Accommodation

Whether you are looking for dedicated student housing or private accommodation, you’ll find it in Groningen. But it can be a challenge, so start searching as soon as you can. It is often difficult finding accommodation in Dutch student cities and, in Groningen, over 20,000 students will all be looking for housing at the same time as you. Therefore, the earlier you find accommodation, the better.

The University of Groningen is not a campus university and therefore does not offer campus accommodation. However, through third parties there are many (student) houses and apartments available. We advise exchange students to book accommodation via SSH, an organization that is specialized in international student housing, especially short stay rentals (1 or 2 semesters).

SSH Student Housing

SSH Student Housing is an independent non-profit housing corporation specialised in student accommodation, with furnished rooms available for a maximum of one year. You can rent one of the 1,550 rooms the University has reserved for new international students with SSH Student Housing. You can choose from a single or double room or a studio, with prices currently ranging from €290 to €660 a month, including all utilities (rent, heating, electricity, furniture, and internet access).

As an exchange student, SSH is the easiest and most secure option to find accommodation in Groningen, especially when staying for no more than one semester.

There are several SSH International Student Houses across the city, where you can live with students from all over the world – a fun and social experience.

How can I apply for SSH Housing?

After being nominated for the exchange programme students will be provided with detailed information on the registration process by the BSS International Office.
Your SSH registration first needs to be approved by us (= International Office) in order to confirm to SSH that you successfully applied and were accepted in our exchange programme.

• It is only possible to rent a room for the full semester or full year. Earlier cancellations are not possible!
• The reservation fee in the academic year 2019-20 is 77,50 Euro.
• You do not need your student number in order to make a reservation.
• The rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
• In order to confirm your room reservation (= booking the room) you have to make a down payment within 24 hours. A credit card is needed for this!

Private accommodation

There are several ways to find private accommodation in Groningen. The University of Groningen worked with the Groningen Municipality and Hanze University of Applied Sciences to create a website called At Home In Groningen, which offers student rooms with reliable landlords that have been screened by the municipality and provides additional information about living in Groningen.

You can also choose a long-stay hotel such as The Student Hotel, where you can rent a hotel-like room for up to a year. Alternatively, you can search for accommodation in the private sector e.g. via rental agencies or social media, but be aware of scammers! If you are looking to rent (or buy) an apartment or house in the Netherlands, check out Funda.

If you are having difficulty finding a room in Groningen, try broadening your search outside the city or to nearby towns such as Leeuwarden or Assen.

Be aware of scammers

You may prefer to find your own accommodation but we urge you to be aware that there are untrustworthy landlords and unreliable room rental agencies out there. A few things to keep in mind:

• Many students will be trying to find a place to live at the beginning of the academic year and during the summer months. It’s therefore wise to start looking for a room as early as possible.
• Always use official websites or companies that you can trace to a physical address.
• The agency costs and rental fees of both commercial agencies and private landlords can be high. Remain critical, visit the room beforehand and always read your contract carefully.
• Do not pay anything before you have a written contract and always ask for a receipt of payment.
• If the rent looks too good to be true for the location/type of housing, or the pictures are unidentifiable, you might be looking at something that is not genuine.
• Avoid identity theft: never send a copy of your passport to strangers.
• If you wish to rent a room in a building that has three or more residents, you should check if the proprietor has the correct permit.
• Do not go to a viewing alone. If possible, take a Dutch speaker with you.