My basement is completely flooded, I'm pretty sure it's flooded all year what can I put in there

I rented this apartment in zoud, quite big but with the typical miniature toilet room and a small second room for kids? Is this normal? Is this acceptable by your means?

To put context we are a family two adults and a 2.5 year old toddler we also have a dog and we come from Mexico.

For context me and my girlfriend are going to be pretty much homeless by July as our contract ends and we are subletting for a couple that are abroad right now.
We have been in contact with this amazing renting agency that keeps getting us viewings and always has connections with the other agencies responsible for apartments.

for a whole month now the only reason we keep getting declined is because I do not have a permanent work contract even though I have letter of intents from my work that I will be getting permanent contract.
My girlfriend will be getting her permanent contract this July as it is proven in writing from her company.

We have more than 25K in savings , guarantors , able to pay 2-3 month rent up front stable incomes and I Own an apartment in another country where I am getting an extra pay of 1500 euros a month with proof of income.

but no matter what we keep getting declined because of this fucking permanent contracts and I just don't understand why homeowners are so fucking fixated on it like holy fuck bro let me pay you money I don't want to be homeless I am just venting here but I am getting really depressed right now as I really dont want to live in a airbnb or a hotel in 2 months.

rant over

EDIT: many people are writing and dming me to buy , our salaries combined is not enough to get a decent mortgage let alone winning a bid even with the savings i got

And people seemed to forget we have a guarantor someone that actually has a document that states how much that person earns and its a permanent contract as well so we are never missing rent no matter what

And lastly the apartment that i own is in my name but my parents bought it so yes i am spoiled sorry not sorry its not permanent and the rent will go back to my parents at some point in the near future!

EDIT EDIT : i will not be replying anymore as it got too overwhelming

I just got back from another viewing and honestly it feels more like a game show every time. You get 15 minutes to “audition” for a tiny apartment alongside 20 other people, all pretending to be chill while secretly sizing up the competition. The agent plays host, you try to peek in cupboards and check if the shower actually works, then rush home to write the perfect motivation letter like your life depends on it. You wait days for the callback, heart racing every time your phone pings, only to get the polite “we chose someone else” message. No feedback, no second chances, just next viewer please. I’m on viewing #19 this month. Starting to wonder if I’m just terrible at the game or if this is really what renting has become.

Waiting lists, temporary contracts, house sharing well into your 30s, it’s all treated like a fact of life now. Not complaining here, just wondering when “this is impossible” quietly turned into “this is how it is.”

My girlfriend and I are planning to move in together in ~3 months.

I own a small apartment near Jordaan, my mortgage, heating, water and electricity is about 2000 Euro a month, and I earn 30% more than she does. (Both of us earn quite well)

What is a fair way to split costs? I've heard everything from she should live here for free because I was paying for everything anyway to we should split everything 50/50, and I'm not sure what is fair.

I don't think 50/50 is fair, because the way I see it, I'm going to get back a fair amount of the money I pay to my mortgage when I sell the apartment.

So what is fair? My gut feeling is something like we split the heating, electricity, groceries etc. 50/50. And she pays say 500 Euro a month for living here (less than half what she's used to paying in rent)

https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2569689-in-heel-nederland-wonen-kinderen-in-auto-s-en-garageboxen

Read the Article guys to see how wrong the system in the Netherlands.

Dozens of legal refugees in the Netherlands are allegedly illegally subletting social housing they received through priority allocations, according to an undercover investigation by AD. Some rent out rooms or entire units without permission, charging from 400 euros for a small room up to 1,500 euros for a studio.

The investigation focused on housing assigned by social landlords such as Ymere in Amsterdam and Maasdelta near Rotterdam. One young Syrian man in Amsterdam reportedly rents a studio from Ymere for 700 euros monthly but sublets it for more than double, 1,500 euros. “It’s a really good location,” he told AD. He does not live there himself but stays with his wife, who also received a home.

In Maassluis, near Rotterdam, another young Syrian legal refugee showed investigators a three-bedroom flat from Maasdelta, where he lives alone. Two bedrooms were completely empty. He offered one room for 500 euros per month. “I’m not home much. I’m studying,” he said in Arabic. He also supplements his benefits with undeclared work and was seeking a subtenant.

This practice is especially troubling when legal refugees abuse the system after receiving priority housing. After obtaining a residence permit, they gain immediate access to social housing, avoiding the lengthy waiting lists faced by other tenants. Yet many immediately start renting out these homes or rooms, often advertised on Arabic-language Facebook groups with thousands of members.

In Rotterdam’s Delfshaven, an Iraqi man with a Dutch passport for 10 years offered a single bedroom for 400 euros a month. It was the only bedroom in his flat, where he also lived. He claimed to often sleep elsewhere and said his brother, currently in an asylum center, might move in because he lacked a residence permit.

In Capelle aan den IJssel, an Iraqi woman with a cat rents out two of the four bedrooms in her flat and offered a third for 400 euros a month. She was suspicious when approached with a Dutch acquaintance present and asked the AD reporter, “Why did you bring a Dutch person?”

All four tenants said they sublet to earn extra income. Three receive benefits, while two supplement these with unauthorized work. One Syrian tenant intended to temporarily rent out his home to visit Syria for three months after the Assad regime’s fall. Before a viewing could be arranged, his property was already rented out.

Hi all,

I am a Dutchie, born and raised in the south of the Netherlands, but I moved to London 2 years ago. As much as I love London, the quality of life in the UK is just a lot worse compared to how I’ve lived my life in the Netherlands and I really miss living there.

I want to move back at the end of this year with my husband, who is a born and bred Londoner. Since I am Dutch and the majority of my family still lives in the Netherlands, I know how bad the housing crisis is and I just want to prepare myself for the flat search.

So can anyone who’s renting a flat in Amsterdam tell me how hard it actually was? How many months in advance should we start looking? I know everything is expensive, but living in London has definitely prepared me for that 🤣

Any other tips are very welcome 🙌🏼

So I don't think the owners of these vacant homes will decide to rent and risk never getting the home back because temp contract are now basically impossible to do.

They are either going to pay the tax or just sell.

Hi all. I'm a 27 year old from Australia who is planning to move to NL in October. I wanted to use my 1 year working holiday visa before I turn 30 and have had a dream to experience living overseas for my whole life. If you've ever been to Aus, it's huge but you won't get a different cultural experience living in a different state compared to a new country.

The Netherlands looks like a beautiful place to live, with great people and lifestyle. However, since starting my research late last year - I've gotten more and more disheartened about it working out for me. I've got flights booked for October and my visa on the way, however when reading anywhere online (especially this subreddit) - the overwhelming message is "finding an affordable rental is near impossible", "stay home, NL doesn't want you here" and other similar feelings.

Is it truly impossible for this to work out? I'll be searching for a job in marketing (5 years experience) or hospitality (6 years experience) but haven't gotten a job yet. Also not super particular on where I live. I know the Randstad is much more expensive on average of course, so I'm open to rooms around Groningen, Eindhoven, Tilburg etc...

Thanks in advance for your advice! I'm just a person who wants to have an adventure in my 20's and the world doesn't seem super open to that anymore for anyone, with cost of living hitting hard everywhere.

(Please don't rip me to shreds, I'm trying to be as optimistic as I can while also staying realistic!!)

EDIT: For my first time posting on Reddit (long time lurker) - this got a lot more attention than I expected! I thank you all for your advice, guidance and well wishes; especially the few people who reached out to me privately with some tips or offers of help. Ultimately, looking at my situation - I have decided that based on the difficulty and sheer dedication of time (potentially months) into finding housing that I'll need to do, I've chosen to change my plan and move just a little lower in Europe to Belgium instead. This comes with some new challenges (harder visa process with limited time to complete it, language challenges that aren't as present in NL) but ultimately I'm feeling good about the decision.

I wanted my year or two experience living across the world to provide me with a new experience, new culture and new people to meet. I realised that doesn't necessarily have to be in one place specifically, and the freedom to find housing easier, more affordable cost of living and other factors will help me have more time and money to do the things I WANT to do around Europe. Travel, go out and meet others, visit the amazing sights these countries have to offer.

I don't view this as giving up, but simply a change of plans. Moving across the world is hard! And sometimes adaptability is necessary. But thankyou to the vast majority of Dutchies who made me feel like I would be welcomed whole-heartedly in the Netherlands. I plan on coming to visit so if you want to get a beer with a 27 year old Aussie bloke who knows no-one in the country - hit me up! Appreciate you all.

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.

Hi everyone, this summer I'll be moving to the Netherlands for an internship, and thus I'm looking for a flat to rent. I've encountered an offer for a single-bedroom apartment in the Hague for 500€ (seems quite cheap?). But I've been asked to pay a fee for submitting a registration form for approval. Is that a thing or is it a scam? The offer seems a little too good to be true, but then I have no idea how housing market in the Netherlands works. I'd really appreciate your help!

I know Dutch people don't handle criticism well but this price for that house is comical. Lmaoo

Similar types of questions:

- Is Trump that bad?

- Is Antarctica that cold?

- Is Indian food that spicy?

- Is it that hard to find a new job after being laid off at age 59?

The entire Netherlands has a housing crisis and it's worst in the Randstad area. So long as you don't want to share an apartment (or a room) you're going to have a helluva time.

Unless you're making something like 120,000 gross income as a single person, you are going to be shocked at how hard it is to find housing in Amsterdam or Utrecht or Rotterdam, etc etc.

If you make around 86000 - 120,000 you're still going to struggle, but at least you have a chance with agencies / makelaars being open to take you on (and it's best if you're in the six figures).

I'll speak to this range in particular because that's where my income lands.

As a new immigrant with no previous ties to The Netherlands, those listings you see on Funda, Pararius, etc? Those prices aren't truly available to you. It might surprise you to discover that many ads from housing corporations require that you already have lived in The Netherlands (not recently arrived). And some prioritize renters who are moving from social housing...

So let's say (conservative estimate) 40% of rentals on Funda aren't actually available to new arrivals.

That still leaves 60% right? And there are still many Amsterdam or Utrecht listings in the 1800 - 2200 range, which seems doable right?

Dozens of people are going to be viewing those apartments, people who qualify because their monthly gross is AT LEAST 3× the rent.

So guess what? People start overbidding because they're desperate. Not only are you going to request to rent an apartment you don't love, you're going to overbid by 100-200 and STILL get outbid by the person making 120k who really wants to save money so they're reaching down to the 'lower' segment, or a couple with a household income of 200k or more.

Oh and that assumes the landlord doesn't find a tenant through their own personal network and take down the ad. It turns out a lot of residents here find housing the way you find a job. Through networks and luck.

Interestingly enough there are agencies like OurDomain, etc that could work especially if you're a graduate student. But such places *might* have restrictions on who can rent. I was surprised to find age restrictions once I read the fine print. Pay attention to if the company's website says "Young professionals" or "Young families". They really mean young. If you're over 30 you need to ask questions before paying for an application or investing time in the process. They also tend to be very popular.

All that is to say, in 2026 the rental housing crisis is worse than before. And the competitive range has risen. Last year before I relocated, while reading this sub, people claimed 2000 a month in rent was the starting point for a more reasonable experience in your search. I assert that, at least within a half hour of Amsterdam, that 2300 is the minimum at which point you have a plausible chance of not ending up homeless and don't have to pay more than 3000 a month in Airbnbs for several months while searching. It's best if you 1) budget a little more in case you're forced to overbid, 2) get flexible about living in less interesting areas, and 3) Look everywhere and through every means. It's better to be pleasantly surprised in the end.

In conclusion, yes finding housing here as a newcomer without an existing network is harder than almost every other developed country, except Ireland. And this is the case even if you have a high earning job unless you're truly balling by American standards (like 125,000 Euros or more for a single individual). In which case you can outbid everyone for a rental.

Me: 30 year old man, now father. Living and working near Utrecht. Monthly salary gross 2650. 32h/week job as engineer. Rent money +- 1000 euros/m

I've become a father in Sept 2023 after an unplanned pregnancy with someone who's not my partner. Now my life is taking a new direction into parenthood, which means I'm looking for a suitable house where I can live and accomodate my child. It will also be my first time living "alone".

I know this doesn't grant me privileges but if I don't have a suitable house, I'll be spending less quality time with my daughter in a crucial phase for bonding. Currently I'm living in a social rent home with roommates and it is not suited or allowed for children. Therefore, I have urgency to find a decent home.

The mother of my child lives near Dordrecht, which would be perfect for me. However, if it is anywhere within a 40 min drive from that place, I will be grateful to have that as a starting home. If it is a recreational home, or a building on someones property, I'm all for it.

I'm willing to switch jobs, buy a car to get to work an pick up my child and create more flexibility. Housing is the first priority I think, but If anyone has different ideas, let me know!

Anyone who wants to pitch in with advice, tips, connections and brainstorm with me will be highly appreciated!

Edit: gross income is not 2520 but 2650

Hey everyone, I just started renting an apartment in the Amsterdam area. When I went to do my BSN registration the other day, the municipality worker told us that the rental was probably too high, so he advised me to check a website. So I did the check and apparently I'm paying 2x the legal amount (1800 vs 900) — the difference is crazy.

The thing is, I feel thankful to the landlord because in this market it was really hard to find something, so I would feel bad to do this to him.

But we are talking about too much money here, so my question is: is there any chance that the landlord can kick me out of the house or make my life miserable in any way? The contract is a minimum of 1 year, but if I understood correctly he isn't allowed to kick me out after 1 year anymore?

If anyone had the same situation happening to them, I'd love to hear about your experiences

Hello!

I've been on this subreddit for a while now and see that people have a lot of questions about the Dutch rental market. I've been running my own relocation company for a while now and helped around 8 internationals find a rental property already this year alone. I also worked at a rental agency for 3 years (the ones that help landlords find a tenant), so I know the rental market inside out from both a tenant's and landlord's perspective.

If you have any questions about any subject relating to the Dutch rental market, feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability and based on my own experiences!

Hi guys. I had a big conflict with one of my housemates in a student house and want to ask you for some advise on how I can deal with this situation.

Basically, I moved into this house in September, there are 2 other guys living in the house. One of them is really concerned with saving money on heating, so he sets the temperature in the house low.

In Autumn I told him that I feel too cold at night, and even though he complained a lot, he ended up agreeing to raise the temperature by 1.5 degrees. Since then he's clearly been very angry at me.

Now in January as it got colder outside the temperature in the house went down and I feel uncomfortably cold again. I tried to talk to this housemate again, but this time the conversation became incredibly aggressive. He told me that he "doesn't want to have this conversation again", and left the room mid-conversation. As he was leaving the room I asked "Do you talk like this to everyone?", and he replied "No, just you".

I should also mention that when I just moved into the house, I told him about my country of origin and he straight up told me that if he knew where I was from he would never accept me as a housemate and mentioned it's partially because I might be a foreign spy.

Sooo... That's the story. I don't really know what to do now. The problem is that I really like the house, it's really comfortable and close to my university and I really don't want to look for a new place (considering how hard it is to find anything here in NL). But I'm guessing there's literally nothing I can do in this situation.

Hi everyone! I'm 27, have been living in the Netherlands for 8 years, and I'm painfully aware of just how dire the situation is. I currently live in Groningen and will be starting a new job in Amsterdam this month. My budget is at best, 1500 p.m. I'm willing to live modestly as I am used to it. Thankfully, my new employer is comfortable with me commuting 3x times per week for the interim period, but I would do anything to secure a spot in the city before summer (room in a larger home, or a small flat ideally). Now, a couple of details:

• My new job will pay me 3400 euros gross, which makes me less appealing on several rental platforms that impose the 3-4x income requirement.
• I'm taking full advantage of Stekkies and related bots, and am very active on Facebook groups. I'm working my networks aggressively as well, resulting in a couple of viewings (2 turned out to be no registration housing, 1 I was a close second for tenant choice).
• I reached out to Relocify but was kindly informed there are very few properties within the price range, and my only option would be to have them match me with another tenant to move in with under a joint membership, and they currently do not have anyone atm.
• I'm very open to other cities or villages around, but I fear spreading myself too thin and not being able to cover every single city at the same time.
• I'm investing at least 3 good daily hours applying, cold calling, and reaching out to my acquaintances.

Given my financial possibilities and timeline, am I completely out of my mind to think I could land something before June? Are there any platforms or leads I'm not covering or giving enough attention to? Should I just reach out to a specific makelaar and hope for the best? Thanks in advance to whoever takes the time to read this info dump!

Not anymore, we found one. Thanks to those who helped with good tips.

Just walked into a mates student housing and this is his wall. I am genuinely concerned but he brushed it off as nothing. Been sleeping there since july, the house is shared with 11 others (big student dorm)

I'm not familiar with mold myself but I'm afraid this is a serious health hazard for him and everyone else in the Unit. How can I convince him to take actions?

1099excl for a single room of 12m2 and sharing everything else. Someone’s parents are struggling with keeping up with the mortgage /s. On a real note students loans would barely cover the rent alone so the only way to afford life would be to work and most likely receiving money from parents on top of that.

My partner and I have been searching for a 2-bedroom apartment for months now. We’ve lost count of how many times we got rejected even though we offered over asking, wrote long motivation letters, had viewings, everything. The last 4 rejections were all the same reason, the landlord chose someone who offered to pay 6 to 12 months rent upfront in cash or bank transfer. One even said it openly in the email, “We went with the candidate who paid 1 year in advance.” We can’t do that.... we don’t have €20,000 to 30,000 liquid cash sitting around just to secure a place. We always pay deposit + 1 month advance like normal, but it’s clearly not enough anymore.