Room rental expenses

Prices for student housing can vary strongly in The Hague. There is no standard price for a room, however there are guidelines for the maximum rent of a room. It’s also good to know what other expenses you need to take into account.

The price of a room in The Hague generally ranges between € 200 and € 250. This is the cost of the basic rent, meaning that additional expenses will come on top, such as:

• gas, water and electricity
• service costs, for instance for cleaning and light in a shared stairwell
• municipal taxes

In some cases, fees for cable television and internet are included in the rent. However, don’t forget to get proper insurance coverage, for example fire and theft insurance and liability insurance. Students are eligible for special packages. Take a look at the information under Insurance for students.

Rent increase

The landlord is allowed to raise your rent once a year. Generally this occurs on 1 July, but any date is allowed. If the landlord has improved parts of the building or your room, he may also raise the rent. The government determines the maximum allowed rental increase percentage per year. A landlord can’t raise the rent without notification in writing two months in advance.

Read more about rented housing on Government.nl.

Are you paying too much?

There is a legal maximum rent allowed for rooms. If you want to find out whether you’re paying too much for your room, you can calculate this through a point system. You can calculate this right away using the Check je kamer application from the National Student Union. Here you'll also find tips on what you can do if you’re actually paying too much.

Deposit is ok, key money isn’t

A lot of landlords request a deposit, which is common and allowed. Often this deposit is equal to one month’s rent. This deposit is a guarantee. If you move out and leave your room behind in a tidy way, you’ll get your deposit back. If you don’t leave your room in a proper condition, the landlord will use the deposit to make repairs.

Sometimes a landlord will ask you for key money. This is an amount you have to pay before you’ll be allowed access to the room. In fact, you’ll be paying to acquire the key. This is prohibited in the Netherlands. Have you paid key money? If you still have the receipt or if there are any witnesses (not family members), you can reclaim your money through the cantonal court.