FAQ

No. At Home in Groningen is an housing information platform and does not manage or provide any housing itself.

You can find a list of landlords, estate agencies and public housing organisations here.

Dutch universities do not have a tradition for on-campus housing. In Groningen, the entire city is your campus. Students, both national and international, live in student houses in the city center or around the city center.

Starting August 2024, there is housing available at the Zernike Campus with SSHXL in the Proxima Building.

More information about the campus can be found here.

There are a lot of websites and rental companies where you can find rooms and apartments. Athomeingroningen.com is a great start! Check out Finding a home, for a list of websites and rental offices.

The demand for student housing is high in popular student cities like Groningen. Therefore, you should start looking for accommodation months before you arrive, preferably 3-5 months.

More information can be found here.

No, the RUG and Hanze have no dorms. Students have to find their own accommodation by themselves. For international students, there is also the SSH, which provides accommodation for international students only.

On-campus housing is limited and also solely provided by SSH.

More information can be found here.

Of course! It’s normal to have friends over, but if they want to sleep over you should always ask your roommates if that is okay. If your friends want to stay longer than one night, you should also ask your landlord for permission.

It really depends on what kind of room you have. It depends on the size, the location, the quality, and the landlord. For a room, you’ll pay between 350-650 euros. For a studio you’ll pay between 550-750 euros. For a 2 bedroom apartment, you’ll pay between 900-1500 euros.

It depends on what is stated in your rental contract. Normally, you have to pay your rent for the next month at the end of the current month. For example, for the month of November, you would pay between 24 and 31 October.

If you rent a room, it’s normal that the utilities are included. For an apartment, it depends on the landlord. You should ask your landlord about this.

Pets are usually not allowed. You should discuss this with your landlord if it is possible to have a pet in your room or apartment.

Generally, there is a clause about pet ownership in your rental agreement.

Some landlords offer furnished rooms, but it is more common to find unfurnished housing. It’s usually stated in the advertisement and in the contract.

Unfortunately there are a lot of ways to get scammed. You should be really careful if you look for accommodation online. Never pay if you haven’t signed a contract or received a key. Also see ‘Avoid fraud and scams’ for more information.

A BSN-number is your social security number in the Netherlands. You need this number for instance to open a Dutch bank account. More information can be found on Address registration

It is a legal requirement to register your home address with the government.

More information about registering can be found on Address registration

You can register for your family with the Municipality, if you have a signed authorisation (Dutch: machtiging) to do so.

More information about registering can be found on Address registration

You need to bring a valid passpord or identity card, as well as a signed lease or purchase agreement.

If you do not have a lease agreement, you need to bring a permission form.

More information about registering can be found on Address registration and on the website of the Municipality.

Generally, it may take up to four weeks to receive your BSN. This may depend on the time of year, as well as the municipality.

More information about a BSN can be found on Address registration

No. At Home in Groningen is an housing information platform and does not manage or provide any housing itself.

You can find a list of landlords, estate agencies and public housing organisations here.

There are several places where you can obtain legal advice if you encounter problems with your landlord. We recommend to check out the Rent Support Center.

Some of the problems these services can advise on include: paying too much rent or service costs, not getting your deposit back and several other issues.

More information on Possible problems with renting

It depends on your landlord or real estate company if you will receive an English or a Dutch contract. If you get a Dutch contract, you can always ask if you can get one in English. If that is not possible, you should ask a Dutch friend or colleague to read it before signing it!

Your rental price generally depends on the type of rental agreement and the type and quality of housing.

More information can be found here What may be included in your rent

There are a number of difficulties that may be encountered when looking for a new place. We have listed a number of them in this link Possible problems with renting

Depending on your personal circumstances, there are housing benefits, healthcare-insurance benefits, childcare benefits and child benefits.

More information on Financial matters

You can register for housing / rent benefit online on the website of the Dutch Tax Office.

More information on Rent benefit (huurtoeslag)

The conditions for housing benefit are listed on the website of the Dutch Tax Office.

More information on Rent benefit (huurtoeslag)

You can find out if you have a fiscal partner on the website of the Dutch Tax Office.

More information on Rent benefit (huurtoeslag)

The municipality is allowd to levy taxes, for example with regards to waste management.

The water board will also levy taxes with regards to waste water treatment.

More information on Municipal taxes

You will receive a letter by the ‘Noordelijk Belastingkantoor’ with regards to the local taxes with a deadline. Make sure to check your rental agreement to find out if these taxes are included in your rent.

More information on Municipal taxes

You can apply for remission through the website of the Noorderlijk Belastingkantoor.

The conditions are listed here.

More information on Municipal taxes