More room seekers than ever - and why we need you

Demand for affordable rooms has been at record highs for years: in the first half of 2026 alone, more than 10,000 room-seekers signed up. More people than ever are opening their homes - but supply is still far behind. Will you become a hospita?

The pressure on the room market isn't a one-season peak - it's the new normal. Where four years ago a few thousand room-seekers signed up each year, today it's more than five times as many. And that demand stays at record levels, year after year.

No longer just students

The majority of people struggling to find a room where for a long time mostly students. That picture no longer holds. The group of room-seekers at Hospi Housing keeps getting broader:

• Students, still a large group, especially around the start of the academic year.
• Young professionals just starting out who can't yet afford a place of their own.
• Expats and international students and workers living in the Netherlands temporarily.
• People after a divorce or break-up looking for a new place at short notice.
• People in a vulnerable position, for whom a stable, affordable home makes all the difference.
• And increasingly: people who simply find it cosier - and cheaper - to share a home.

The challenge: far more seekers than rooms

The problem isn't demand - there's plenty of that, and the clearly emphasize the advantages of living with a host or guest family: affordability, safety and cozyness. The bottleneck is on the other side. Against those 10,000-plus room-seekers, some 600 new hosts signed up in the first half of 2026. That's almost seventeen seekers for every new room.

The good news: more and more people are opening their homes

And that is positive. The number of people renting out a room is growing fast: this year, more than a third more hosts signed up than in the same period last year - more than ever. More and more people are discovering that a spare room doesn't just help someone else, but themselves too: company, social contact and a bit of extra income.

Curious to the advantages of homestay rental?

Every new room counts. With so many people looking for a place, your room makes an immediate difference. We help you at every step - from the right match to the contract.

Do you have a spare room? Sign up for free and join the thousands of people who came before you.