Rent a Room in The Hague

The Hague is not a traditional student city. There is no campus dominating the city, no ancient academic center like Leiden or Delft. What it does have: The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Campus The Hague of Leiden University, Inholland, and a growing stream of international interns and young professionals who come to the city for internships at the International Criminal Court, Europol, or one of the five hundred other international organizations. Together, they form a room market that operates differently from any other Dutch city.

Competition is fierce. Anyone who starts searching in August is too late — that's not an exaggeration but the official advice from The Hague's educational institutions themselves. At the same time, the supply is more varied than you might expect. The nineteenth-century upstairs and downstairs apartments that fill entire neighborhoods are almost better suited as shared living spaces than as single-family homes. The opportunity lies in that architecture.

Why the Neighborhood Determines Everything

In Amsterdam or Utrecht, student neighborhoods are relatively interchangeable. Not so in The Hague. The city has 44 neighborhoods spread across 8 districts, and the difference between a room in the Zeeheldenkwartier and a room in Moerwijk is not just price — it's an entirely different living experience. The municipality registers that most students concentrate in four neighborhoods: the Zeeheldenkwartier, the Laakkwartier, the Regentessekwartier, and Bezuidenhout. Each for its own reason.

The Zeeheldenkwartier: Where Students and Naval Heroes Coexist

The Zeeheldenkwartier is named after Dutch naval heroes — streets like Piet Heinstraat, Zoutmanstraat, and Trompstraat immediately reveal this. The neighborhood was built between 1870 and 1890 as an expansion for The Hague's middle class: civil servants, military personnel, and Dutch East Indies returnees on leave. Architect S.J. de Vletter designed the street plan, a strict grid pattern around two squares: Anna Paulownaplein and Prins Hendrikplein.

These original upstairs and downstairs apartments are exactly the type of property suitable for room rentals. Spacious upstairs apartments with three or four rooms, a shared kitchen on the floor, and high ceilings that make sharing space tolerable. After a period of decline in the 1950s to 1980s — when the affluent citizens left and speculators bought up properties — the neighborhood has been thoroughly renovated. Since 2002, the Zeeheldenkwartier has been a protected cityscape.

Today, it is the most popular residential area for students in The Hague. Piet Heinstraat and Prins Hendrikstraat are filled with independent shops, coffee places, and restaurants. The annual Zeeheldenfestival on Prins Hendrikplein — which started as a neighborhood party in 1981 — has now grown into a five-day event. This combination of scale, character, and hospitality attracts room seekers. This also means: the highest room prices in the student segment, and waiting lists for popular houses.

Room with private balcony in Scheveningen

€525 / month

Arnhemsestraat, The Hague

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20 m²

3/1/2026

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Spacious room (20 m²) near Zuiderpark

€585 / month

Vreeswijkstraat, The Hague

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20 m²

3/1/2026

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Student sleep capsule in city center

€395 / month

Haagsche Bluf, The Hague

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6 m²

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Laakkwartier: Ten Minutes by Bike, Dozens of Euros Difference

The Laakkwartier does not have Art Nouveau facades or protected cityscapes. What it does have: immediate proximity to The Hague University of Applied Sciences, affordable gallery-access apartments, and a neighborhood visibly in development. The adjacent Binckhorst is transforming from an industrial area into a mixed residential and working area, attracting a younger crowd.

For students who have lectures at nine every morning, commuting time is the strongest argument. From the Laakkwartier, you can cycle to the University of Applied Sciences in less than ten minutes. Rooms here are noticeably cheaper than in the Zeeheldenkwartier or the city center, although the difference has narrowed in recent years as the neighborhood has become more popular. The homes are predominantly post-war, less characteristic, but practically laid out. For those who prioritize budget and accessibility over atmosphere, the Laakkwartier is the logical choice.

Regentessekwartier: The Quieter Variant

Between the Zeeheldenkwartier and the Zuiderpark lies the Regentessekwartier, built between 1885 and 1910 and named after Queen Emma, the regent. The neighborhood has a peculiarity that you should be aware of as a room renter: The Hague is partly built on sand dunes and partly on peat, and the dividing line runs right through this neighborhood. Weimarstraat is the demarcation line. North of that street — on the sand — stand the most richly decorated Neo-Renaissance facades. To the south — on the peat — the buildings are simpler and the foundations less stable.

What makes the Regentessekwartier attractive to room seekers is the combination of central location and relative tranquility. It is less vibrant than the Zeeheldenkwartier, but you can cycle to the center in five minutes and to the beach in fifteen. Weimarstraat offers daily groceries, organic shops, and quirky eateries. The former Elektriciteitsfabriek — an industrial monument — is being redeveloped into a cultural hotspot. This development will likely make the neighborhood more expensive in the long run, but for now, room prices are still below the level of the Zeeheldenkwartier.

Bezuidenhout and the Campus Route

Students at Campus The Hague of Leiden University often end up in Bezuidenhout, the neighborhood around Den Haag Central Station. The logic is simple: the university buildings are in the Wijnhavenkwartier, within walking distance of the station, and Bezuidenhout offers rooms in the immediate vicinity. The neighborhood has a mixed character — parts are stately and green (towards The Hague Forest), other parts are more functional and urban.

Those willing to cycle a bit further will also find affordable rooms in adjacent neighborhoods such as the Schilderswijk or the Transvaalkwartier. These neighborhoods have a different profile — more multicultural, livelier, with the Haagse Markt as their beating heart — and rooms are noticeably cheaper there. The distance to the campus remains limited: about fifteen minutes by bike.

What a Room Costs — and Why It Varies

The Hague room market has a price range that is wider than in many other cities. Location is by far the most important factor, followed by the type of room (furnished or unfurnished, independent or shared facilities) and its size.

Furnished rooms are popular with international students and interns who stay in The Hague for a limited period. They are more expensive per month, but you save on purchase costs. Unfurnished rooms offer more freedom and are more economical in the long run — but you have to arrange furniture, and then get rid of it when you leave. In a city with a lot of international turnover, there is a lively second-hand market for room furniture.

"Hospiteren": The Hague Selection Interview

In most student houses in The Hague, it is not the landlord but the current residents who decide who the new housemate will be. This process is called "hospiteren" (room viewing evening) and it is a fixed ritual. You are invited for an evening or afternoon, meet the housemates, and they decide if you're a good fit.

Hospiteren feels informal but it isn't. Residents sometimes host ten or more candidates for one room. Those who are on time, show genuine interest in the house and the housemates, and can clearly articulate what kind of housemate they are, significantly increase their chances. It is also the moment for you to assess whether the house suits you — how late is dinner usually, how clean is the kitchen, what are the unwritten rules. A room that doesn't suit you can lead to months of frustration.

Internationals: The Extra Hurdle

Due to its international profile, The Hague attracts more foreign room seekers than the average student city. Interns at the International Court of Justice, students on international programs, young professionals at NGOs — they all search on the same market. This brings a specific risk: fraud targeting internationals unfamiliar with the Dutch market.

Never pay a deposit before you have physically seen the room or at least had a live video viewing. Be extra critical of offers that seem too good to be true, especially if the landlord insists on quick payment. If you are searching from abroad, it is advisable to arrange temporary accommodation for the first few weeks and only look for a permanent room once you are on site.