The National Student Union (LSVb) is seeing a significant increase in the number of students who are scammed when looking for a room. They sometimes pay thousands of euros in deposit for a house that turns out not to be for rent at all. What needs to be done?
(Photo: Thijs van Reeuwijk)
“We are very shocked by the students’ stories,” writes LSVb Chair and TU Delft student Abdelkader Karbache. “There almost seems to be organised crime.”
Internationals
The LSVb’s Housing Hotline has been available to students for eight years for support on rent issues. Last year, a total of 236 questions were received. The share of reports about residential property scams grew sharply: from 1.4 percent in 2022 to 9.3 percent in 2024.
International students in particular are the victims. Some transfer thousands of euros in deposits only to find out that the living space is not for rent at all. Others pay hundreds of euros to be able to simply view a room. The number of fake ads for rooms also seems to have increased.
‘Rental teams should get a quality mark’
Delta uncovered similar practices in 2019. The first scam offered an apartment that was not for rent at all. In the second one, the students got the keys to an apartment only to find out that someone else already lived there. In both cases, the deposit paid was gone.
Security
Another major complaint is that private landlords do not refund the deposit if students cancel their room. Some students who don’t trust their landlord have come up with a solution: they don’t pay rent for the last two months so they already have the deposit back.
The LSVb is pleased that students can also contact rental teams with questions about their rights these days, but says it is a pity that these teams are less active and findable in some municipalities than in others.
Quality mark
The union advises the Ministry of Housing to publish an overview of rental teams per municipality. They should also be given a quality mark, because many organisations now call themselves rental teams while they are actually not.
Furthermore, the LSVb hopes that the educational institutions will better inform their international students in particular about scams in the housing market. And the police should take reports about this more seriously, according to the union.
HOP, Hein Cuppen/Delta, Saskia Bonger
- Tips and warnings for students can be found on the TU Delft rent fraud website.
- The rental team Delft can be found here. The municipality offers an overview of these and other helplines.
HOP
Hoger Onderwijs Persbureau
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