Kamernet survival guide: how to spot housing scams in the Netherlands

You landed in the Netherlands full of optimism. You found a great room on Kamernet. The price was right, the photos looked perfect, and the landlord seemed friendly. Then you sent the deposit, and the landlord vanished.

The Dutch housing crisis is real, and scammers know it. With vacancy rates near zero in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Delft, thousands of international students each year lose hundreds (sometimes thousands) of euros to fraudulent landlords and fake listings. This guide tells you exactly what those scams look like, how to avoid them, and what to do if you've already been hit.

Why international students are the primary target

You're searching from abroad. You can't visit in person. You're under time pressure before your semester starts. And you're unfamiliar with what a "normal" Dutch rental looks like.

Scammers exploit all four of these vulnerabilities simultaneously. The pattern is almost always the same: a too-good listing, a landlord with an excuse for no viewing, a request for money before any contract or key exchange, and then silence.

Before diving into red flags, make sure you understand the broader housing landscape. Our Student Housing in the Netherlands: The Complete Guide breaks down room types, realistic costs by city, and which platforms are actually worth your time.

The 7 most common housing scam tactics on Kamernet

1. The "Too Good to Be True" listing

Be suspicious when you see a furnished room in central Amsterdam offered for €550/month. A private studio in Utrecht for €600, bills included. If a listing is noticeably cheaper than comparable rooms in the same neighbourhood, treat it as a red flag, not a lucky find!

What to do: Cross-check prices against Pararius, ROOM.nl, or the Huurcommissie (Rent Tribunal) to understand the market rate. Our Monthly Student Budget in the Netherlands has up-to-date average rent ranges by city.

2. The landlord "currently abroad"

This is arguably the most reliable scam signal. The landlord explains they are working in Germany, the UK, or "on a mission abroad" and cannot arrange an in-person viewing. They offer to send you the keys, only after you pay the deposit.

Real landlords travel. But a legitimate landlord abroad will:

• Arrange a viewing through a trusted local contact
• Offer a live video call (not a pre-recorded video)
• Never ask for money before a signed contract

3. Requests for payment via non-standard methods

Dutch law (since the Wet goed verhuurderschap, in force from July 2023) caps deposits at a maximum of two months' basic rent for contracts signed from that date onwards. Anything above that is illegal — and often a scam.

4. Moving the conversation off-platform

Kamernet, HousingAnywhere, and similar platforms have built-in fraud monitoring. Scammers know this. Within the first message, they will often ask you to continue on WhatsApp or via personal email, citing "convenience" or "faster communication."

Do not leave the platform until you have verified the landlord's identity, signed a contract, and confirmed the address is real.

5. Fake or cloned platform URLs

Scammers sometimes send a link to a website that looks like Kamernet or Pararius but is a phishing clone designed to steal your payment details or login credentials.

Always verify: The legitimate Kamernet website starts with https:// and the domain ends in .nl. If the URL looks off, even slightly, do not proceed!

6. Refusing or delaying a viewing

No in-person viewing, no deal. If you're coming from abroad and a physical visit is genuinely impossible:

• Request a live video call of the property (not a pre-recorded tour)
• Ask the landlord to show a specific detail you request in real time (e.g., "can you open the wardrobe?" or "show me the view from the window?")
• Ask a contact in the city: a friend, fellow student, or even a paid viewing service, to visit on your behalf

A legitimate landlord shall not object to this.

7. The lottery scam

Some listings ask you to pay a fee for a chance to be selected for a room: framed as an application fee or "priority registration." This is never legitimate. Real competitive housing (like DUWO social housing) has free waitlists, not paid lotteries.

The riskiest platforms vs the safer ones

Not all housing platforms carry the same risk. Here's a clear breakdown:

The message from students is consistent: Facebook is where scammers live. One Utrecht University student reported receiving over 30 messages after posting in a housing Facebook group, and not a single one was legitimate!

Red flags checklist: before you respond

Use this list every time you consider reaching out to a listing:

• [ ] Rent is significantly below comparable listings in the same area
• [ ] Landlord is described as "currently abroad"
• [ ] No viewing is offered or actively deflected
• [ ] Listing was posted in a Facebook group (not a dedicated housing platform)
• [ ] Landlord wants to communicate outside the platform immediately
• [ ] Payment requested before contract signing or key handover
• [ ] Payment method requested is Western Union, MoneyGram, or a foreign bank account
• [ ] Photos appear on multiple listings or reverse image search shows they belong elsewhere
• [ ] Landlord is extremely flexible about everything (move-in date, furnishings, price)
• [ ] Contract is sent before viewing, or no contract is mentioned at all

Rule of thumb: Scammers rarely use just one tactic. The more boxes ticked, the higher the risk.

What to check before signing any contract

Even on legitimate platforms, do your due diligence:

• Verify the address exists: use Google Street View to confirm the property is real and matches the photos.
• Reverse image search the photos: upload the listing photos to Google Images or TinEye to check if they appear on other listings or stock photo sites.
• Check the landlord's identity: ask for a full name and a (partially shielded) ID proof. Cross-reference with the Kadaster (Dutch land registry) if possible to confirm ownership.
• Ask explicitly about BRP registration: you must be able to register your address at the municipality (BRP) to get your BSN number. A legitimate landlord will have no problem confirming this. If they hesitate, it may be an illegal sublet, which also blocks your administrative rights in the Netherlands. See our BSN Registration Guide for why this matters.
• Read the contract carefully: check for the exact address, rent amount, deposit amount, start and end date, and notice period. The contract should be in Dutch or have a Dutch version.
• Never sign a blank or incomplete contract.

Safe payment practices

• Always pay by SEPA bank transfer to a Dutch (NL) IBAN where possible.
• For platforms like Kamernet, use the in-platform secure payment system. Funds are held in escrow and only released after you receive the keys.
• Keep records of every payment: bank statements, receipts, and screenshots of conversations.
• Never pay in cash unless it's unavoidable (e.g., a small supplementary fee) — and if you do, get a signed receipt with signatures, or a witness.

Opening a Dutch bank account before arrival makes all of this significantly easier. Read our guide on How to Open a Dutch Bank Account to get set up in time.

If you've already been scammed: what to do

Acting quickly increases the small but real chance of recovering funds or at least stopping the scammer from targeting others.

Step 1: Report to the platform. Use the reporting button on Kamernet, HousingAnywhere, or whichever platform was used. These teams can remove the listing and block the user. Step 2: File a police report (aangifte). Go to politie.nl to file a report. Online filing is available in Dutch; many police stations also accept reports in English. Keep your reference number. You'll need it for bank disputes. Step 3: Contact your bank. If you transferred money recently, contact your bank's fraud department immediately. For SEPA transfers to Dutch accounts, a recall request can sometimes reverse the transaction if acted on within 24–48 hours. Step 4: Report to the AFM or the Consumer Authority (ACM). The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) and the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) both handle financial fraud reports at afm.nl and acm.nl. Step 5: Alert your university's housing or international office. Many universities maintain lists of known scam patterns and can advise on next steps, especially regarding emergency housing if you've been left without accommodation.

The bigger picture: navigating the Dutch housing crisis

The housing shortage is structural. In Amsterdam, Delft, Utrecht, and The Hague, demand for student rooms far outstrips supply, which is precisely what makes scams so effective. Desperation leads to poor decisions.

The best defence is starting early: register on DUWO and ROOM.nl as soon as you receive your acceptance letter, not after you've arrived. Some waiting lists operate on a first-come, first-served registration basis.

Understanding your realistic monthly budget is also essential to avoid being lured by artificially cheap listings. The Monthly Student Budget in the Netherlands gives you a city-by-city breakdown so you know what "normal" actually looks like.

And remember, your housing is the foundation for everything else: BSN registration, health insurance, banking, and your legal right to reside in the Netherlands. Don't let urgency override your judgement.

Quick reference: trusted housing platforms for students in the Netherlands

• ROOM.nl — Social student housing; register as early as possible
• DUWO — One of the largest student housing providers in the country
• SSH Student Services — Active in multiple Dutch cities
• Kamernet.nl — The largest private room-rental platform; use secure payment
• HousingAnywhere — International student focus; good fraud protection
• Pararius.nl — For private rental market; agency-level listings

If you have questions about finding housing as part of your application process, StudyPath offers personalised housing planning as part of its Complete support package — including which platforms to register on, realistic timelines per city, and what to do if you're still searching close to your start date.