This marks a change from previous years, when UM often had to alert the municipality halfway through the academic year to an impending shortage of student housing in the summer. This led to emergency housing solutions, including the construction of some six hundred “container homes” in Randwyck in early 2022 and an active search for student housing options in Heerlen and Sittard in recent years.
This year’s situation is different due to the expected number of new students, explains Evers. “We anticipate that student numbers will stabilise in the coming academic year.” While Maastricht University saw a slight increase in student numbers this academic year, the influx of new bachelor’s students has already decreased significantly.
Vacancies during the winter months
In other words, a student housing crisis seems unlikely – despite the new Affordable Rent Act, which came into force in mid-2024. This new law pushed rents down, prompting private landlords in several student cities to start selling off student rental properties. This trend initially wasn’t visible in Maastricht, but it is now, says Huib van Gastel, chair of the local landlord association VVWM. “We’re seeing a relatively high number of mid-range flats being sold. Take the Gemeenteflat building on Koningsplein – its flats used to rent for €1250 per month, but now that’s down to €850-900. These flats will be sold off when the current tenants, sometimes students, move out.” Huurteam Zuid-Limburg and the municipality of Maastricht say they have not observed a rise in student rental property sales.
In any case, Van Gastel also doesn’t foresee any issues at the moment. Over the past year, the number of new students has dropped faster than the number of student rental properties. For the first time in five years, he notes, they even had some vacancies during the winter months. Evers confirms this and views it as a positive development, as it means that incoming students looking for a room will have more choice. “This puts downward pressure on rents and improves housing quality.”
Search early
During previous years of housing shortage, incoming students were warned via email and social media not to come to Maastricht without securing accommodation first. This year, the tone is more relaxed, says Evers – students are simply advised to start their search early.