Student cities hoping locals will rent vacant rooms to students

Municipalities where many students live are pinning their hopes on the return of “hosts” to solve the shortage of student housing. The municipality of Wageningen and the university there announced a campaign on Thursday asking residents to temporarily rent out vacant rooms to students.

It used the customary for students to live in someone else’s house.

“Many people have extra space at home. Temporarily renting out a room can help students and other room seekers to find a space more quickly,” said Wageningen alderman Marije Eleveld (housing).

Earlier this year, Delft opened a search for hosts for students looking for a room. Nijmegen, Leiden, Rotterdam, and Utrecht also want to encourage this form of room rental.