At home in Groningen launches room finder

The searchable database launched on Thursday, 12 July. Users can specify the price range, the date from which they want to move in, whether a room is furnished or not, the size of the accommodations, type of housing and fellow resident preference.

The site, which is free, currently features 61 properties: 57 rooms at a building on the Vondellaan, three rooms on the Hoendiep, and one studio apartment on the Gelkingestraat. In the detailed descriptions of the rooms, the distance from the university faculties, city resources like the municipality headquarters, and the central train station are listed alongside amenities and costs.

The At Home in Groningen site explains how applying for a room works: users can only submit one room request at a time, and after a request has been submitted, “a room will be unavailable to others for 48 hours. The landlord has also to reply within 48 hours. If not, or if you do not come to an agreement with the landlord, you will be able to make a new rental request.”

The KEI Week orientation festivities for new students will be held between 13 and 17 August this year, and three rooms on the site will be available by then. Students planning to participate in the ESN introduction week activities in early September and be moved in ahead of time have more options: the Vondellaan rooms will become available on 15 August.

As of now, the 61 properties currently listed on the site are the only options through 1 March 2019, but according to a statement from the University of Groningen, the site will be regularly updated with new rental listings.

At home in Groningen is an initiative from the municipality of Groningen, the province of Groningen, UMCG and the academic institutions in the city to provide additional information and resources for people seeking housing in the city.