The recent increase in complaints from international students about housing is concerning. Fraud, poor living conditions and high rents for substandard accommodation are unacceptable. With more than 263 complaints from students made to the national student union, this year, the situation only seems to be getting more dire.

But these abuses are mainly a symptom of a much larger problem: the structural shortage of student housing.

This shortage affects not only international students, but Dutch students as well. As long as demand far exceeds supply, students remain vulnerable to rogue landlords and have few alternatives. Stronger enforcement is important, but without additional housing, it remains a case of mopping the floor while the tap is still running.

At the same time, figures from the international education organisation Nuffic show that the number of international students at Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences has declined for the first time, falling to 129,764 in the 2025–2026 academic year. The decline brings an end to two decades of uninterrupted growth, during which annual increases of 10% to 20% were normal. At a time when the Netherlands is competing internationally for talent, a poor reputation for housing is not a minor issue, but an economic challenge.

That is precisely why it is striking that the sector specialising in high-quality student housing, Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA), is coming under increasing pressure. An accumulation of proposed and existing measures, such as restrictions on short stays, VAT deduction rules and the passing on of service charges, is making new investment increasingly unattractive and potentially even unviable.

This is at odds with the ambition set out in the National Action Plan for Student Housing to realise 60,000 additional student rooms by 2030. If the investment climate continues to deteriorate, the supply of PBSA in the Netherlands risks coming to a halt. As a result, the student housing shortage will only grow further, and misconduct will increase as well.

The solution lies in cooperation and the right conditions. National, provincial and municipal governments must work together with social student housing providers and professional PBSA providers to ensure a healthy and diverse supply of student accommodation. Because anyone who truly wants to tackle misconduct must not only combat the excesses, but above all ensure that enough good-quality student housing becomes available.

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Sources:

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/06/international-students-face-more-housing-fraud-union-warns/

https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/06/international-student-numbers-fall-for-first-time-in-20-years/

https://nos.nl/artikel/2619777-studentenvakbond-misstanden-bij-huisvesting-internationale-studenten-nemen-toe
https://www.parool.nl/nederland/vieze-kamers-of-online-opgelicht-studentenvakbond-ziet-meer-problemen-bij-internationale-studenten~b5f4f11b/

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