Homestay Rental campaign in Maastricht extended, including pilot with housing corporations
After a successful first phase, the municipality and university of Maastricht have extended their collaboration with Hospi Housing, including a pilot with the 4 major housing corporations in Maastricht.
Maastricht, April 1 2025 – The City of Maastricht, Maastricht University and Hospi Housing are extending their collaboration to further develop "hospitaverhuur" (homestay rental) as a structural, affordable and social solution to the ongoing student housing shortage. A key new initiative is a pilot with four major housing corporations, marking the first time tenants in social housing in Maastricht will be allowed to rent out a room.
Homestay Rental now also possible for tenants in Maastricht
Previously, room rental in Maastricht was only allowed for homeowners. The pilot – launched early 2025 – removes that barrier and opens up opportunities for tenants to become hosts, provided they meet certain conditions.
“This pilot allows everyone in our city, including tenants, to contribute to student housing. It also creates more social interaction in our neighborhoods,” says Johan Pas, Alderman for Housing in Maastricht.
The pilot includes:
- Simplification and clarification of corporations' policy;
- Information and personal support for interested tenants;
- Streamlined procedures for approval and participation;
- Monitoring and evaluation focused on match quality and well-being.
Building on a successful foundation
The decision to expand the program follows a successful collaboration between 2022 and 2024. During this period Hospi Housing, together with the gemeente Maastricht en Maastricht University, put homestay rental back on the map as a solution to the housing shortage. Key outcomes from this period include:
- 2,500+ student applications, mostly from Maastricht University;
- 100 completed host signups, with many offering long-term matches;
- 60 students currently matched via Hospi Housing;
- A doubling of the total number of students living with a host (Kences report 2024);
- Broad national and regional media coverage of the initiative.
Homestay rental is not just about providing housing. Hosts often join for social reasons – to help someone, reduce loneliness or utilize extra space. Rent is generally lower than in traditional student housing, and both hosts and students benefit from the match-based, personal approach.
Towards long-term and inclusive impact
Daan Donkers, founder of Hospi Housing: “This pilot helps us unlock new potential in the social housing sector. We're not just tackling the housing shortage – we're fostering community, solidarity and smarter use of space.”
The pilot aligns with national policy developments, including an upcoming legislative change that will further simplify hospitaverhuur for mortgage holders. A national campaign and toolkit for municipalities and housing corporations has also been presented last year.
The initiative has received wide attention in Dutch media, including in Observant, RTV Maastricht and de Limburger.
For questions about the collaboration in Maastricht:
Hospi Housing – Daan Donkers
📧 daan@hospihousing.com
📞 +31 (0)6 8187 2586
🌐 www.hospihousing.com