Other housing
Student housing
International students, just like local students, generally tend to look for cheaper housing in the Netherlands. While some universities may offer on-campus housing, there is an unofficial house sharing system in The Hague as there is in other student cities. While it happens that several students sign a lease together, it happens more often that it will be advertised online that there is a room available somewhere in a communal home. The other housemates will determine who the new renter will be, who will sign a contract with the landlord. The most common way to find such a room is through the national website Kamernet and often through advertising on social media and in discussion groups.
For students with a higher budget, there are so-called student hotels. They offer a sense of communal life among other students, but in a setting that can be compared to a hotel service.
Anti-squatting
While you may be familiar with the concept of squatting (people taking over an empty house), the Netherlands has a rare system to counter this. Named anti-squatting, it is a casual way of describing what in fact is similar to someone being a live-in guardian. This is a convenient housing solution, particularly in major cities. Small anti-squatting agencies will be put in charge of property that has not found a new owner yet, and they will offer this space to temporary renters. This prevents people from breaking into vacant buildings. But there are several rules involved to make sure the live-in guardian is aware of their rights. This may include that someone has to leave their home in a few weeks in case of the property being sold.
