Looking for a room or studio in Groningen? Start here.
Last checked: 6 August 2026. Housing offers, fees and booking rules change quickly. The links below are starting points, not providers approved by Flux Forward. Always check the exact room, landlord, contract and payment details yourself.
Need a room now? Start with these steps
Do not wait for one website to reply. Use several routes at the same time.
Read the official housing page for your institution: University of Groningen or Hanze University of Applied Sciences.
Open the At Home in Groningen housing directory. It brings local housing routes and support information together in one place.
Check whether you can use SSH Short Stay through UG or Hanze. Rooms are limited, so do not rely on SSH alone.
Register on ROOM.nl and check Groningen offers on Roommatch. Registration time often matters, so this may not solve an urgent search.
Look at Hospi Housing if living with a local host could work for you. It is a commercial service. Check the current fee, process and contract terms before you commit.
Prepare your documents and two short messages. Templates are included below.
Keep a simple record of every application, reply, viewing and payment request.
Most students need to find their own housing
The University of Groningen says it does not provide general accommodation and that students are responsible for arranging their own place to stay. Hanze also says students normally arrange their own housing.
For students starting in September, UG advises beginning the search around April and trying to secure a room before 1 August. Hanze advises starting about five months before arrival.
A small number of programmes have separate arrangements. Check the information sent by your programme before assuming the general route applies to you.
Where to look
These are the main starting points kept in this version.
Starting point: Your institution’s housing page: UG / Hanze
Best use: Current intake guidance, institutional contacts and programme-specific information
Important limit: These pages give guidance and contacts. You still need to arrange the room yourself.
Starting point: At Home in Groningen
Best use: Local directory, rental terms, scam guidance and support routes
Important limit: It is an information platform, not your landlord. A company or link appearing there is not a guarantee about a specific room or contract.
Starting point: SSH Short Stay: UG / Hanze
Best use: Furnished short-stay housing for eligible new international students
Important limit: Rooms are limited. Eligibility, dates, payment and cancellation rules depend on your institution and intake.
Starting point: ROOM.nl and Roommatch
Best use: Student rooms offered by participating housing corporations
Important limit: You need a ROOM account to respond on Roommatch. Registration time often affects your position.
Starting point: Hospi Housing
Best use: A private room with a local host or guest family
Important limit: This is a commercial route. A service fee applies after a successful match, so check the current fee, process and terms before you commit.
What about private companies, agencies and social media groups?
At Home in Groningen keeps a wider list of housing corporations, private companies and rental agents. We have not copied that list here because availability, fees and terms change too quickly.
Use the directory to find more routes, then check the exact company and offer yourself. Do not treat a company name as proof that a particular listing, landlord or payment request is genuine.
Social media groups can contain real leads, but also scams. Use them only to find possible offers. Do not use a post, profile or chat history as your proof that a room is real.
Search beyond the city centre
Do not search only in the centre or next to your campus.
For each place, check the full trip by bike and public transport. Look at travel time, cost and how late the route runs.
A nearby town or village can work when the full door-to-door journey still fits your daily life.
Prepare your application once
Keep these items ready in one folder:
proof of enrolment or admission;
your preferred move-in date and contract period;
proof of income or guarantor details, if required;
a short introduction;
a secure copy of your ID, but only after you know who is asking for it and why it is needed.
Do not send a full passport copy to every unknown advertiser. First ask why it is needed. When you do need to share a copy, use the Dutch government’s KopieID guidance to cover details that are not needed and add the date and purpose.
Message for a landlord or agency
Hello [name],
I’m interested in the room or studio at [address]. I will study [programme] at [UG/Hanze], and I’m looking for housing from [date] to [date].
Could you please confirm:
whether it is still available;
the total monthly cost;
whether I can register at the address;
the contract dates and first payment;
whether an in-person or live video viewing is possible?
I can send proof of enrolment and income or guarantor documents if needed.
Kind regards,
[name]
Message for a shared student house
Hi! I’m [name], and I’ll be studying [programme] at [UG/Hanze]. I’m looking for a room from [date].
I enjoy [one or two real interests]. At home, I like [a short honest description, for example: cooking together sometimes, keeping shared spaces clean and also having quiet time].
I liked your house because [one real detail from the listing]. I’m available for a viewing or video call on [times].
Hope to meet you!
In many shared student houses, the current residents help choose the next housemate. A group viewing or introduction evening is often called hospiteren. Keep your message short, personal and honest. Read the local explanation of hospiteren.
A simple 48-hour plan
Day 1
Set your real budget
Write down:
the monthly amount you would like to pay;
your absolute monthly maximum;
the largest first payment you can safely make.
Ask for a full cost breakdown. Rent may not include utilities, internet, furniture or other charges. Also include travel in your budget.
Choose three basic requirements
For most international students, these should be:
the contract covers the period you need;
you know whether registration at the address is possible;
the landlord, address, contract and payment route can be checked.
Create your accounts and alerts
Complete your profiles, prepare your basic documents and turn on alerts where available.
Apply to several suitable places
Do not stop searching while you wait for one reply.
Start a tracker
ListingAddressMonthly totalRegistration?Contract datesAppliedReplyViewingPayment requestChecked?Day 2
Check new offers again
Look at your alerts more than once and reply quickly when a place fits.
Widen the search
Try a larger area, host-family housing and temporary accommodation with a clear total cost and end date.
Arrange a real viewing
View the room in person when possible. If you are abroad, ask for a live video call. Ask the person to show the entrance, the room, shared spaces and the street or house number.
A live video is better than photos or a recorded video, but it is still not a full guarantee.
Ask for current help
If your arrival date is close, use the contact route on the official UG housing page or Hanze housing page. Explain your arrival date and what you have already tried.
Before you sign or pay
Ask the important questions in writing.
Address and landlord
What is the full address and room number?
Can I register at this exact address?
Who is the landlord or company named in the contract?
If it is a sublet, does the main landlord allow it?
If several people share the property, should I check a room-rental permit with the municipality or Rent Support Center?
Contract
What are the exact start and end dates?
What type of contract is it?
How can the contract end?
What notice period applies?
Are the house rules part of the contract?
Costs
What is the basic rent?
What other monthly costs will I pay?
Are gas, electricity, water, internet and furniture included?
What must I pay before moving in?
Is there a booking, administration, contract or mediation fee?
Does the bank account name make sense when compared with the contract?
Will I receive a receipt?
For tenancy agreements dated 1 July 2023 or later, Dutch government guidance says the deposit can be no more than two months of basic rent. If a rental agency is working for the landlord, it cannot also charge you mediation fees. If the agreement or fee structure is unclear, ask the Rent Support Center before paying.
Condition of the room
Is it furnished, partly furnished or empty?
Is there an inventory list?
Are existing problems written down before move-in?
Who handles repairs?
Can you take dated photos at check-in?
Check first, then pay
Do not send money to a private person based only on messages, photos or a copied ID.
Before paying:
view the room in person or by live video;
check the full address;
check who the landlord or company is;
read the written contract;
make sure the payment route matches the contract or the provider’s official process;
use a payment method you can trace;
keep the receipt.
A payment before key handover is not automatically a scam. Some formal providers require payment after booking or signing. The provider, address, agreement, payment instructions and bank details should still match.
Common warning signs
The landlord says they are abroad and will not arrange a viewing.
You are pushed to pay immediately.
The bank account or recipient does not match the agreement and there is no clear explanation.
They ask for cash, Western Union or another hard-to-recover payment method.
The price is far lower than similar rooms.
They refuse to send a written contract.
Names, addresses or documents do not match.
They ask for a full passport copy before you have checked who they are.
Someone contacts you with an offer even though you never replied to a listing or asked them for help.
Read these local checks before sending money or identity documents:
Check the address-registration route
If you will live in the Netherlands for longer than four months, you normally need to register as a resident with the municipality within five days of arrival.
Before accepting a room, ask whether registration is possible at that exact address. If the answer is no or unclear, do not guess what it means. The room may not work for your situation. Check with the Municipality of Groningen or the Rent Support Center before signing.
If you will stay for four months or less, a different registration route may apply. Check the official information for your situation.
Still no room?
Do not accept an unclear offer only because your deadline is close.
Use this order:
Keep your main accounts and alerts active.
Search further from the centre and compare the real commute.
Add host-family and temporary options with a strict budget and end date.
Contact your institution through its official housing page.
Keep checking the local directory instead of waiting for one provider.
Slow down when someone pressures you to sign or pay.
Both institutions advise you to arrange housing before you arrive. Hanze also warns that arriving without a room can be expensive and stressful. Read the latest advice before travelling.
Free help with contracts, rent or landlord problems
The Rent Support Center Groningen provides free legal advice, support and mediation for residents of the municipality. Its current scam guidance also invites people coming to Groningen to ask for a free contract check when something may be wrong.
You can also use the official Huurcommissie Rent Check for a room or a self-contained home.
Ask for help before paying when something does not add up. Recovering money after a scam is much harder.
Important note
This guide is general information. It is not legal advice and it does not guarantee housing, registration or a particular contract outcome. Flux Forward does not verify individual rooms, landlords or contracts. Check important details with the official source, your institution, the municipality or a tenant-support service.
Main sources checked
Hospi Housing tenant information, checked against the UG and Hanze pages
Related Flux Forward guides
Not sure what to do first?
Use Flux Forward to organise the information into one clear next step for your situation. Flux Forward cannot verify a room, landlord or rental contract.