Lefier switches to national rental system
Registering in Groningen to get a room in Amsterdam
The switch to Room means that students moving to a different student city will have an easier time finding a room. When someone who did their bachelor in Groningen moves to Amsterdam for their master, their points will still apply, which means they’ll be higher on the list than people who’ve only just registered in Amsterdam.
Rules
It might look like a great way for students to find a room more quickly, but some of them are worried. Not only is Lefier switching systems, it’s also switching up the rules for assigning rooms.
Student houses can only nominate new roommates when that person has been registered for at least a year. ‘Previously, inhabitants would nominate someone who’d only just registered, and they’d get a room without actually having to wait for it’, a Lefier spokesperson says.
The housing agency doesn’t think that’s a very transparent way of doing things. On top of that, it’s unfair to people who do register normally. ‘Our advice is for people to register. It will give you the greatest chance at interviewing for a room.’
Picking roommates
Does this mean students will have less of a say in who becomes their new roommate? No, the spokesperson thinks. ‘When people respond to a room, we make a top 10 of people who’ve been registered the longest. We pass those ten names onto the residents, who can then pick their new roommate.’
This same rule applies to houses where only students belonging to a student association live. These rooms will be advertised on Room as well from now on. ‘We’ll add that it’s an association house’, the spokesperson says. People who want to respond will then know that they need to be a member of the association in question if they want to be eligible for the room. Anyone who wants a room in a specific house can also apply to it on Room.
First-years
Students are also worried the new system would disadvantage first-year students in favour of master students moving to a new city. First-year students usually don’t register until the introduction week, while master students have been registered for years by that time.
But Lefier says students don’t need to worry about that, either. ‘We make sure to set aside rooms for first-year students. First-years get priority on those rooms, so they’ll still have a chance’, the spokesperson said. ‘Ultimately, our goal is to make it easier to see who gets which rooms, but fundamentally, nothing will change very much.’