Her case is not unique. The lack of housing for international students in the Netherlands has become a problem that could affect the country\u2019s image as an Erasmus destination. Univers![\"\"](\"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2025\/09\/Student-housing-shortage-mounts-government-urged-to-intervene-300x169.jpg\")
ities in cities like Amsterdam, Utrecht, and Rotterdam warn on their websites that finding a place to live is not easy. Utrecht University even advises starting the search before formal admission; a warning that those who don\u2019t could risk missing out.<\/p>\n
In\u00e9s experienced this herself. She started looking for housing early, but faced very high prices, tiny rooms, and many students in the same situation. \u201cEven on official websites, rooms were gone in two minutes\u201d she remembers. She considered traveling without a place to stay, hoping to find one once she arrived, but decided against it: \u201cI was afraid of ending up in a hostel for weeks without any guarantee of finding a room.\u201d In the end, she gave up on her Erasmus.<\/p>\n
Universities Respond<\/strong><\/p>\n International mobility offices say stories like In\u00e9s\u2019s are becoming more common. Ana Ly Tamargo-Fern\u00e1ndez, an advisor at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, says: \u201cSome students had their places confirmed but had to give them up because they couldn\u2019t find housing. That\u2019s why we ask partner universities in the Netherlands to make agreements with student residences to reserve spots for our students, but it\u2019s not easy. There are many websites and scams\u2026 you have to be careful.\u201d<\/p>\n This problem is not only in the Netherlands. According to Ana Ly, it is happening around the world, with examples in Italy, Ireland, and Germany. The crisis affects not only students\u2019 experiences but also the country\u2019s international reputation.<\/p>\n Limited Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cBefore, it was easier to add more exchange spots; now Dutch universities tell us they cannot go beyond what is agreed,\u201d Ana Ly explains. \u201cThis affects students\u2019 quality of life: many end up in tiny, poor-qua There are no easy solutions: space is limited, and new residences cannot be built fast enough. Still, universities are trying alternatives, such as agreements with private residences, giving clear information from the start, and encouraging students to live in less crowded cities.<\/p>\n Consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n The result is a dilemma seen in mobility offices across Europe. The Netherlands still attracts students because of its prestigious universities, but living in its cities is so hard that many students give up. \u201cIts reputation has dropped,\u201d Ana Ly says. \u201cCities used to be more attractive; now they create uncertainty. There is still demand, but more and more students wonder if it\u2019s worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n In\u00e9s is clear: \u201cIt\u2019s an attractive country, yes, but if you can\u2019t guarantee the basics, many students will give up.\u201d<\/p>\n In a continent that prides itself on academic mobility, the Erasmus dream of thousands of young people depends on one basic thing: finding a place to sleep.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In\u00e9s, a 20-year-old Spanish student, had been accepted to study for a year at one of the most prestigious universities in Europe, in the Netherlands. But she never went because she\u00a0couldn\u2019t find a place to live. Housing crisis Her case is not unique. The lack of housing for international students in the Netherlands has become […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3770,"featured_media":18481,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cbj","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/svjmedia.nl\/internationaljournalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/378\/2025\/09\/image1-300x171.jpeg\")
lity rooms, paying very high prices.\u201d<\/p>\n