb. ‘Like a sudden hike in rent or a landlord collecting payment for the maintenance of a room that doesn’t even exist. The Housing Hotline provides a place for international students to ask questions, sound their complaints and receive reliable information.’
Vulnerable
The biggest problem facing international students is the language barrier. Advertisements, contracts and information concerning their rights as tenants are usually only available in Dutch. ‘Internationals are vulnerable,’ says Sewbaransingh. ‘Dutch students can use their network and they know where to look.’ Renate Krabbendam, chair of ESN: ‘International students need reliable information on how to find a room and how renting works here.’
In Amsterdam there is an estimated shortage of accommodation for 12.000 students, with reports over the past years of students sleeping in parks or cars. This makes it difficult for all students, but particularly for internationals. Sewbaransingh: ‘Often we find that Dutch students and proprietors would rather choose Dutch students as they can communicate better and tend to stay longer. And sometimes it’s just obviously a case of discrimination.’
