Tips for accommodation

Websites for ads
Most of these sites are in Dutch, but you should be able to find your way around them if you know that ‘kamer’ means ‘room’. Other information such as the size of the room (in m2) and street names should be clear. You can contact the advertiser to ask for additional information. You can always place your own ad in English.
www.kamernet.nl/en
http://www.opkamers.nl/index.php?lang=en
www.marktplaats.nl (go to the section ‘woningen te huur’ (rental accomodation) > ‘Amsterdam’)

Municipal taxes
All official letters relating to tax will be in Dutch. These include, for example, letters about local/municipal taxes such as waste materials tax and water tax. You may be entitled to relief or a rebate on some taxes. Please contact the student counsellor for advice.

Facebook
A good point to start is the AHK Students Facebook group. If you join this group you will be able to easily get in contact with other AHK students. They may be able to help you find accommodation or get a group of housemates together to find a place to share.

There are of course also other groups on Facebook and other social media. Student Housing Amsterdam has its own Facebook group. This group and others like it are run/moderated by people outside the AHK, so the AHK can’t check if the information there is trustworthy.

General information
You can also look for housing through one of the housing agencies or try to find private property owners offering rooms or flats for rent. The options are listed below.

If you have not found a place prior to arrival here, you may want to book a hostel for your first days in town while you are house-hunting (more information here and here).

Depending on your nationality, you may need a residence permit. One of the conditions for getting a residence permit is registering with the local civil registry (bevolkingsregister) in the municipality where you live. One of the documents you will need to register with the local civil registry as an inhabitant of Amsterdam is a proof of residence, which can either be a rental contract or a letter signed by the principal occupant of the accommodation you are living in. So if you do need to apply for a permit, make sure your potential landlord can provide you with one of these documents.

Please note: Not all people renting out rooms are willing to register their tenants, and we advise you not to rent accommodation from them. We have learned from experience that it often leads to problems. Continue your search for legal accommodation.

Municipality
A good place to start is the municipality of Amsterdam website. It offers tips and advice as well links to other useful websites.
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/study/life-in-amsterdam/finding-housing-in-amsterdam

Student housing agencies
You can sign up at agencies renting out rooms at student buildings.

Non-student/Commercial housing options
Commercial agencies require a registration fee and commission for any services they provide. Generally, their housing is more expensive. For more information about commercial housing agencies, go to www.huurnietteduur.net

Newspapers
Check the ads or place one yourself in national dailies such as Het Parool (which is strongly Amsterdam-focused), NRC, Volkskrant and Trouw.

Municipal housing
The municipal government provides relatively cheap municipal housing for long-term inhabitants who can’t afford to rent or buy their own home privately. If you plan to stay in Amsterdam for a significant number of years, under certain circumstances you may be eligible for municipal housing. The waiting period for municipal housing is up to ten years, depending on the area, with the minimum being a few years from the moment of registration. All eligible housing and applicants have to fulfil criteria determined by the Amsterdam Municipal Housing Department (Dienst Wonen, DW).
The central resource for municipal housing corporation is WoningNet, and you will find a complete overview of the housing market at their website www.woningnet.nl. You can respond to advertisements by calling 0900-8120 (this number can only be called from within the Netherlands).

Important websites for finding accommodation

Important websites for finding accommodation
Campus Diemen Zuid is a campus located in South Diemen (Diemen Zuid). Diemen is a separate municipality from Amsterdam, but it is almost completely surrounded by Amsterdam (check on a map!). Campus Diemen Zuid is open to all Bachelor’s and Master’s students studying in Amsterdam, and it is not connected to any specific place of higher education.
Website: https://ourcampus.nl/en/

Casa is a summer hotel near Amstel Station in South Amsterdam that rents out its rooms for students from October to June. There is a registration fee and a waiting list.
Eerste Ringdijkstraat 4, 1097 BC Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 665 1171
Website: https://hotelcasa.nl/students/

ASVA (General Student Union of Amsterdam) also runs an Accommodation Agency (Kamerbureau, literally: Room Office) which uses a lottery system. The process is as follows: Pay a fee to join ASVA; participate in the lottery if you like what’s on offer; if you draw a successful lot, pay the deposit; go and see the place (if you decide you don’t want the accommodation, your deposit will be paid back).
ASVA Student Desk
CREA, first floor
Nieuwe Achtergracht 170,
1018 WV Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 525 2926
E-mail: studentenbalie@asva.nl
Website: https://www.asva.nl/rooms
Office hours: Mon-Fri 11.00-16.00.

StudentenWoningWeb – student housing website. Six housing corporations (DUWO, De Key, Ymere, Stadgenoot, Elan Wonen and Pré Wonen) use this website to offer accommodation to students in the Amsterdam City Region (includes Amsterdam, Diemen, Amstelveen and Hoofddorp)
Website: https://www.studentenwoningweb.nl/en/General%20information
De Key housing corporation owns a lot of student housing all over the city. The waiting list is usually short, but can sometimes take up to 6-12 months. Many universities use this corporation to accommodate their students.
De Key
Hoogte Kadijk 179, 1018 BK Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 621 4333
Website: https://www.dekey.nl/english/
See also: https://www.ahk.nl/voorzieningen/studentenzaken/huisvesting/student-rooms-for-international-students/
Office hours: Mon-Thu 08.30-16.30, Fri 08.30-12.30

The AHK has a limited number of rooms available for international students. Of the total of 30 rooms, 13 are on Bijltjespad and 17 on Weesperstraat (both streets are in Central Amsterdam). The rooms are available under a short-stay contract of a year. For the coming year the period is from 16 August 2019 to 10 August 2020.
Website: https://www.ahk.nl/voorzieningen/studentenzaken/huisvesting/student-rooms-for-international-students/

DUWO Office Amsterdam (not to be confused with DUO)
Uilenstede 108
1183 AM Amstelveen
Telephone: +31 (0)20 543 1100
Website: www.duwo.nl/en
Email: amsterdam@duwo.nl or via the contact form on the website

SRVU (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Student Union) Accommodation Agency (Kamerbureau, literally: Room Office), for which you pay an annual fee that entitles you to view all the rooms on offer through the agency.
SRVU
Vrije Universiteit – main building
De Boelelaan 1105, Room 0D-05,
1081 HV Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 589 9422
Email: use the contact form on the website
Website: www.srvu.org (no English version available)
Office hours: Mon-Fri 10.30-16.30
Woon – Thuis in de stad
This office offers tips and advice on finding accommodation in Amsterdam
Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 32
1012 RZ Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 523 0130
Website: http://www.wooninfo.nl/english/

‘Anti-squat’ agencies
The squatting of empty buildings in Amsterdam has led to the founding of many anti-squat (antikraak) agencies that provide a service to private houseowners who do not want to leave their property empty. These agencies rent out the houses cheaply, often to students and young people. In most cases the duration of tenancy of specific accommodation is unspecified, and living conditions are generally fairly modest. Rents on these properties, however, are very low, starting at about 100-200 euros per month, so they can be very attractive for students. Contract terms vary from agency to agency.

Anti-kraak B.V.
Postbus 75199
1070 AD Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 4470802
Website: www.bewaaktenbewoond.nl (Dutch only)

Bureau voor Tijdelijke Bewoning (‘Temporary Housing Agency’)
Houtmankade 20
1013 MX Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 681 4600
Website: http://www.antikraak.nl/(Dutch only)

Zwerfkei Tijdelijk Beheer (‘Zwerfkei Temporary Management’)
Westeinde 20
1017 ZP Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 622 0808
Website: http://www.zwerfkeibeheer.nl/(Dutch only)

One last piece of advice on housing
Lots of towns and cities neighbouring Amsterdam (such as Diemen, Zaandam and Amstelveen) are within easy reach of Amsterdam by public transport and/or bicycle.

Delen