Finding a room in Amsterdam is becoming increasingly challenging. With many recent graduates trying to find accommodation in the area, the private market can feel like a nightmare. This post aims to give practical tips and real experiences from those who have successfully found a place to live in Amsterdam after graduating.
There are already numerous blog entries offering tips to expats on housing matters. That´s why we´re taking a different approach and addressing a crucial question: What are people actually doing to find accommodation in Amsterdam? In this post, you will learn about the journey of three VU Amsterdam master´s graduates who successfully found a place to stay in the city.
Hanna Parker
“I didn´t get any paid subscription, but finding accommodation felt like a part-time job”
From: United States
Status: Found accommodation in Amsterdam
Hanna started her accommodation search in February, but still needed to find a roommate and get her documents in order. Her journey started mainly through two websites: Funda and Pararius.
Both Funda and Pararius are considered reliable websites in The Netherlands where scams are less likely to occur (though not entirely impossible). She and her roommate sent more than 100 messages and got around 5 viewings. Rejections and ghosting were common practices that they had to get used to.
Hanna finally found accommodation after four months on the hausing.com platform (although the offer was also listed on Pararius). She describes the process as nerve-wracking due to the intense competition, sometimes, 15 people were trying to get in on a single viewing.
Hanna´s tip: Start early, be willing to be flexible on location, have documents and information about yourself ready, and respond to as many offers as possible! Take precautions while using Facebook as a research platform since it is a common place for scams!
Beatriz Stoica
“No one tried to scam me, but the process was a bit stressful because the competition is very high”
From: Romania
Status: Found accommodation in Amsterdam Noord
Bea started her accommodation search after getting a job in The Netherlands. She began looking in June, one of the busiest months for house hunting and it took her three weeks to find a place to stay.
In addition to using Pararius, Bea subscribed to RentSlam, a service where you are sent housing announcements via WhatsApp as soon as they are published on different platforms. She initially sent around 30 messages and got three viewings, but was rejected from one apartment she really liked after the viewing. Finally, after three weeks, Bea found accommodation in Amsterdam Noord through Pararius. Like Hanna, Bea faced intense competition, making the process quite stressful.
Bea´s tip: “Start early and take the time to attend viewings and explore many options in the areas where you want to live. This approach will help you find a place you truly like in a location that suits you. In my case, I was in a rush and had to find something quickly, which led me to accept an apartment in Amsterdam Noord, an area which was not among the locations I initially wanted”
Paco Pérez
"Use more than one housing platform, and embrace the process"
From: Spain
Status: Found accommodation in The Hague
This is me; I began my house-hunting process as soon as I received a job offer in The Hague. Initially, I felt very overwhelmed since there are lots of platforms available for finding a place to live.
It took me nearly two days to explore all the platforms and determine which ones should I focus my efforts on. I finally ended up using Pararius, RentSlam and Facebook.
RentSlam was the main platform I used, I subscribed to them and sent more than 40 messages to landlords, receiving two viewing invitations after a few days.
I finally found accommodation by responding to a Facebook ad and getting invited to a viewing of an apartment I would share with one roommate. Facebook is a trickier platform to navigate since scammers prefer this channel to post their fake ads. I always recommend viewing the apartment in person and signing a contract before paying a deposit. If the landlord asks you for money before even inviting you to see the apartment or signing a contract it's not just a red flag, it´s a whole red flag parade. Do not accept it.
My personal advice is to not stick only to one accommodation platform, but research options in at least two or three. Check these platforms regularly to be able to respond to the announcements as soon as you see them. Landlords may receive dozens of responses, and they might only consider those who respond first, as going through 40 messages may be time-consuming for them.
Trying to find somewhere to stay in The Netherlands can be quite a stressful process, my recommendation is to accept this situation and embrace the challenge with determination as it is easy to initially feel overwhelmed, especially after getting a bunch of rejections. Good luck!
With love from Amsterdam,
Paco Pérez
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