Types of accommodation
How do students live in Maastricht? Do we have US-style campus dorms, and frats and sorority houses? Does everyone live in one of those tall, crooked and picturesque Dutch houses? Read on to find out!
University dorms
In the Netherlands university dorms are uncommon, but the UM Guesthouse offers a similar experience with short-stay accommodation for students. It’s ideal for exchange students or those still deciding on long-term housing, with stays up to one year. While students typically share kitchen and bathroom facilities, the UM Guesthouse is spread across the city, offering students an immersive experience of local life.
To book a room at the UM Guesthouse, you can use the Maastricht Housing platform, the official housing platform for Maastricht University, Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, and the Jan van Eyck Academy. It’s a secure platform, so you don’t have to worry about scams. By signing up and paying a one-time fee, students can gain full access to a range of housing options, including rooms from the UM Guesthouse, housing corporations, and the private market.
Student houses
These are private houses (sometimes even the crooked Dutch ones!) that have been split up into many rooms. You usually rent out a room and share all other facilities with the rest of the people in the house – how many people you share with will depend on the size of the house and the number of facilities. Some student houses have more than one kitchen, as well as a few toilets and bathrooms. Some even have a common living or dining room. They’re usually very social places, and many students opt for them, but bear in mind that you can’t usually choose the people you live with – if you’re lucky, though, you can find student houses offering more than one room, and so you could move in with a friend.
These houses might hold a “viewing evening”. This is where you and a few other people who have also applied get invited to look around. You can meet the other people living there, and they get to decide who they would choose. This can be a little scary, but smile and be yourself and it will all be ok! For more tips, you can check out this blog post.
Independent accommodation
Independent accommodation refers to properties with their own front door and private facilities (i.e. your own kitchen, bathroom and toilet), such as studios and apartments. These accommodations typically fall under the private market or are offered by housing corporations. Independent accommodation tends to be more expensive than shared housing (although you can find some good deals out there), and while you benefit from having privacy and independence, it’s less social than a student house or university accommodation.
Shared apartments
If you already know the people you would like to live with, it’s possible to find an apartment with them. This is a great option, as it’s both affordable and social, but start looking early, as it can be hard to find a place that meets all your requirements. 2-4 bedroom apartments are most common, so keep this in mind when deciding how many people you’d like to live with. Often you will find these types of accommodations in the private market, but sometimes also with housing corporations.
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences housing
Zuyd University of Applied Sciences also offers short-stay accommodation for incoming exchange students in two locations in Maastricht. These shared accommodations are provided on a first come, first served basis. If there are additional rooms available, regular international students can also join the waitlist. You can find more information about Zuyd housing here.
Below, you can read about the different options available to you in case you (believe you) have been a victim of discrimination, when searching for a room or otherwise, in Maastricht.
