Graduates stuck staying in student housing because they can’t find affordable home

Due to the housing shortage in the Netherlands, many graduating students can’t move out of their student housing because they can’t find an affordable home. So they find ways to stay in their dorms or rooms by delaying graduation or registering for a new course, RTL Nieuws reports.

Peter, not his real name, completed a master’s degree at Leiden University last year. But he is still registered as a student so that he doesn’t have to move out of his student housing - a flat in the center of Leiden. “I don’t take any lessons,” he told RTL. “Just before I completed my master’s degree, I registered for a second master’s degree.”

“Officially, you have to leave this home as soon as you graduate. But finding another home is virtually impossible for me,” Peter said. “I am registered for social housing, but the waiting period in Leiden is nine years. Because I currently work part-time, I do not earn enough for the normal rental market.” He is looking for a full-time job, and in the meantime continues to pay tuition so he can stay in his student housing. “I pay around 2,300 euros per year. This amount on top of my monthly rent is still cheaper than finding a rental property in the current market.”

Phoenix shares a student house in Rotterdam with 15 other students. “I postponed my master’s thesis for a year to do an internship and gain work experience.” An internship is not part of her studies. “Many jobs require work experience and I didn’t want to gamble on completing my studies without gaining experience.” Doing an internship after graduation was not an option. “With an internship allowance, you earn about 400 to 500 euros per month. I cannot afford a normal rental property with that.” By delaying her thesis, she could stay registered as a student and keep living in the student's house.

Stadswonen, the student housing association in Rotterdam, called it “annoying” that young people are finding loopholes to stay in student housing after their studies. “This situation pits students looking for housing against the group who won’t move out.”

However, the student housing associations understand where these young people are coming from. “The room shortage for students is high,” a spokesperson for student housing association DUWO told the broadcaster. “But follow-up housing is at least as difficult to find. From the perspective of the problem, I can imagine that there is sometimes despair and that people do not know where to go.”

According to Stadswonen, the government needs to build more student and social housing. “But that takes a lot of time,” the spokesperson said.