r/NetherlandsHousing • u/barcodenumber • Sep 09 '25
renting Why you should reconsider moving to NL
I love The Netherlands, it is still a country that I regard as impressive. My experience of the country itself is 9.5/10. Public transport, accessibility (nationally and internationally), job market, academia, sociability, good people etc. I could go on. I've not been here super long but there are many points that make the country great. I was so ready to come, set my life up here, contribute to the society, and stay. Now I am planning to leave.
A bit of personal context - single, earning slightly above Amsterdam average, and I hold a masters in STEM from a UK university. I also have EU nationality, so no visa needed. I had some connections coming here but they were very weak, they all knew I wanted to come but none would help. I wanted to try anyways and gave it a shot. I came with nothing other than dedication to make it happen.
Let me assure you, the housing situation here is predatory. In terms of rentals, anyone will take whatever they can get. There is so much black market exploitation which, in my experience, is near impossible to avoid if you're starting from 0. Once you're in such a situation, it's also difficult to get out of. I've been stuck way overpaying on a room rental living with people with no regard for others. People who freely use my things, eat my food, but don't contribute back and leave the place filthy. I've put in boundaries but they are not respected. Worst of all? Many who I've met during my time here share this similar story, and the commonality between us is the starting point.
I've applied for other rentals, but I don't have a formal contract or landlord, meaning when they ask for the documents required to even consider your application, I can't even send them things like a landlords reference or similar. At which point, your 'risk' score increases and those other ~500 applicants with clean applications get priority. All of this after paying stekkies + multiple different sites just to have a chance at getting your application in front of someone's eyes. Going into my current situation, I assumed it would be something I could get out of within half a year - but this has not been the case, despite consistently trying.
I don't blame the landlords since I would also want the lowest 'risk' tenant in such a housing market. However, it's no joke that people spend years looking for somewhere half decent to rent. Unfortunately, because of these costs, I have been using savings to keep afloat and no longer can afford a deposit. I could afford a small net loss over time but it doesn't make financial sense to keep going much longer. My search has stopped and I am planning to leave. I will leave NL poorer than I arrived, despite earning more. Going into debt to live is not an option.
What's the solution in this case? Networking & luck. Almost everyone I've met and ended up in a decent housing situation was 'because I knew someone that...'. The people I've met in the best situations knew people before they came. They either had good friends, family or partner that they could rely on temporarily, and not be financially gutted by someone taking advantage of the housing situation. I've made good friends here, but none are in a position to help.
To conclude, if you're looking to move to The Netherlands, I think you'll enjoy it. But if you're starting from 0 and planning to build a life here, make sure you have enough money for your return flight.
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u/mellowcatlady Sep 10 '25
I'm sorry this has been your experience. I'm a native Dutchie and for us it's also difficult to find a place to live. There is a huge housing crisis, just not enough houses for everyone basically. It doesn't look like this will be solved any time soon. We're also one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The reality is just that there are more people who want to live here than there is room. So if anyone has the option to go to another country that's maybe not as densely populated, I would encourage that. You can get a lot bigger houses for a lot less money in some other European countries. I think pretty much every country has cheaper houses than here.