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Finding a room or apartment in Eindhoven without getting scammed

Where people search, what a landlord may legally ask for, and the checks to do before you pay anything.

For students, working here8 min readUpdated 9 October 2026

Ketelhuisplein at Strijp-S seen from above, with tents and pavilions

Key facts

  • A deposit can be at most 2 months' basic rent for contracts signed since 1 July 2023.
  • Your landlord must return the deposit within 14 days after the lease ends, or within 30 days if they deduct costs.
  • Key money (sleutelgeld) is not allowed. If the agent works for the landlord, you pay no agency fee.
  • TU/e puts private-market rooms with shared facilities at roughly 400 to 575 euros a month.
  • Huurteam Eindhoven gives free tenant advice to all Eindhoven residents. A Huurcommissie case costs the tenant 25 euros.

What to do

  1. Search on established platforms such as Kamernet and Pararius, check housing providers like Vestide, and ask your university or employer what they offer. Housing in Eindhoven is tight, so start months before you arrive if you can.

  2. A rent far below other listings in the same area is a warning sign. Compare a few listings of the same size before you reply.

  3. Ask the landlord in writing if you can register with the municipality at this address. You need that registration to get a BSN, so a landlord who refuses is a serious red flag.

  4. View it in person, or ask a trusted person to go, or insist on a live video call where they walk through the rooms. A landlord who is 'abroad' and cannot show the room is a classic scam.

  5. Search their name, phone number, email and bank account online for fraud reports. Check that an agency has a real website, office address and reviews, and that you can reach the landlord through more than one channel.

  6. Get all agreements in writing. Check that the deposit is no more than 2 months' basic rent and that there is no key money or contract fee.

  7. Pay to a verified Dutch or EU account through normal banking, and keep proof of payment. Never pay to 'reserve' a room before a viewing or a signed contract.

  8. Stop contact, report the listing to the platform, call your bank if you already paid, and report it to the police. For rent or deposit disputes, contact Huurteam Eindhoven or Het Juridisch Loket.

Where people look

Most people combine three routes. Online rental platforms, with Kamernet and Pararius being the ones TU/e names. Student housing providers with waiting lists, such as Vestide, where the time you have been registered counts. And the housing help offered by your university or employer.

TU/e only offers limited help, and only to first-year international master's students. Fontys has no housing of its own but can offer rooms through partner landlords to a limited number of new international students. Applying through either is not a guarantee.

  • Online rental platforms (for example Kamernet, Pararius)
  • Student housing providers with waiting lists (for example Vestide)
  • University or employer housing offers and partner agencies
  • Your own network: colleagues, classmates, community groups

What a landlord may ask for

Since 1 July 2023 the Good Landlordship Act (Wet goed verhuurderschap) applies. Landlords must put agreements in writing, give you information about your rights, prevent discrimination and must not intimidate tenants. The municipality can fine landlords who break these rules.

The deposit is capped at 2 months' basic rent. It must come back within 14 days of the lease ending, or within 30 days with a written breakdown if costs are deducted. Administrative costs cannot be taken from the deposit.

Key money is not allowed. A landlord may only charge extra costs if you get something real in return. Drawing up the contract does not count. If an agent works for the landlord, you do not pay the agent. Some agencies still ask for a service fee, so read the costs carefully and ask what the fee is for.

Common scams

The patterns repeat. Knowing them is most of the protection.

  • The landlord is abroad and wants a deposit before you can see the room.
  • A rent well below similar listings, with pressure to decide fast.
  • A request to move the conversation off the platform to WhatsApp or email.
  • A request for a passport copy before any real rental process has started.
  • Payment to a foreign account, by money transfer services or other unusual methods.
  • Emotional stories used to explain odd requests.

Is the rent fair?

Many homes and rooms fall under a points system that sets a maximum rent. The Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) has an online rent check, available in English, for both self-contained homes and rooms with shared facilities.

Huurteam Eindhoven helps tenants for free with rent reductions, maintenance problems and service costs, and can take your case to the Huurcommissie. You only pay the 25 euro Huurcommissie fee if your case goes there.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Paying a 'reservation fee' or deposit before viewing the room or signing a contract.
  • Signing for a room where you are not allowed to register, then being unable to get a BSN.
  • Sending a passport copy without marking it with its purpose.
  • Paying key money or a contract fee because 'everyone does it'.
  • Not keeping proof of the deposit payment, which you need to get it back.

Useful links

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We checked this guide against its sources on 9 October 2026. Rules change: the official source always wins. Spotted something out of date? DM @gone.with.us or email contact@gonewithus.nl.