Erasmus University Rotterdam collaborates with the municipality of Rotterdam and Hospi Housing to help address the severe shortage of student housing in the city. Together, we promote homestays: students renting a room in the home of a local resident.
About the collaboration
Every year, many students struggle to find a room in Rotterdam. At the same time, alumni, staff and other residents may have a spare room they are willing to offer temporarily. Through this partnership, we aim to increase the number of safe and affordable rooms available, support students in their transition to life in Rotterdam and strengthen the connection between the university and the city.
What is Hospi Housing?
Hospi Housing is a non-profit platform that matches students with local hosts and host families who offer a room in their own home. The organisation personally gets to know all hosts and host families, and guides them through every step of the process, from registration to the arrival of the student. Attention is paid to safety and fair pricing, so that students do not overpay and can count on a reliable place to stay. For hosts, using the platform is free of charge. Students pay a one-time fee and receive support in finding a suitable match.
Homestay: more than a room
A homestay offers more than a place to sleep. Especially for international students, it means a safe and affordable home in a tight housing market and a soft landing in a new city and country, with the opportunity to learn about Dutch language, culture and daily life.
For hosts, it is a way to support a student at an important stage in their life, engage in cultural exchange and sometimes build a lasting connection. You meet new people, often from a different cultural background, and can gain a unique experience yourself. Hosting also provides additional income, currently under favourable tax conditions for renting out a room in one’s own home, this can be up to € 6,633 tax free per year.
Call for hosts: do you have a spare room?
To support our students, Erasmus University Rotterdam invites alumni, staff and other Rotterdam residents with a spare room to consider becoming a host.
As a host you decide to who, when, and for how long you rent out your room. In Rotterdam temporarily renting out a room in your home on a temporary basis is allowed under certain conditions and possible for periods as short as two months. More information can be found in the overview of homestay rental rules in Rotterdam. Furthermore, the platform’s staff has all the knowledge and expertise to successfully guide hosts in every step of the process.
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It is not just a great way to integrate into Dutch culture, it is also a fun experience
