Frequently Asked Questions on accommodation

This depends on the cancellation policy of your contract. Please make sure to read and fully understand  your contract before signing. Reach out to your landlord and ask if termination of the contract if possible if you are not able to stay in your room due to COVID-19. 

You can look for a room yourself. Check out the “find accommodation yourself” section on this website to find useful tips and links so you can get started. 

Please note: reserved accommodation for Degree students is only available for students who start end of August (Fall semester). If you start end of January (Spring semester), please take a look at the private market webpage. 

You can book rooms online through our preferred housing suppliers. These are trustworthy websites with good rooms/studio’s.

We do advice you to be extra careful in this situation. Please keep all the safety instructions in mind. 

Depending on when you are starting your studies. In general we recommend that you start at least 5 months in advance when you are starting in September. If you are joining us in January/February 3 months should suffice. 

We do not recommend signing a contract you cannot read. If you’d like to offer your landlord a standardize contract in English you can contact the Housing Office. The Housing Office is also available for checking your Dutch contract. 

If you have questions about your contract you can contact the Housing Office. If there are larger issues at hand, they might refer you a free legal support office. 

As soon as you are registered by your landlord at your address, you can register at the municipality. This has to be done within the first three months of your arrival. For more questions about immigration and BSN numbers please consult the immigration webpage.

Yes, often websites ask for a +/- 30 euro fee for registration. We recommend that you carefully pick one/two websites so that you don’t have to pay for websites you won’t use. Many offer the same things, so take a look around before you decide on a website. 

This largely depends on your own credentials but also on the house you live in. Check the information above under 'Dutch rental law' and check with your landlord to see if your studio/apartment in eligible. 

This is quite normal for students to have a guarantor on their lease, since they often have little or no income. Therefore they sometimes ask your parents or other persons who do have income to guarantee your lease.

• Technically this means that if you fail to pay your rent in time, they can recover the costs on your guarantor.
• Often this means that your guarantor has to fill out a form stating their ability to do so.
• However, as long as you pay your rent in time and in full they will not ask your guarantor to pay anything. 

Please check the website Dutch Rental Law for additional information on e.g. deposits, rent and contracts.

Feel free to contact the Housing Office through studenthousing@tilburguniversity.edu. If needed you can also set an appointment.