Housing in Amsterdam

Housing and Student Accommodation

• General Housing Information

  We offer a limited number of furnished accommodations to Semester in Amsterdam students who apply on time. Please note that the rooms reserved for Semester in Amsterdam students must be applied for through your VU Dashboard, the Semester in Amsterdam staff, or your study abroad provider. It's not possible to book one of these rooms directly through the housing providers.

  You are of course free to contact Hotel Jansen to see if they have extra (guest) rooms available that you can book independently. Hotel Jansen does offer a limited number of guest rooms which are available for shorter periods of time if you decide you want to extend your semester or arrive early. If you decide to do this, you must book and pay for these rooms yourself - we, unfortunately, cannot help you with this, but the staff of Hotel Jansen is happy to assist you. The rooms at Our Domain/Our Campus are not available to be booked independently.  

• Housing Application Procedure and Fees

  Housing Costs 

  Housing costs are not included in tuition fees and are determined by the housing provider. If you are participating through a study abroad provider or partner university, these costs may be paid for you. If you're not sure, please check with your home university or study abroad provider.

  Prices may vary based on room size and location; it is therefore not possible to provide an exact rental price per month, but you can find a general estimate below. The housing provider may also require an application fee as well as a refundable security deposit of €1000 - €1500. Please check with the housing provider for exact details.

  • VU Housing Application Fee: €250 per semester or €500 per academic year
  • Our Campus/Our Domain: €900 - €1100 per month (all monthly rental costs included).
  • Hotel Jansen: €850 - €1000 per month (all monthly rental costs included).

  Application Procedure and Deadline

  How you apply for housing and whether or not you are required to pay the housing application fee and a monthly rental amount to your housing provider will depend on your home university or study abroad provider. If you are coming through a study abroad provider, they may complete this process for you and pay all of your housing costs. If you're not sure, please check with your study abroad provider or home university. If you are not required to complete this process yourself, there is nothing you need to do. We will contact you about your specific room placement after the cancellation deadline has passed.

  We unfortunately can no longer guarantee housing to all students. If you are an individual student or you have been instructed to apply for your own housing, you should submit an application for housing as soon as possible in your VU Dashboard at vu.nl/en/dashboard. 

  Deadlines

  The final deadline for Semester in Amsterdam students to apply for housing is 1 May for the Fall semester and 1 November for the Spring semester, but we encourage you to apply long before this as housing in Amsterdam is extremely limited.

  After you submit your housing application, you will be asked to pay the housing fee. You are required to pay the housing fee to complete your housing application. This fee is separate from the rent you pay to the housing cooperation and covers the services offered by the VU housing team. All students who wish to be allocated housing through VU Amsterdam are required to pay this fee. The housing fee is completely refundable if you cancel your housing before the final cancellation deadline.

• Locations and Room Types

  Our Domain/Our Campus: Private apartments with ensuite kitchen and bathroom

  Our Domain and Our Campus are two separate buildings located on a completely centralized student campus. All rooms are fully furnished with a comfortable bed, wardrobe, desk, kitchen, and bathroom. Our Domain and Our Campus have many additional facilities including study and project rooms, a gym membership which comes with access to tennis, basketball, and soccer, a service desk, handyman, 24/7 security, social events and workshops, a lounge with TV’s and a game room, and a vegetable garden (all included in the rental price).  

  Additionally, the campus has many more services and facilities nearby such as a supermarket, bike rental and repair shop, medical and dental services, bars and restaurants, a hair salon, dry cleaning, public transportation, and more!

  Take a Virtual Tour Here!

  Hotel Jansen: Private room with ensuite bathroom and shared kitchen

  Hotel Jansen is an all-inclusive short-stay hotel for students in Amsterdam. The hotel is located near the city center, museums, clubs, parks and much more! All rooms are fully furnished and uniquely designed with a comfortable bed, wardrobe, fridge, coffee machine, water cooker, and an ensuite bathroom. 

  Hotel Jansen has many additional facilities including the use of the spacious and fully equipped Club Room, which functions as a living room and self-catering kitchen, and access to a cleaning service, a fully equipped laundry facility, and the restaurant Mama's where they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

  You can find more information on Hotel Jansen's website. We also made a route description from Schiphol airport to Hotel Jansen.

• Finding Your Own Housing

  Please note that housing options are very limited in Amsterdam and there is a student housing shortage; if you decide not to apply for student housing, it’s very unlikely that we will still have a room for you later on. For this reason, if you do not have friends and family in Amsterdam, we strongly suggest you apply for a room through Semester in Amsterdam as soon as possible.

  If you do decide to search for housing on your own, please keep the following in mind:

  • Affordable housing in Amsterdam is scarce, so you should begin your search early.
  • Also consider searching for a room in nearby towns, such as Zaandam, Almere, Purmerend, Haarlem, or Hoofddorp.
  • Please be aware there are lots of scams, and be especially vigilant when searching for accommodation on social platforms (such as Facebook or Kamernet). Check our page for information and tips on how to avoid housing scams. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is!
  • On the Facebook page of the ISN (International Student Network), you can meet other students who are looking for a room.

• Terms and Conditions

  Please note that if you wish to receive housing through VU Amsterdam, you must agree to the following terms and conditions:

  • We unfortunately cannot guarantee housing to every applicant
  • Your housing contract is for a fixed period
  • It is not possible to shorten your contract
  • You will only receive one housing offer
  • The VU housing fee is required of all students who receive housing and is non-refundable
  • Your name and contact information will be shared with the housing provider
  • It is not possible to request a specific housing location or building