Student housing on the private market.

The ideal time to start looking for a room is March. Around then, many landlords already know which rooms in their buildings will become available again. A lot of larger student residences also start renting out rooms around that time and organise open viewing days. 

If you don’t find a room right away, or if you start your search later — don’t worry! New rooms are added continuously between April and September, especially in early July and early September. 

Our most important tip: Don’t rush to just take the first room you see — take your time. The offer is large, and if you check new ads regularly, you’ll definitely find a good room.

On average, a single room costs about €533 per month, including €88 for electricity, heating, water and internet. A studio costs about €718 per month, including €112 for utilities.
Most rental contracts are for 12 months.

Price is important, but also pay attention to safety and hygiene of the building, the level of comfort offered and the distance to your campus.

Ghent is a lively but compact city — everything is generally quite close and easy to reach by bike!

If you want a room in a traditional smaller student house, the Kotatgent room finder is a great starting point. Kotatgent is a collaboration between the Ghent university colleges, the university, and the City of Ghent.

The room finder gives a clear overview of available rooms and shows:

• Whether the room has a conformity certificate (checked for quality and fire safety)
• Whether the landlord uses the Flemish model rental agreement

There are also useful checklists on renting, safety info, subletting and what to do in case of conflicts with your landlord.

Do you prefer a bigger student residence? Near the HOGENT campuses you’ll find several large residences from partners such as Xior, Eddies and Upkot.

Once you’ve found a room, it’s time to sign the rental agreement.

Student rental agreements must comply with the Flemish Housing Rental Decree. If you’re unsure whether a contract is compliant, you can contact the housing service for advice. If possible, using the Flemish model rental agreement is strongly recommended.

Landlords usually ask for a deposit (max 2 months’ rent). If there’s damage at the end of your lease (caused by you), the landlord can deduct repair costs from it.

The deposit may amount to a maximum of two months’ rent and can be paid either into:

• A blocked account in your name
• The landlord’s account (where interest is returned to you)

An inventory report is a detailed description of the room or studio, which should be made at the beginning and end of the lease, in the presence of both tenant and landlord.

You can already get started with this model inventory report.

The landlord must register the lease with the authorities within 2 months of signing — this is free and protects your tenancy if the property is sold during your contract.

As a tenant, you are liable for the consequences of fire, water damage or explosion in the rented property, except in cases of force majeure or damage caused by third parties. You can cover this risk with fire insurance for tenant liability.

So make sure your student room is insured:

• Check whether your parents’ fire insurance policy also covers your tenant liability in your student accommodation.
• If the landlord’s building insurance covers tenant liability, you won’t need extra insurance yourself. Damage to personal belongings is typically not covered.
• Are you using the Flemish model rental contract? This contract states that the landlord’s building fire insurance also covers tenant liability, meaning you no longer need to take out separate insurance for this. In addition, you can make use of Ghent University’s fire insurance policy, but only if the landlord registers your rental contract with Ghent University’s Housing Office. Please note: this policy does not cover any damage to your personal belongings.