Compared to other student cities, a room in Groningen is neither very expensive, nor very cheap. The housing market here is actually quite average. There is nothing particularly negative about, but nothing positive stands out, either.
So concludes the Dutch Student Union (LSVb) in its report Best Student Room City 2023. Groningen ranks 8 out of 18 this year, moving up three places from last year. While that seems like an improvement, the LSVb writes that Groningen is ‘average across the board’.
In first place in the annual survey is Enschede, where rooms are quite affordable, according to the union. LSVb president Job Voormaas also states that Enschede ‘builds for students and with students’ and that the city is a pioneer in this.
Cost
On average, a student in Enschede will spend 466 euros per month on rent. In Groningen, it is 531.66 euros, 7.91 percent more than in 2022, according to the LSVb. This average includes both cheaper student rooms with shared facilities and more expensive options such as studios.
In Groningen, an average student room with shared facilities costs 445 euros per month. Studios cost an average of 585 euros and a private flat 795 euros per month. 60 percent of student housing consists of student rooms, 22 percent of studios and 18 percent of studios, according to the LSVb.
Harassment
The LSVb also concludes that Groningen students often face higher rents, poor maintenance, illegal rentals, and intimidation by landlords. The union thinks that the hotline for reporting undesirable rental behaviour, which the municipality of Groningen uses to tackle such incidents, is a first step to improve the situation.
The LSVb also wonders whether the construction of four hundred rooms on Zernike – capable of accommodating eight hundred students at peak times – will actually help alleviate the room shortage at the start of the academic year. The rooms should be completed in the summer and available to new students from August.