Renting out in Enschede

With around 162,000 residents, Enschede is the largest city in Twente and an outspoken student city: the University of Twente and Saxion together draw tens of thousands of students. Through Roomspot the municipality, the institutions and the housing corporations cooperate on student rooms, but pressure stays high, especially for international students at the start of the academic year. Popular areas include the rebuilt Roombeek close to campus.

Hospita rental: permit-free

Enschede has actively encouraged hospita rental and home-sharing since 2022. The conversion involved is exempt from the permit requirement (article 21(1)(c) of the Housing Act). So if you rent out a room while living there yourself, you don't need a conversion permit. The other rules in the housing ordinance still apply as usual.

Renting to more people

Room rental to three or more residents, by contrast, is tightly regulated. You need a conversion permit, a 50-metre distance rule applies to existing room-rental properties, and the municipality assesses livability (via the Leefbaarometer and advice from the neighbourhood coordinator, among others). Maximum room counts per property and minimum floor areas apply. The municipality also actively enforces against illegal room conversion.

Official info: gemeente Enschede: room rental (in Dutch). As of June 2026. Always check the current rules with your municipality.

For the national rules, see General rules for room rental. Also check the impact on your municipal taxes.