Guaranteed on-campus housing at AUC
AUC guarantees accommodation for three years to all of its students. All students are required to live in the student residences for the six semesters (including summers) of their studies so that their time at AUC becomes a truly intercultural and social learning experience. The residential aspect of the international campus is an important part of life at AUC. You will be able to cooperate and discuss issues with fellow students and lecturers both during and after class hours, while also engaging in various social and cultural activities with fellow students.
If you are offered admission to AUC and accept your offer, you will be invited to select a room in June via uh.room.nl, the digital selection platform used by housing association DUWO. All available rooms are listed in this system and you will be able to view the room size, address, type of unit and rental price. In most cases there will also be a floor plan available.
It is not possible to allocate single units to all students in their first year. However, at the end of your first academic year at AUC, you will be allowed to switch rooms before new students move in. This ensures that most students get their preferred room by the end of their first year. Please note that shared units are always single-gender and not co-ed.
AUC students are guaranteed housing for three years of study (the time required to complete the programme). Contracts with DUWO start on 1 August in the year in which a student begins studying at AUC. The contract will then last for three years, ending on 15 July in the year in which the student is expected to graduate.
For example, if you would begin your studies at AUC in September 2025, then your housing contract with DUWO will start on 1 August 2025. You will then have a valid contract for your three years of study, until 15 July 2028. You will then be required to move out and turn in the keys to your room before 15 July 2028.
Please note that if you require an extra semester or extension beyond the initial three years of study, AUC cannot guarantee a room in the student residences will be available for the additional semesters or years. While AUC will try to arrange extensions or a room for students who require additional time to complete their studies, this isn't always possible and students requiring extra time may need to find their own housing solution.
All incoming students must pay a housing fee of EUR 700 before being entered into the housing platform and eventually selecting their room. This housing fee is paid once to AUC and covers the administrative and service costs associated with providing housing for a student for the entire three years of study. These costs cannot be covered by university funds, which are for academic purposes.
The deadline to pay the housing fee is 1 May of the year in which a student will begin their studies at AUC. For example, a student starting in September 2025 must pay the housing fee before 1 May 2025.
For late applicants, those who apply and are accepted after 1 May, the housing fee must be paid by 15 June of the year they will begin their studies at AUC.
A refund of the housing fee may be issued under certain conditions. These include notifying AUC before 1 May if the decision is made not to attend, or if a student who has paid the fee and plans to attend does not meet the entry requirements due to unforeseen failed final exams, school results or other instances that could be considered a force majeure. In all cases, it is essential to contact AUC promptly to determine eligibility for a refund, as refunds are not processed automatically.
Once a student moves into the student residences, the housing fee is no longer refundable.
The housing fee for exchange students is 350 EUR, paid once.
There is also an additional fee for current students who choose to change rooms after their first academic year.
AUC does not own the student residences but reserves rooms for all incoming students through an agreement with the housing association DUWO. Rooms are always reserved for a full calendar year, which can lead to vacancy costs due to various circumstances such as changeovers, cleaning periods, summer breaks and unexpected cancellations due to illness, academic performance or other personal reasons.
The fee also covers essential operational costs, including on-site resident assistants and payment processing services.
You will sign a tenancy agreement with DUWO and rent your accommodation directly from them for the duration of your studies at AUC.
Service costs
For each type of unit, the rent includes an advance towards service costs, which include your utilities such as electricity, gas and water (collective and individual), cleaning of public spaces, rubbish collection and contents insurance. Each year DUWO will calculate your actual service costs: if you have paid too much, you will get a refund. If you have paid too little, you will be charged the difference. This also means that the amounts below are not exact, but meant as an estimate based on the average of what students pay per month.
Single rooms
Single units, before receiving a rent benefit (huurtoeslag), are more expensive than shared units. These are on average around 600 EUR per month. Most students living in a single unit will be eligible to receive a rent benefit of around 190 EUR per month, bringing the total cost of a single unit to around 410 EUR per month. There is also a limited amount (21 rooms) of larger single rooms (those larger than 32 square meters) that are on average around 650 EUR per month. This larger type of single room is not eligible for rent benefit for those who are 23 years old and younger.
Shared rooms: two-person & four-person
The rent for a two-person shared room is an average of approximately EUR 470 per month per person. For a four-person shared room (two bedrooms, two people per room with a large shared living room), the costs are typically around EUR 280 per month per person. These costs can slightly vary depending on the exact dimensions of the room in square meters.
Internet and television
Internet and television are automatically arranged for each unit at a flat rate of 15 EUR per month, which is added to the utility bill.
Municipal taxes
You also have to pay municipal taxes for your unit (waste and water). These are currently around 499 EUR per year for a one-person household. Students with a low income are eligible to have these fees waived.
The units are decorated and equipped with a floor-covering and curtains, but they are not furnished. You will need to supply your own furniture, kitchen equipment/appliances and any other home goods you may need. All the units are centrally heated (underfloor heating).
Please note, all student rooms shown have been furnished with items that students have purchased themselves. Your room will not have furniture in it upon arrival.
The student residences are just a five-minute walk from the AUC academic building. You can find their exact location in GoogleMaps via the link below.
The University Sports Centre (USC) has a large branch located in Amsterdam Science Park. Additional sports facilities are within easy reach (ice skating rink, swimming pool, etc.).
Science Park also has good public transport connections, particularly Bus 40 that stops near the student residences and runs between Amstel Station and Muiderpoort Station (to get into the city centre). Science Park also has its own railway station, which will take you to Amsterdam Central Station in around 10 minutes.
In addition to the Spar grocery store on campus, you can also go to the nearby Molukkenstraat, or travel a little further to the Middenweg and Linnaeusstraat, where you will find a variety of grocery stores/markets, cafés and other practical stores nearby. For Do-It-Yourself, there are Praxis, Blokker and Xenos shops close by. The city centre is only a short bike ride or bus/tram trip away.