Housing options
Utrecht has the housing problems of any major city in Europe. This means that not everyone can live in the city centre close to the buildings of HKU. Most students live in a radius of about 20 minutes (by bike) from school. Rents in Utrecht vary between € 375 to € 700 per month. However, due to a shortage of student housing, it is not uncommon to pay more than €1000 per month.
These are the most common types of student housing:
- Students houses where each student has their own room and you share the bathroom and kitchen.
- Student housing with single or shared rooms and shared facilities.
- Landlord or host family. Students rent one room and share the kitchen and bathroom with the owner of the house.
What is hospiteren?
Hospiteren is a system used in many Dutch student houses to find a new housemate. Current occupants invite people responding to their advertisement for an introduction. The housemates then decide which person would best fit in their home. Generally you will be asked a number of questions about your hobbies, education, sports or other habits.
Be yourself and ask questions as well. It is an excellent opportunity to find out if the room and housemates suit you.
Please check the ISIC website for tips and information on hospiteren.
Social rental accommodation
WoningNet Regio Utrecht offers social housing in the Utrecht region and homes in the private sector. It is advisable to register immediately after your 18th birthday. Then you will already have built up some waiting time during your studies. It can take from three to ten years to get to the top of the waiting list. You can also register for SSH and WoningNet at a discount through SSH. Please note: in order to qualify for social housing, you must have the Dutch nationality or a valid residence status.
Visit the website of Woningnet Regio Utrecht
Student accommodation
SSH rents out accommodation for students. SSH rooms are often in student residences. In addition to permanent housing, SSH also offers temporary accommodation. These are rooms in apartments and flats due for demolition or renovation. The waiting time for temporary rooms is far shorter than for other SSH accommodation.
Visit the SSH website.
Priority for HKU students
HKU has a partnership with SSH for several housing locations. In addition, new housing accommodation is currently being built at Berlijnplein – the main creative hotspot of the city. The rooms, studios and artist’s homes will be made available for rent in 2026.
Are you interested in one of these homes? You need to be registered with SSH. As soon as these homes become available for rent, we will inform our students. From then on, you can apply for these rental homes and indicate that you are a student of HKU. This will give you priority over other students. Are you interested in the artist's homes and already studying at HKU? You can put yourself on the waiting list via this link.
Note: when multiple HKU students are applying for the same home, the registration time at SSH will be decisive. That means: the sooner you register, the higher the chance you get the home. That’s why you should register with SSH as soon as possible! You should also keep searching actively yourself.
For students of Utrechts Conservatorium, Fine Art and Design
For students who study at the HKU Utrechts Conservatorium, HKU Fine Art or HKU Design, there are additional options with regard to the availability of rooms. Look at these pages for more info:
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