Costs of student housing and living in Amsterdam
Rent is between €300 and €850 per month, depending on what type of room you have. In addition to rent, you must pay administrative fees, a refundable deposit, and in some cases local taxes.
What are the costs for UvA student housing?
When applying for student housing you are required to pay an one-time UvA housing fee of €200 (1 semester students) or €395 (2 semester students).
| Student type | UvA housing fee* |
| Exchange students (1 semester) | € 200 |
| Bachelor students (2 semesters) | € 395 |
| Master students (2 semesters) | € 395 |
| Exchange students (2 semesters) | € 395 |
* When registering for a couples room the main tenant is asked to pay a double amount.
Why is the UvA housing fee needed?
The UvA housing fee is necessary to cover the costs that come with providing housing to international students. These costs can legitimately not be covered by university funds, which are for academic purposes.
-
See more detailed information about the UvA fee
- Firstly, the UvA does not own the student rooms. Therefore, we need to reserve the rooms at the different housing partners for international students. It is only possible to reserve the rooms for a full calendar year. We always have certain vacancy costs due to: change-overs, cleaning days, summer recess and cancellations after illness, insufficient study results and other personal circumstances.
- Secondly, the housing programme has certain running costs, such as paying in-house residential assistants and (credit card) payment services.
- Finally, the UvA is constantly seeking new locations and possibilities to house more students in the following academic year. In order to make certain locations (temporarily) suitable for students to live in, some costs such as cleaning, removing old furnishings, security, etc. are unavoidable.
What happens to the UvA housing fee when UvA housing can’t offer me accommodation?
If you applied for UvA housing but we are unable to offer you a room the UvA housing fee will be refunded to the credit card or PayPal account you paid with.
What happens to the UvA housing fee when I don’t need a room from UvA housing anymore?
In case you found other accommodation by yourself and have not received a room offer from the UvA yet, contact the International Student Housing Office to withdraw your housing application. The UvA housing fee will be refunded.
If you request to withdraw your housing application after you received a housing offer from us, or you decide not to accept the offer, the fee will not be refunded.
What does the rent include?
Rents for student housing vary between €300 to €850 per month. The exact figure is different for each room as it is based type and size. The monthly rent includes gas, electricity, water usage bills and internet. The rent will be paid directly to the housing provider. It is possible to pay in monthly installments.
Fixed rental period
When you sign your rental contract, you agree with the fixed rental period with a maximum of 2 semesters. It is not possible to rent month by month, nor can you terminate your room contract early*. This means you will be responsible for the rent until the end of your contract.
*Unless you officially terminate your UvA study enrollment.
What are additional costs I need to make at the housing provider?
After you receive a room offer, it is necessary to finalize the booking at the housing provider by paying the first month’s rent, administration costs and deposit. This means that the first payment can be a significant amount. Make sure you are ready to pay this, as it is needed to finalize the booking at the housing provider.
Additional charges, deposit, and first rental payment per housing provider:
| Housing partner | Additional charges | Deposit | First rental payment |
| De Key | € 150 | One month's rent | First month before arrival |
| DUWO | € 172 | None | Tenants pay approx. first and last one and a half months |
| OurCampus Amsterdam Diemen | € 200 | € 1.000 | First month before arrival |
| Student Experience - Amsterdam NDSM | None | € 1.120 | First month before arrival |
| StuNest - Spartaan | € 160 | € 1.500 | First one and a half months before arrival |
What are the municipal taxes I need to pay?
Anyone living in Amsterdam who has their own private facilities (bathroom, kitchen) has to pay local taxes for services such as waste collection and water. These taxes are not included in the rent. Tax bills are sent out once a year to you directly by the City of Amsterdam. Because this happens once a year, you might receive message of this after you stay in Amsterdam.
Exemption from municipal taxes
For some students it is possible to get an exemption from the local taxes. There are certain (financial) requirements your will need to meet. Consult the municipality of Amsterdam for information on exemption from municipal taxes.
Can I receive Housing allowance?
If you live on your own with private facilities, you may be eligible for a rent benefit (in Dutch: huurtoeslag) from the Dutch government. This is a benefit granted by the Dutch government to those who have a lower income and relatively high costs for renting their house. Housing allowance is not deducted from your rent, but received separately. We advise you to see it as a nice bonus, and definitely not a certainty.
The government tax office provides detailed information on rent benefit eligibility conditions and how to apply.