Working in the Netherlands with accommodation. What type of housing does the employment agency offer?

One of the advantages of using an employment agency in the Netherlands is that you can live in the staff accommodation. This solution has its benefits and drawbacks – get to know them all before you go to the Netherlands.

The property market in the Netherlands

Organizing a work-related trip to the Netherlands is not only about finding a suitable job offer (you can read about how to do this in the article Do not be surprised – what should you look out for in job offers?). You also need to take care of your accommodation. The best one will be the one located in close distance to the workplace and shops where you will be able to buy the most necessary products.

Wishing is one thing, reality is another. The property market in the Netherlands does not leave renters with many options. Due to the high population density and the huge interest in rental properties, both flats and houses are disappearing from the market with lightning speed, and rental prices are often above the means of people who have just come to work in the Netherlands.

Accommodation on your own

If you want to rent accommodation by yourself, you will need to spend a lot of time and energy finding suitable accommodation, as well as getting along with the landlord – this can be difficult without a communicative knowledge of Dutch or English. A deposit will also be necessary, so as a renter you need to have money set aside to pay it. You can’t forget about equipment – many of the accommodation units are furnished, but not all of them have cups, plates, cutlery or even a duvet and pillow. We wrote more about this in the article How to rent a private flat in the Netherlands? You can also check the list of Dutch websites with rental advertisements.

If you are interested in working for a holiday abroad or are only planning to stay in the Netherlands for a few months, you have to be aware of the limited possibilities for private renting. Many landlords do not want to rent flats for only a few weeks – they prefer tenants who will stay in the country for the long-term.

Accommodation with an employment agency in the Netherlands

When you choose job offers from the READY STEADY GO agency, you also have the opportunity to take advantage of living in the staff accommodation. The agency provides you with fully equipped accommodation, so you don’t have to bring bedding, glasses or cutlery with you. That means you will save space in your luggage, which you can use to take more necessary things with you.

Internet and fridge

Wireless internet is also available in the accommodation, so you do not have to arrange it yourself and pay additional fees. As a tenant, you have the option of using a shared fridge. However, please note that there is limited space in the fridge for each resident, so you should opt for dry food that does not have to be kept cold. We wrote about this in the article What to take on a trip abroad for work?

SNF certificate

As a plus, all accommodation offered by the READY STEADY GO agency is SNF-certified by the Association for the Regulation of Temporary Workers’ Accommodation. This certificate confirms that the conditions of the housing units comply with health, safety and fire standards and that the accommodation is adequately equipped and meets standards for sanitary facilities, privacy and living space.

Accommodation under the watchful eye of a caretaker

To ensure that all tenants can live comfortably and do not have to stress about breakdowns or other problems, the day-to-day running of the accommodation is supervised by a caretaker. The caretaker is responsible for keeping order, providing assistance in difficult situations and dealing directly with residents. You can contact the caretaker by phone – the number is on the notice board at your location.

This is the right person to speak to if you find your accommodation messy or lacking in equipment when you arrive. Report this and the caretaker will take care of hiring a cleaning company at the previous resident’s or agency’s expense, as well as restocking the necessary items.

QR code of the location

In case of a breakdown or emergency, you can quickly contact the location caretaker. In each accommodation, on the notice board, there is a QR code which you can simply scan with your mobile phone to quickly send a breakdown report to the technical department. You can also email or call the caretaker in an emergency.

Charges taken out of your salary

There is, of course, a fee associated with accommodation in agency lodging. This will be charged from your salary on a weekly basis and is set at €99.50 per week. Therefore, you do not have to worry about whether you will have enough money to pay the rent – the agency will make sure that you earn enough to be able to pay for your accommodation and keep yourself comfortable.

Work, the Netherlands, accommodation – what is worth remembering?

Just like job offers, staff accommodation may not match your requirements. To avoid disappointment, you need to keep in mind that employment agencies hire many workers, so not all locations may be the same.

In addition, the employment agency usually does not have much choice and underleases everything they can. Moreover, the owners of the locations, the neighbours and even the municipalities, do not want to rent the properties to agencies that will place the temporary workers there. They fear increase in theft, noise, disturbance of the night-time and mess.

A problem with your neighbours

If your neighbours are causing you any trouble, you can try to smooth things over yourself – your knowledge of English will be useful for this. However, sometimes it is better to ask for help from a caretaker and to think about what you can do to improve relations with your neighbours. For example, maybe playing music more quietly would be enough?

Constructive feedback is welcome

Remember that you can always give the housing supervisor your feedback on the accommodation. This is valuable information for agency staff who collect reports on how the standard of the accommodation is perceived by their tenants.

Working in the Netherlands with accommodation – is it a good option?

It depends on your expectations. Many Employees decline the opportunity to live in the staff accommodation, hoping to find better accommodation on their own for a lower rate. In practice, it is not easy to find accommodation independently, so, at least at the beginning, using accommodation from an agency is an attractive solution.

Remember that going to the Netherlands to work involves a lot of formalities, such as getting a BSN number, setting up a foreign currency account at a bank, learning how to use a Revolut account or gathering the required documents. Is it worth the effort to look for accommodation on your own? You will have to answer this question yourself.