No offence

It’s rather curious. Amsterdam is trying to market itself as a European capital, yet its residents remain focused on living with their own kind. Might this be out of habit, or just for the sake of being comfortable? The reasons are mostly unknown, because of course almost everyone who puts up a ‘Only Dutch’ post on Facebook doesn’t respond to questions about their motives. One, however, has. Stella Kinga recently posted an ad looking for roommates. Her requests: female, working, and Dutch. Both she and the owner of the flat preferred Dutch girls, she explains. ‘It’s easier to communicate in Dutch, and living together is very personal. You need the right click.’

Sure, the language barrier might be a deal breaker. When you’ve just gotten out of bed, say, you might not want to have to converse in a language other than your own. But then again, you could say that internationals face this problem every day. And anyway, is it even legal to dismiss a candidate based on nationality?

The law is somewhat blurry here. The College voor de Rechten van de Mens [Dutch Board for Human Rights] argues that when a housing corporation such as The Key or DUWO expresses a preference in nationality, it’s an offence, but when a private party decides to accept only Dutch people, it isn’t. ‘As a private person, you simply have more rights,’ says spokesperson Barbara Bos. ‘Living together with someone is quite different from simply renting out a room without having to share a kitchen and bathroom with them. Therefore, a roommate is allowed to have preferences regarding new roommates, even when it comes to gender or nationality.’

More expensive

There are, of course, other ways to find accommodation besides Facebook adverts. For instance, the UvA offers housing for internationals, but a room is not guaranteed and might sometimes be even more expensive than the ones that are for rent online. ‘I had an option on a room via the UvA, but I didn’t do it,’ explains international masters student Emilia Griffin. ‘The price was just too high. 500 euros for a deposit, which I’m happy to pay but which is a lot of money, plus an administration fee of 300 euros. I don’t know where that money is going, but I do know that it’s expensive.’

Are student houses for internationals really more expensive than homes for Dutch students? Sometimes it sure seems that way, recognises Xandra Hoek, president of the Asva student union. ‘For international students, the need is of course twice as high,’ she says. ‘They can’t live with their parents for instance. We have had desperate students who ultimately decided to stay in a hotel for some time, or even go back home.’ According to Hoek, international students mostly pay higher deposits because they present a higher risk to landlords. Understandable, but foreign students aren’t necessarily made of money. ‘The corporations that target international students usually ask much more rent than for regular housing. We believe that’s unfair. Every student, international or Dutch, deserves an equal chance of renting a reasonably priced room.’

Mindset

As International Student Advisor at the UvA, Ruby Sanders argues that the accommodation provided by the UvA might be a little more expensive, but for a good reason. ‘All the rooms are completely furnished and we have social and technical staff available to help the students.’ The 300 euro fee is used to bridge the gap between July and September, when there are often no internationals to occupy the rooms. The UvA houses about 2800 students each year, mainly for short stay periods such as one or two semesters. ‘We understand that not every foreign student is rich, so we focus on keeping our rooms affordable,’ she says. ‘Of course, when a student decides to find housing on their own, there is not much we can do.’

Meanwhile, Emilia Griffin has targeted her search practices differently. ‘I would still be more than happy to live with Dutch people, but it’s a two way street.’ In the end, she believes, it’s all about the right mindset. ‘When you live with people who are accustomed to sharing flats with foreigners, the threshold is much lower to accept a foreign tenant.’ High time for the two groups to start mingling properly. It might even result in a sweet new place in Amsterdam!