How do I find a room in Amsterdam

July 21, 2011 5:41 AM

Do you have any hints, tips, or advice for finding a room to live in Amsterdam? This is the first time I am looking at private non-student renting, and I could use all the help I can get.

I am an English student finishing my Masters at the University of Amsterdam. I have wanted to stay in Amsterdam after I graduated for a while, but it is only recently that I have received a job offer that could let me do this. My student lease with De Key runs out in a month, and I need to find a room for anytime in August or the very start of September.

I realise that this is a short amount of time, and the Amsterdam renting market has a notorious reputation. Frankly, I am already feeling quite overwhelmed by all of the agencies, room lease websites, and all the other things to look out for. Since I have no real idea what I am doing, I thought it could be useful to ask for any advice or tips from people who have experience with renting in Amsterdam.

Any recommended websites, methods, things to look out for to stop me being scammed, anything at all would be appreciated.

Thanks!

posted by tumples to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

The best website by far is KamerNed.nl. It's in Dutch, but you can use auto-translate to figure it out. Craigslist is full of scams, but there are some real ones there. I found first rentals there and when I have a room to rent in my place, I still put adds there because most Americans and non-Dutch know to check there first.
posted by mateuslee at 5:56 AM on July 21, 2011

When did you want to rent and for how long, btw?
posted by mateuslee at 5:57 AM on July 21, 2011

Response by poster: Oh good point, I want to stay in Amsterdam for as long as possible, but for now I just want to find a place that keeps me here, and gives me time to look properly and settle down. I am not very fussy, I would just prefer for it to be cheap and if possible, in or close to Amsterdam. I don't want to live in a commuter town if I can help it.
posted by tumples at 6:05 AM on July 21, 2011

Yeah, I think you're in the same boat as most people then. Check out KamerNed but don't give up on Craigslist. I was sure my last place was a Craigslist fake, but I applied anyway and in the end got a callback and ended up living there. Not all those too-good-to-be-true adverts are scams, so be sure not to miss any good opportunity. Check Craigslist often.

Also, if you sign up for KamerNed, don't wait for the daily email digest to arrive in your inbox. It pays to literally sit at the computer and refresh the list every 20 minutes so you can be a "first responder".

Lastly, as someone who is now renting an apartment out, be sure to have a friendly and honest letter of introduction that you send to those people who post apartments. There are so many replies flooding their inboxes because the market is so saturated, you'll want to stand out as a dependable, friendly, and honest individual.
posted by mateuslee at 6:24 AM on July 21, 2011

It's KamerNet,nl, which I came in to suggest too, except that it's definitely more student-oriented in my town. You can also browse a lot of agencies' listings at Funda.nl, which can help you cut out the middle man of using an agency, though that may be the way to go depending on your finances & willingness to do the legwork yourself.
posted by knile at 7:27 AM on July 21, 2011

I also suggest joining the expats group on facebook and posting your request there, it's likely more than one person will have a room to offer.
posted by masters2010 at 2:31 AM on July 22, 2011