Aventurin outlines housing realities for St. Maarten students in the Netherlands

GREAT BAY--Head of the Student Finance Department, Antonio Aventurin, recently met with prospective students, parents and guardians on December 3rd to give an overview of what it takes to secure housing in the Netherlands and what support government study financing does and does not cover.

Aventurin stressed from the start that housing is not part of St. Maarten’s government study financing package. Whether a student travels as a government-funded student or as a so-called “free mover”, families remain fully responsible for finding and paying for accommodation.

He explained that most student options in the Netherlands are forms of shared housing, where students have their own bedroom and share a kitchen, bathroom and common areas with several other tenants. Families were urged to approach the process with realistic expectations about space, privacy and cost, and to understand that this “student way of living” is the norm.

During the session, Aventurin walked participants through several main routes to housing:

1. Housing arranged through the school

Some universities and universities of applied sciences offer rooms for first-year international students, usually for one semester or one academic year. Aventurin encouraged families to check each school’s website carefully, apply for housing early, and note deadlines such as April 15. He highlighted that not all institutions classify students from St. Maarten as “international”, so the availability and guarantees can differ per school and city.

2. Social student housing via Room.nl

Social housing corporations manage tens of thousands of relatively affordable student units across Dutch cities. Aventurin described these as the most sought-after, and in the long term often the best option in terms of price and security of tenure. However, they come with serious challenges: paid registration, long waiting lists, and selection systems in which current residents help choose new roommates.

He urged parents to register their children as early as possible, noting that longer registration time increases the chance of being invited to viewings. Registration via Room.nl costs around 35 euros, and applicants must study the rules carefully, including systems based on registration time, first-come-first-served responses, priority for certain categories of students and rules for medical or other urgent cases.

3. Private market and commercial websites

For students who cannot access social housing, the private rental market is the next option. Aventurin pointed to platforms such as Kamernet and other housing sites where individual landlords advertise rooms and apartments. These do not work with waiting time, so response chances are typically higher than in social housing, but rents are also higher and the risk of scams is real.

He advised families to purchase a proper account only on reputable sites if they are serious about using them, to be extremely careful about requests for large up-front payments, and to read contracts thoroughly before signing. Whenever possible, he recommended having a trusted contact in the Netherlands visit a property, speak directly with the landlord and verify that the offer is genuine.

Real estate agencies and “mediation” companies can also find housing, especially in areas like Tilburg and surrounding cities, but their services come with brokerage fees and higher rents. Aventurin warned that timing is critical: if a student secures a room too early, the landlord will still expect rent well before the student actually relocates.

4. Staying with family or friends

Aventurin acknowledged that staying with relatives or friends is often the simplest way to start out and can be cheaper, more social and offer extra guidance. However, he cautioned that this option brings its own complications. Students must be able to register at the address with the municipality, otherwise they may have difficulty opening a bank account, registering at school or receiving Dutch study financing.

He also noted that extra residents can affect the host’s benefits or insurance contributions, and that living long term in someone else’s home can strain relationships. Limited privacy, strict house rules and the risk of “overstaying your welcome” mean this solution is rarely sustainable over several years.

Legal and financial realities

Aventurin used the presentation to underline the legal and financial obligations that come with renting in the Netherlands. Deposits of two to three months’ rent are common, so families should budget around 1,500 euros just for the deposit. Average student rents have risen sharply, and students can realistically expect to pay 600 to 750 euros or more per month, depending on city and type of housing.

Start-up costs also include basic household items, winter clothing and miscellaneous expenses. Aventurin advised families to plan for a total initial budget between 3,300 and 3,500 euros. For students traveling with St. Maarten government study financing, a large part of these costs can be covered once payments start, but the deposit often has to be advanced up front.

He reminded parents and students that Dutch law protects tenants, but only if they respect the terms of their contracts. Tenants must pay rent on time, behave as good occupants, perform minor maintenance and return the room in proper condition in order to receive their deposit back. Landlords and tenants both have notice periods for terminating a lease, and breaking a contract early may require finding a replacement tenant or paying out part of the remaining rent.

Aventurin also explained how utility and service charges work and warned about unexpectedly high heating bills, especially for students coming from a warm climate who are not used to managing thermostats carefully.

Websites and options to approach with caution

Based on past student experiences, Aventurin flagged some commercial concepts as very expensive or problematic, including certain “student hotel” models with high shared-room rents, agencies that charge high brokerage fees and platforms that have built a reputation for poor maintenance and “slumlord” behavior. He encouraged families to seek advice from his department before committing to these options.

In closing, Aventurin repeated that there is no single easy solution for housing in the Netherlands. The best outcomes, he said, usually come from a combination of early planning, realistic budgeting, careful research and honest conversations within families about expectations and responsibilities.

The Student Finance Department will continue to host information sessions and workshops to help St. Maarten students prepare for their studies abroad and navigate the Dutch housing market as safely and strategically as possible.

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