Renting out a room in your home? These are the rules in Delft

Living in or around Delft and considering renting out one or more rooms in your home? These are the rules for homestay rental in Delft.

In the beautiful province of South Holland, you'll find the picturesque Delft: a city that combines a rich history, charming canals, and beautiful old buildings with cutting-edge technical innovations. Every year, thousands of students from both within and outside the Netherlands come to Delft, for instance, to study at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) - an institution now globally recognized for its high-quality technical education and research. Combine those academic opportunities with the city's charm and a vibrant student life, and Delft becomes a magical place to study. However, this magic also has a 'dark side': there is a significant shortage of affordable student rooms.

To contribute to solving the housing shortage, get to know new people, and earn something extra, more and more people are opting to rent out a room in their home. But... is that allowed? In this blog post, we'll delve into the rules about homestay rental in Delft.

Room rentals in and around Delft: a quiet and green environment is favored

The room shortage in Delft has led some students to look beyond the city boundaries. Initially out of necessity, but many students now find they prefer living in the surrounding municipalities of Delft: it's quieter, there's more greenery, and with our excellent public transportation system (or by bicycle), they're often quickly in the city. So, if you live in surrounding areas like Den Hoorn, Rijswijk, Schipluiden, and Pijnacker, know that there's also a demand for rooms there: those places are quite appealing for some students!

The rules for homestay rental in Delft

Okay, so there's a pressing room shortage in (and around) Delft. To help alleviate this, you might be considering renting out a room in your home. Before you register as a host and start looking for a tenant, it's essential to check if it's permitted. In the Netherlands, it's typically the municipality that sets its own rules regarding homestay rental - it's not determined at the national level. As every municipality faces housing shortages, the rules are fortunately quite lenient nowadays. The same goes for Delft:

In Delft, it's allowed to rent out a room to at least one person without a permit, regardless of whether you own or rent the property. If you've been the owner for more than 5 years and the total area of the house is 180m2 or larger, you can rent out up to 2 rooms to 2 people.

For more information about the specific rules and possibilities for homestay rental in Delft, check the official website of Delft municipality. There, you'll also see that the municipality is doing everything it can to promote homestay rental to address the room shortage: they've officially partnered with TU Delft and us! Read the press release here.

3 reasons to rent out a room in your own home

We understand that renting out a room in your home might be exciting in the beginning. However, when we ask our hosts, they're generally delighted they invited someone to stay in their property. Here are the main reasons:

1. It's an enriching experience

Many hosts get to know people from diverse cultures and backgrounds that they wouldn't typically meet. Often, this leads to valuable friendships and sometimes even plans to visit the student's home country. (By the way, if you prefer more privacy and less interaction, that's fine too. You can specify your preferences and choose whom you rent your room to).

2. You help reduce the room shortage

By renting out a room in your home, you make a significant contribution to alleviating the room shortage in Delft. You offer a student a comfortable and safe place to live, which can profoundly influence their academic results and the joy they experience during their studies. It's something they'll remember their whole life!

3. You earn extra income

Last but not least, homestay rental is an excellent opportunity for many people to generate extra income. The rental earnings can help cover certain costs or achieve specific financial goals.

Interested? Register as a host for free!

As you've seen, homestay rental is a legal and even government-encouraged form of renting. In a city like Delft, where there's high demand for student housing, it's an excellent way to help solve the shortage, broaden your horizons, and earn some extra money - for instance, to reach your financial goals faster.

If you're interested in becoming a host, we warmly invite you to register with us. Registration is free, and there's no commitment. We guide and support you step by step throughout the entire room rental process, ensuring you can embark on this new experience worry-free.