How and where to look for housing in Maastricht
Elena Martini-March 2022
Is this your first time living abroad or away from your family? Then I’m guessing that the thought of looking for housing might be pressuring you quite a lot. Have you ever wondered what are the best places where to live here in Maastricht, or which types of accommodations the city offers? Then that’s what we’re here for! Maastricht offers any type of accommodation you could be looking for. From private or double rooms, to studios, to student residences or shared apartments. Personally, I’ve been living in a big student residence for the past two years, however there’s plenty of people who decided to opt for shared houses and studios.
Facebook Groups
Were you thinking of living in a room/studio in an independent apartment? If yes, then Facebook groups are definitely what you need to keep an eye on! There you can find advertisements for shared apartments, rooms or studios of any type, any budget and any location in Maastricht.
If you’re planning on studying at the School of Business and Economics (SBE, Tongersestraat 53), then we would strongly advise you to look for a place on the same riverside of the faculty. A place on this side of the river, will allow you to move more quickly from your house, to the faculty, to the library etc… Keep an eye on the Emmaplein, Brusselstraat area. However, Maastricht isn’t an enormous city. If you end up only finding something on the other side of the river, it’s totally doable!!! If you’re looking for a room a bit more in a budget, then we advise you to check for places located in Belgium at the border with Maastricht. It’s only 10 minutes by bike from the School of Business and Economics, and it’s definitely cheaper than an average room in the center of Maastricht.
Keep in mind that on such Facebook groups, it could happen to find some apartments that are either for “girls only”, “Dutch girls only” or with similar constraints. However, you will also find many other places without such requirements.
We advise you to constantly check these groups, it often happens that all of a sudden you can find a great offer for a room that checks all of your boxes. ;)
A few extra tips! Never sign a contract without viewing the room or at least a proper video call. There are many scammers on these Facebook groups and it can be easy to fall for it! Secondly, always check if gas, water, electricity (and maybe wi-fi) are included in the price of the rent. Most of the times they are, however when they’re not the price could seem very cheap without the bills.
Here are some useful links to some of the housing Facebook groups:
Maastricht Room Search: https://m.facebook.com/groups/100565391084?group_view_referrer=search
Rooms/Kamer/Zimmer in Maastricht: https://m.facebook.com/groups/116816401678059?group_view_referrer=search
apartments and rooms Maastricht: https://m.facebook.com/groups/720358878078184?group_view_referrer=search
Student Residencies
Why did I decide to stay in a big student residence for two years?
The first time I arrived in Maastricht, in September 2020, we were still in the middle of the pandemic and education was still mostly online. Thus, I thought that moving to a student residence where more than 800 students lived, would allow me to easily get to know many people.
Now, in 2022, even though education is back on campus, the purpose of such student residences hasn’t changed: if you want to live in a crowded community full of students then this is the place for you!!
Maastricht has plenty of such residences (see links below): Guesthouse, Xior Bonnefanten, Xior Tongerseweg, The Student Hotel, Xior Vijverdalseweg and more…
Personally, I have now been living for two years in the Guesthouse of Maastricht University. It’s a complex of 5 different buildings run by two housing agencies (Maastricht Housing and Xior), which offers a huge choice of room types and has a room for any type of budget (starting from 400/month to 500/600 up until 900/month for the studios). It’s located in the Brusselsepoort district, right next to a mall where you can literally find anything you need, as well as 5 minutes by bike from both the city center and the School of Business and Economics (SBE).
The apartments in this complex are shared among 10 to 15 students per living room. You can also choose the type of room that you feel more comfortable with. Do you want your own in-room bathroom or do you not mind sharing it with your friends? That’s up to you!
Links for the Guesthouse of Maastricht University: https://www.maastrichthousing.com
I have also listed the links concerning other student residences here below. They’re all located at 5 minutes by bike from the university and the city center (besides the Xior Vijverdalseweg which is on the other side of the river). The prices for the rooms from these other residences are a bit higher that the average. However, it’s worth taking a look since some of them also offer an in-room kitchenette (Xior Bonnefanten). If you’re seeking to live in the heart of Maastricht, then you should definitely check out the Student Hotel. It’s an absolutely modern building that offers its customers also a gym, very cozy and spacious common areas, and a bike too!!
The Student Hotel: https://www.thestudenthotel.com/maastricht/
Xior Bonnefanten: https://www.xior.nl/en/room/495/bonnefanten
Xior Vijverdalseweg: https://www.xior.nl/en/room/343/vijverdalseweg-8
Xior Tongerseweg 57: https://www.xior.nl/en/room/442/
Xior website: https://www.xior.nl/en/city/maastricht
Private Housing Agencies
Another option is to rely on some housing agencies. With them you can go check out some rooms and finally sign the contract all through the agency.
There are several of them in Maastricht. You will find here below the links to some. It is definitely worth it to go check out whether there is anything that you could be interested in on these websites.
Maastricht Housing: https://www.maastrichthousing.com
Immosa.nl: https://www.immosa.nl
Star Housing: https://starhousing.nl
M&G Housing: https://www.mghousing.nl/en-gb/home
When to start looking for a room?
Has your spot at Maastricht University been already confirmed and you know you will be here next September? Then one advice, start now!
We advise you to start looking into these websites and groups as soon as possible, to at least start having an idea of what you’re looking for. My personal advice is to end up in June the latest with a contract for a room in your hands. It often happens that people who only start looking for an accommodation during the summer, have several of troubles in finding a good one.
