UU Reserved Accommodation Programme for Exchange students (September 2026)

Lottery sign up is now closed

You can still register with SSH Short Stay to book any left over or cancelled units, but your account will not be approved until all lottery participants have had the chance to book.

The information on this page is for international Exchange students new to the Netherlands who are planning to enrol per September 2026. Not enrolling as an Exchange student? Continue to the page for Bachelor's and Master's degree students.

Dutch universities do not own student housing and students themselves are responsible for finding accommodation. Utrecht University has, however, reserved accommodation with housing provider SSH Short Stay for new international UU exchange students. Through the UU Reserved Accommodation Programme, international Exchange students new to the Netherlands can apply for a furnished room or studio for one or two semesters. In order to apply, students must meet the set conditions. Please note that availability is limited and that securing housing through the programme is not guaranteed. 

Conditions Exchange students

  • You plan to enrol as an (Erasmus) Exchange student per September 2026 for one or two full semesters

  • You do not currently live, nor have you previously lived, in the Netherlands;

  • You agree to a fixed rental period (one or two semesters). The lease cannot be terminated early, nor can it be extended.

  • Availability is limited

    Finding accommodation through the programme is not guaranteed. Due to the high demand for housing in Utrecht, anticipate that you might not be able to book accommodation this way and explore other ways to find housing before booking opens.

  • Rental periods are fixed

    The rental agreements have fixed start and end dates. It is not possible to rent longer, shorter, or to cancel the agreement prematurely.

  • One or two semesters only

    Exchange students who start their programme in September 2026 can apply for one semester or two semesters.

  • Icoon kruis

    Multiple bookings not allowed

    It is not permitted to apply for more than one accommodation when booking starts. If you have successfully booked accommodation, you are no longer eligible for another.

SSH Short Stay

Furnished student room short stay.

For Exchange students, the UU Reserved Accommodation Programme has reserved furnished rooms and studios with housing provider SSH Short Stay. 

SSH Short Stay offers accommodations in various international student residence buildings in Utrecht and Zeist. All SSH residence buildings are within travelling distance of the various university buildings and Utrecht city centre. You can find more information on the different SSH Short Stay buildings on the SSH's Utrecht University Short Stay page.

SSH offers private studios, private rooms and shared rooms, all furnished with basic furniture, such as a bed, wardrobe, desk and chair. Internet is provided by SSH Short Stay. With the exception of the SSH Short Stay private studios, all SSH Short Stay units have shared facilities (kitchen/bathroom). Like in all common areas, good tenancy is expected with regard to nuisance and cleanliness. Read more about what is expected of tenants in the Netherlands.

Rent and other costs

Aside from the montly rental payments, there are several costs involved when booking with SSH Short Stay:

Monthly rent, including service costs & furnishing

Shared room with shared facilities: 443.49 - 582.08 euros per month, including utilities
Private room with shared facilities: 661.88 - 840.40 euros per month, including utilities
Private studio with private facilities: 751.16 - 

Rent allowance

None of the SSH Short Stay units are eligible for rent allowance.

Booking costs (first payment)

Registration with SSH Short Stay is free of charge. Only when you submit a reservation request, do you need to make several payments:

  • Reservation fee: 113 euros

  • Deposit payment: First month and last period's rent

  • Bedding package (optional): 83 euros

  • One off cleaning fee: varies

  • Tax fee: for one semester agreements, a one off 21% Tax Fee is charged over the combined rent

You can find more information on the first payment on the SSH Short Stay website.

Rental period

SSH Short Stay accommodation is only available for fixed rental periods:

  • Fall semester:
    • 24 August 2026 - 1 February 2027
  • Full year (depending on availability):
    • 24 August 2026 - 6 July 2027;
    • 24 August 2026 - 16 August 2027;
    • 14 September 2026 - 16 August 2027

Important 

  • You agree to a fixed rental period, so you cannot cancel the lease prematurely, nor can you extend your contract. If you are looking for housing for a shorter rental period, you are not eligible for this type of accommodation.
  • The rental period does not necessarily cover an entire semester. Your programme may plan educational activities before the start of your contract or after the rental period ends.
  • Tenants are responsible for the rental payments for the full tenancy period; SSH cannot defer a reservation to a later moment, and you are responsible for paying the rent per the starting date of the contract.
  • Full year exchange students have the option to choose between accommodations with different (fixed) rental periods, depending on availability. 

When to apply

The UU Reserved Accommodation Programme has a limited number of rooms and studios for Exchange students. Whether or not you will get the chance to book any of the SSH Short Stay housing options will be determined via a lottery. Some important dates: 
 

  • 6 May 2026 - 22 May 2026: sign up for lottery & register an account with SSH Short Stay

  • 22 May 2026 12.30h: sign up for lottery is now closed

  • 22 May 2026: lottery draw & students are informed by UU about place in lottery

  • 26 May 2026 onwards: students are let in to SSH booking portal based on their place in the lottery 

How to apply

In order to apply for SSH Short Stay housing in the UU Reserved Accommodation Programme, please read the following the steps closely:

Step 1. Sign up for the lottery
In order to take part in the UU Reserved Accommodation Programme lottery, you need to sign up for the lottery via the sign up form between 6 May 2026, 10.00h CEST (10am Dutch time) and 22 May 2026, 12.30h CEST (12.30pm Dutch time). After 22 May 2026, 12.30h, sign up will be closed and it will no longer be possible to enter the lottery; no exceptions.

Step 2. Register an SSH Short Stay account
After you sign up for the lottery, you need to register with SSH Short Stay Select Exchange under type of student and Fall semester 2026-2027 or Exchange Full Year 2026-2027 under housing period. After registration, you will get an email asking you to confirm your registration. 

Important: if you register with SSH Short Stay, you are not automatically signed up for the lottery. Please make sure you also fill out the lottery sign up form (see step 1). 

Step 3. UU determines eligibility
Based on the programme's conditions, UU determines whether you are eligible to participate in the lottery. Please note that this may take some time as this is done manually. If you are eligible, your SSH Short Stay registration will be put on hold (you will informed of this via an email notification). You can now view the available housing options on the SSH offers website. If you are not eligible, your SSH Short Stay registration will be declined (you will be informed of this via an email notification). 

Step 4. Lottery sign up closes 
On 22 May 2026, 12.30h CEST, the lottery sign up form closes. From that time onward, no one can enter the lottery anymore; no exceptions. SSH Short Stay registration is still possible, as after the housing has been assigned via the lottery, all eligible students will be let into the SSH Short Stay booking portal to get a chance at booking housing that becomes available again due to cancellation. 

Step 5. Lottery draw 
On 22 May 2026, the lottery draw will take place. After the draw, on that same date, students will be informed if and when they will get a guaranteed chance to book (the higher your place in the lottery, the earlier your booking date). If you did not end up high enough in the draw to have a guaranteed booking spot, you will be let into the booking portal after the people who did place high enough in the lottery have had a chance to book. Once all lottery partipants have had the chance to book, all other eligible students will be let into the booking portal to book any left over/cancelled accommodations. 

Step 6. Booking
Warning: it is not permitted to book more than one room/studio. If you have successfully applied for accommodation, you are no longer eligible for another. Each booking is verified by UU; if you have more than one booking, all but one will be cancelled. Which bookings are cancelled is random. Any costs or advanced payments will not be reimbursed by SSH Short Stay.

Depending on your place in the lottery, you will be let into the SSH Short Stay booking portal on a specific date and time (this will be communicated to you on 22 May 2026). Please do not defer your booking to a later moment, as the next students will be let in not much later. Once you are let into the SSH Short Stay booking portal, you get the chance to book accommodation. When you have, a booking option is created. Note that this may take a few minutes. Once the booking option is created, you will receive an e-mail and a message in your My SSH inbox. You now have 15 minutes to read the information, choose your monthly payment method, include your emergency contact information, and accept your rental agreement and the Terms and Conditions. If you do not confirm the booking within 15 minutes, it will expire and the accommodation will be available again on the portal for others to book. 

Step 7: Make payment
You need to complete the first payment via either credit card, debit card with CVC/CVV code, or iDeal/Wero (Dutch online banking) within 24 hours after confirming your booking option. If you do not make the first payment within 24 hours, your booking will be cancelled. For more information on the first payment, see Rent and other costs above.

Experiencing technical issues? If you are experiencing technical issues during the registration process or booking process kindly contact SSH via info@sshxl.nl

Cancellation

Students can cancel their booking up to four weeks before the start of the rental period by sending an email to info@sshxl.nl. After the cancellation request has been confirmed by SSH, the first payment will be refunded (minus a 106.50 eu cancellation fee and the non refundable reservation fee).

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The information on this page can be subject to change and no rights can be derived from the information. To stay informed, please regularly check this page for updates

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