Poor maintenance, rising rents, and the threat to demolish or sell student housing. TU Delft students are becoming increasingly concerned about their housing say several interest groups in a report.
Student houses on TU Delft campus. (Photo: Justyna Botor)
Based on a survey of 571 students, the report shows that almost three quarters of the respondents experience problems with their housing. The most frequent complaints are poor insulation (45.9%), heating issues (21.4%), and cracks in walls (20.4%). More than a third (34%) of all respondents report poor maintenance in general. Almost half of them rate their rental company below average in solving these problems.
- The survey is an initiative of the STIP (Studenten techniek in politiek, technology students in politics) municipal council party, the ORAS Student Council party, the WijWonen rental organisation, SHS Delft, and the Verenigingsraad Delft (an umbrella organisation of student social associations in Delft, Eds.).
Threat of demolition and sale
Apart from the issue of maintenance, the future of student housing in Delft is raising concerns. The Aan ’t Verlaat students complex, where 270 students live, will soon be demolished. The remaining students need to leave this summer. Further, a quarter of the respondents say that their landlord is planning to sell the property, mostly because of stricter legislation and rising costs.
‘Our landlord is looking at Government policy for 2026. He says that it is and will be more and more complicated and expensive’, stated one respondent. Another explained how a decision by the rental committee about the high rent led to a 40% drop. While this seems positive for the residents, the student said that this weighed heavily in the decision of the owner to sell the property.
The report states that the shortage of housing will push students to move to other cities. Rotterdam is popular, followed by The Hague and Leiden, although both Rotterdam and Leiden are contending with a very tight housing market for students.
Criticism of Duwo
Delft’s biggest student housing company, Duwo, is also criticised in the report. One third of the respondents rent rooms through this housing association. The tenants have various experiences about communication with Duwo. This is often because of problems with paying for service costs. A new billing system is causing delays and a lack of transparency.
Recommendations
The compilers of the report are urging the municipality of Delft and the Duwo housing association to take action. Duwo should inform its tenants better and deal with maintenance issues more quickly. The municipality should work on making housing more sustainable, monitor private landlords more stringently, and encourage the building of new student housing.
They should also inform students about their rights better, and improve the points of contact for rental issues. ‘If no action is taken, Delft will lose its appeal as a student city’, warn the researchers.
- Read the full report entitled ‘Hoe ervaar jij jouw woonsituatie?’ (what is your experience of your housing situation?) here (in Dutch).

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m.vanderveldt@tudelft.nl
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