Frequently asked questions

Important update: The bookings will open at 12 November 2024 at 12 o'clock Amsterdam time!

For the September semester, you can book a room starting the 1st of April. For the January semester, you can book a room from the 12th of November. The deadline for guaranteed housing for EU students is the 10th of May (September semester start), and the 1st of December (February semester start). For non-EU students and exchange semester students, the deadline for guaranteed housing is the 1st of July (September semester start) and the 12st of December (February semester start).

1. Create a tenant profile

• The first step is to create a tenant profile.
• Please fill out the form carefully because we are going to use the data for your rental agreement.
• If you do not create a tenant profile, we cannot approve your booking.

2. Book the most suitable room

• The next step is to find the most suitable room for you.
• If you find it, put it in your cart and finish the booking process.
• When you are done with the booking, you will receive a confirmation email.

3. Wait for the approval

• After 10 days, you will receive another email whether we can approve your booking or not.
• The admission procedure follows strict rules.
• The administration checks whether you have lived in the Netherlands before.
• The administration checks if you are international and whether you are a student.
• For dorms and shared apartments, age, gender, etc. are checked to ensure a suitable living situation for everyone.

4. Pay the deposit

• After approval, you will receive an e-mail with all the necessary information to pay the deposit.
• Please make sure to put in the correct reference number and amound when you make the transfer. If you do not put in the correct reference number we might not be able to find your payment.
• The only possible payment method is payment via a bank transfer.
• The payment needs to be arranged within 48 hours, please send the proof of payment to our email when you have made the transfer.

5. Sign your contract

• After paying the deposit, we are going to send the contract that you have to sign and send back within 48 hours.
• Be sure to send us the document as a PDF.

6. Fill out the arrival form

• Please complete the arrival form on our website to ensure a smooth and efficient check-in.
• If you are late, please write a WhatsApp message or call +31 6 200 323 27.

7. Check in

• When you arrive at our office, please have your ID/ Passport and your room number ready.

8. Move in :)

• After checking in, the last step is to move into your room and make it cozier and comfortable for yourself.

The booking procedure consists of these following steps: applying for a room, waiting for approval from StudentStay, signing your contract, and paying your one-off invoice.

After paying for the invoice, your booking is completed and the room is reserved for you. This means you cannot make a preliminary reservation without completing all booking steps.

The approval of your booking will take minimum 10 days. Due to the launch of a new website / booking software this year the approval might take longer than normal. Thank you for your understanding.

After StudentStay approves your booking, you can proceed with signing the contract. An email containing the rental agreement will be sent to you. Please review it thoroughly to ensure that all your information is correct. Additionally, you can find the General Terms and Conditions and the House Rules on our website. To sign the contract, you have the option to either download it and digitally sign it on your device or print it out, sign it manually, and then scan it for submission. Once this process is complete, kindly reply to our email, attaching the signed rental contract.

We kindly ask you to sign the contract within 48 hours after your booking has been approved. You will receive a notification when your booking has been approved.

You can cancel your booking at any point before completing all the required steps. To cancel, please send us an email. If you have already completed the booking process, including payment, and wish to cancel, please refer to our cancellation policy below. Note that these policies also apply when extending an existing contract or transferring within StudentStay, even if the booking process has not been completed.

September Semester:

• If you cancel before July 1st, we will refund all payments, minus a €55 cancellation fee.
• If you cancel between July 1st and July 15th, we will refund all payments, minus one full month of rent.
• Cancellations are not accepted after July 15th or once your contract has started, whichever comes first. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after this point.

January Semester:

• If you cancel before December 1st, we will refund all payments, minus a €55 cancellation fee.
• If you cancel between December 1st and January 15th, we will refund all payments, minus one full month of rent.
• Cancellations are not accepted after January 15th or once your contract has started, whichever comes first. No refunds will be issued for cancellations after this point.

No, you can only apply for one room. Double bookings will be rejected. If you changed your mind and wish to change rooms, please contact us.

No, our contracts are for either one semester or two semesters, depending on your university. If your study program in the Netherlands is for one semester only, you can book a room for one semester. If your study program is for two semesters or more, you can only choose a one-year contract. We can only make exceptions in special cases, in accordance with your university. Please contact us if you wish to discuss the possibilities.

Please check in which building you have your accommodation. Then you can find out what kind of stove is in your accommodation.

Building A: Electric (regular pans) Building B: Electric (regular pans) Building C: Induction pans Building D: Induction pans Building E: Induction pans Kanaalstraat: Induction pans Downtown accommodations: Electric or gas stove

The payment for the one-off invoice is part of the booking steps. After paying the one-off invoice, your booking is secured.

You will receive all bank details for the payment of the one-off costs in an email. Please be sure to include the payment reference (apartment + your email address). The @ sign can be written as follows: (at). Please note that the amount must be correct. You have to transfer 1.055€. The 1.000€ is the deposit and 55€ are the contract costs.

Please note: you cannot pay in cash.

The one-off invoice is part of your booking steps. It includes the security deposit for the room, the registration fee and any selected additional services. StudentStay keeps the security deposit throughout your entire stay. After your contract has ended, we will send this money back to your account (you may choose which account, including foreign accounts). If anything is damaged or if we need to send a cleaning crew, this is deducted from the deposit. Your rent is not included in the one-off invoice. You may not use your security deposit to pay for the rent.

You need to have paid for the one-off invoice and for the first month of rent. You pay the first rent separately from the one-off invoice. The invoice for this is sent via email to you.

We kindly ask you to pay for the one-off invoice within 48 hours after signing your contract.

Yes, it is. You can see the room numbers and apartment numbers when booking your room. We provide floor plans of our buildings with our pictures of the rooms, so you can book adjacent rooms with friends. For shared apartments, you could book different rooms in the same apartment. Be sure to book together and simultaneously, to minimize the risk that someone else books the room before your friends do.

No, StudentStay does not allow pets in our building. We make exceptions for service dogs (please contact us for details).

Our student accommodations are usually fully booked throughout the year. This means that we cannot show you our rooms. We try to give you the best impression as we possibly can by providing pictures of the accommodation and a floor plan (on which you can see the location of the room within the building, number or windows, etcetera).

Not all of our rooms and buildings are standardly accessible for wheelchairs. If you require a wheelchair friendly room, please contact us directly for personal advice on this subject.

Please note that it is not allowed to book a dorm or shared apartment if you are older than 23 years old. Additionally, certain accommodations may have gender restrictions, which will always be specified in the informaiton section of the unit.

Please note that it is not allowed to book a dorm or shared apartment if you are older than 23 years old. Additionally, certain accommodations may have gender restrictions, which will always be specified in the information section of the unit.

No, our contracts are fixed and you cannot prematurely end your contract. The contracts are for either one semester or two semesters, depending on your university. If, during your stay, you are forced to quit your study program and are returning to your home country due to reasons beyond your control, we can allow you to terminate the rental agreement. This can only be done in accordance with your university and a termination notice of a full calendar month applies.

Yes, you can. You can live at our campus for up to one year. Therefore, if you initially have a lease for 6 months, we will give you the option to renew for an additional 6 months on campus. The deadline for a guaranteed extension is March 20 for the following winter semester and October 31 for the upcoming summer semester. If you have lived on campus for one year, you can extend your student stay in other accommodation provided by us in the city center of Leeuwarden. In this situation, you can book suitable accommodation from the 1st of April (for the winter semester) and from the 1st of November (for the summer semester).

Please note that we do not currently accept credit cards. You can transfer the deposit and rental payment only with national or international bank transfers. We will always send you the bank account number (IBAN) with the correct amount in an invoice via e-mail.

Every month your rent is due to the first of the months. For example the rent for August needs to be paid before the 1st of August.

Your rental payment is made via national or international bank transfer to one of our bank accounts. You will always receive an invoice via email with our bank account number, company name, reference number and the correct amount. Please try to always pay on time.

Please make sure to use the correct reference number and put it always in the description (message) field of your bank transfer. Do not use the actual reference field.

After arrival in the Netherlands you can apply for a Dutch bank account. With this you can facilitate the transfer.

You need to pay your rent before the start of the month. For example, your rent for November must be paid before the 1st of November. The invoice for the monthly rent will appear on your profile at least 10 days before the start of the month. We ask you to pay your first rent invoice at least before your arrival to the Netherlands, but preferably before the start of the month.

In all of our studios, suites or lots at the Ubbo Emmiuslaan you can stay with two people. All studios are equipped with a 140cm or 160cm bed, therefore it is most suitable for couples. All other rooms are for single occupancy only. Go on the "accommodation" page and scroll down to find more information.

The second tenant is required to provide a tenant profile and send an email specifying the email address used for registration on our website. Following this step, we will generate an additional document known as the appendix. Subsequently, the second tenant can use this document for registration with the municipality.

Before you check in, a professional cleaning company has cleaned your room to perfection. Throughout the rest of your stay, you need to clean by yourself.

Our campus buildings are for students only and not equipped for parents or children. If you have a family that moves to the Netherlands with you, please contact us to see if we can make you a custom offer.

Your rent includes payment for: utilities (gas, water, electricity, heating) and internet Wi-Fi (except Stationsweg Complex). If you rent a furnished room, your rent also includes payment for furniture. If you live in a private studio, you are eligible for paying taxes for contamination of water and disposal of garbage. This is not included in your rent. If your monthly income is less than roughly €900 and if you do not have any savings, you can try to apply for exemption of payment.

We have our own technical team at Student Stay which is capable of fixing almost everything. In case something breaks or malfunctions, you can send us a service request. We will then try to solve it as soon as we can. Naturally, urgent defects will have our highest priority. You do not need to pay for this service. Only if something has been damaged on purpose, we charge you the costs of repair.

Other than the standard furniture, the kitchens (both shared and private) are equipped with a cooking stove (electric), a refrigerator (no freezer) and microwave oven. We provide laundry machines in all of our buildings. The campus buildings of Ubbo Emmiuslaan and Kanaalstraat are also equipped with dryers. All campus buildings and houses for international students have vacuum cleaners that you can use for cleaning your room. All buildings have areas where you can park your bicycle for free.

We offer different additional services that you can purchase when booking a room. These include: bed linen bags and retal bikes. In addition, you can also choose to purchase additional fire and theft insurance. Our buildings in Ubbo Emmiuslaan and Kanaalstraat have a vending machine for snacks and drinks.

Bed linen bags

Please go on this webpage to "Tenant insides"> "During your stay" > Scroll down to "Forgot something when booking" You will find all information here.

Bike rental

Biking is an essential part of living in the Netherlands. That's why we offer bike rental service to all of our tenants, so you can easily get around town and explore all that Leeuwarden has to offer. You can pre-order a bike when booking your room, or get a bike afterwards by sending us an email. Our rental rates are affordable, and we offer two rental periods to suit your needs. We provide modern bikes as well as a lock to keep your bike safe and secure. We also take care of necessary repairs for normal wear and tear, so you don't have to worry about maintenance. You can either book a bike for half a year (120€) or for a full year (240€) So don't miss out on the benefits of having a bike in the Netherlands! Pre-order a bike when booking your room, or send us an email to rent a bike afterwards. We look forward to helping you explore Leeuwarden on your new ride.

Fire and Theft Insurance

We want to make sure our tenants are protected in case of an unexpected event. That's why we offer Fire and Theft Insurance, which can be added to your booking at any time. Our insurance policy covers damages and losses caused by fire, lightning, explosion, and theft. With the Fire and Theft Insurance, you'll have peace of mind knowing that your belongings are covered in case of an unfortunate event. You can select the Fire and Theft Insurance option when booking your room, or add it at a later time. The insurance is available for both half a year (55€) and a full year (110€). The insurance only applies in your rented living space (room, studio, apartment), not in common areas of Student Stay. Don't take any chances with your belongings - add the Fire and Theft Insurance to your booking today. If you have any questions about the policy or how to add it to your booking, please don't hesitate to contact us.

The big parking space next to the buildings is usable. An “abo” is not possible. The regular price for one day parking is 2,50 €. With a NHLStenden student card, this price is 1 €. Hence, if you park your car here the whole year, the price is 365€ for one year.

This is only applicable if you're going to rent a private studio! StudentStay is in no way responsible for the application for or entitlement to rent benefit. Rent benefit can be given monthly by the Dutch Government to help you pay for your rent. There is a section on this page called “Benefits” where you can find information about this subject. You can only apply for the rent benefit once you received your BSN number. This is your citizen service number and identification for the Dutch government. You get this number once you have registered at the city hall, after your arrival to the Netherlands. If you meet the requirements that are on the website, the rent benefit could be up to 417€ per month. This way renting one of our studios becomes an affordable option. Get more information and apply on our website. Go to -> Tenant insides -> During your Stay

Delivery of the room

Returning the keys + garbage card

Notice of de-registration/notice of relocation

End-inspection

Receiving your deposit

Cleaning

The room must be in perfect condition. This means: in the same condition as it was when you moved in. Please make sure that the room is perfectly clean and that all personal properties have been removed. We also expect to find no damages to the room/house. In case your room comes with shared areas, we expect the same from these areas.Make sure that you (together with the other tenants of the apartment) clean the kitchen (incl. kitchen cabinets and refrigerator), bathroom, toilet, and hallways.

Furniture

The rented furniture must be complete and undamaged. Most damaged furniture cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced completely. If you already know that you damaged furniture or if something is missing, we would appreciate if you let us know well in advance.

Donation of second-hand items

If you have purchased additional services a bed linen package you do not need to return these. You have bought these items and they are yours to keep. We do not want you to leave anything personal of you in the room. Please sell, donate or throw them away if you do not need them anymore. You can bring your items to Estafette in case you want to donate them and give it a second life.

Removal of bulky waste

If you want Omrin to remove your bulky waste from your house, do not forget to register via Omrin.nl or via the Omrin Afvalapp. Bulky waste is collected three times a year free of charge.

You need to hand in your key(s) in time. This means: on the last day of your rental agreement no later than 9 AM (in the morning). Please double check the end-date in your profile.

​ You need to hand in the key(s) at our office at the address: Ubbo Emmiuslaan 7, 8917 JA Leeuwarden. Place the key in an envelope, provided with your name and address of the room and place it in the mailbox of StudentStay which is number 7. In case that the office is manned, this is also possible. In case you hand in the key(s) too late, we charge €50. Not handing in the key(s) at all means no refund of deposit.

Do not forget to hand in the garbage card together with the key(s). Please do not leave the card in the room. If you do not have your garbage card anymore, please contact us.

You have registered yourself at the municipality of Leeuwarden. It is very important that you also de-register. Not doing this will cause problems for you, for us, and for the future tenant that has booked your room.

​ Please sign out of your address (de-registration). This is of utmost importance for you, for us and for the municipality. If you move to another location within Leeuwarden, please use this link:

https://www.leeuwarden.nl/en/moving-house-or-registering/verhuizing-doorgeven/

If you are leaving the Netherlands and moving your address to another country, please use this link:

https://www.leeuwarden.nl/en/moving-house-or-registering/emigreren-of-langer-dan-8-maanden-in-het-buitenland-verblijven/#:~:text=Wilt%20of%20kunt%20u%20de,U%20heeft%20DigiD%20nodig.

After we have received the keys, we will do an end-inspection in the room.

We will send a cleaning company to clean the room and the communal areas if it is not fully cleaned. Be aware that this can be expensive. Cleaning is more time consuming than you might think, also for a small room.

If things are not in order, the costs for cleaning and/or reparation will be deducted from your deposit. In this case you will receive an end-inspection report with photos and a specification of the (repair/cleaning)costs.

We advise you to also take photos yourself, when you leave your room, as proof of how you left it.

Your deposit will be returned within 4 weeks after the end date of your rental contract. We want to kindly ask you to not call or e-mail us about your deposit before this 4-week reimbursement period has expired. If you have not received your deposit after these 4 weeks, please read our updates on the insight section.

You will receive an email before your check-out with more information/instructions to request your deposit back. From there you will exactly know what to do and request your deposit back.

You can decide for yourself on which bank account you want to receive the deposit. If your bank is from a SEPA country we only need your name and IBAN. For other countries, we need more details. Without your bank information, we are not able to transfer the deposit. Please not that the costs of a non-EU transfer are paid by the recipient.

Not filling in your bankdetails in time, incorrect or not at all, leads to you not receiving your deposit back in time. There is no automatic action taken from StudentStay's side if your bank details are incomplete, incorrect or not passed on. You are therefore fully responsible for passing on the correct bank details. It is legally not allowed to settle your last month of rent with your deposit.