5 Tips for Finding Accommodation in Breda
So, you’ve decided that you want to enroll at Avans University of Applied Sciences and have chosen the perfect study program! You are convinced that the city of Breda will wholeheartedly welcome you. But, first things first! You need a place to call your own. Your home away from home.
Even though finding a place in the Netherlands can sometimes be like a game of cat and mouse, I will present you with some tips to lower the difficulty of the game called ‘house hunting’. Sounds a bit scary, but I assure you, follow this advice and you will be stress-free!
1. Ask the university
Dutch universities don’t guarantee housing for students. Therefore, finding a place to call ‘home’ lands on the shoulders of the prospective student. But as a first-year student, this weight is shouldered by the university.
The uni has some spare rooms in student housing facilities, so if you decided to apply for Avans, you should totally ask the International Office about possible housing opportunities. You can expect prices of €400-€450/month, with all the facilities included in a house shared with 2-3 other students. But be quick! It’s first come, first served!
2. Facebook groups
This leads to the second tip. You decided to apply too late and, unfortunately, there is no available university accommodation or you just simply chose to look for yourself. The best option is to join Facebook groups which include key words such as: rooms, kamer (room in Dutch), housing, accommodation.
Here, students sublease their rooms in student houses and landlords advertise their available rooms or apartments. I would definitely advise you to join the following groups: ‘Zoek kamer in Breda Community’, ‘Living arrangements Breda’, ‘Find a room(mate) or house in Breda’ – Kamer(s) in Breda’.
The available rooms are normally furnished, but there are also unfurnished options. But don’t worry if you don’t have a bed to rest your head upon or your new wardrobe is not big enough! If you opt for an unfurnished room, you can easily find very cheap or even free furniture on the website ‘marktplaats.nl’.
Oh, and a very interesting habit of Dutch people- they dispose of furniture they don’t use anymore in front of their house and sometimes it is in mint condition! Just look carefully around you!
3. Housing web-sites
So you’ve that the offers on the Facebook groups disappoints you or you feel that you need to have more options. The housing websites are a very good alternative. You can find both rooms or entire houses/apartment that you can rent with some of your friends on these dedicated websites.
However, you need to know that for most of the websites you have to buy a subscription to access the listings! Luckily, it can be only for a month. Some good housing websites are: kamernet.nl, pararius.com, or housinganywhere.com.
Also, especially for the students in Breda, you can sign up for the website klikvoorkamers.nl. This is totally free, but you will be enrolled in a waiting list.
4. Real estate agencies
If finding something on your own fails, you can also ask a real estate agent to help you. They definitely have a place in store for you, so generally it’s a safe bet. You must be aware that you need to pay the agency after they found something appropriate for you and sometimes the tax can cost about a month’s worth of rent.
5. Ask other students
You might already have some friends in Breda or you have met some students during Orientation Days or during Introduction Days. Don’t be afraid to ask around! It is totally worth asking them about possible spare rooms in their house. Generally, networking works wonders! Just ask everywhere and it’ll be impossible to end up empty handed!
The housing situation in Breda is not as difficult to manage, unlike the country's major cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht). There is definitely something nice available for you! I’m sure you will have the best of luck with these 5 tips and, as I do, you will undoubtedly call Breda your second home.
