Accommodation, living costs and transport in the Netherlands: where, how much and how

Planning to work in the Netherlands but have no idea how and where you will be accommodated? Where you live in the Netherlands depends mostly on where and what your workplace will be.

Where you live in the Netherlands depends mostly on where and how you work. However, when you get a job with Robin you can be sure that the accommodation you get from the temporary employment agency in the Netherlands will be certified and up to standard.

As recruitment agencies try to place their employees as close as possible to their place of work, they do not have as much choice when it comes to finding accommodation in the vicinity of their workplace. For this reason, it is quite difficult to offer a place to live that meets the needs of each worker. However, we always encourage jobseekers to tell us their expectations of a place to live in the Netherlands and we try to take them into account.

Temporary employment agencies offer four types of accommodation in the Netherlands. Each has its own pros and cons.

1. Chalets or house complexes

Owning your own home is the most comfortable accommodation that workers can expect when they come to work in the Netherlands for a longer period of time, i.e. six months or more. The size of the house and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms will determine how many people will be accommodated in a particular house. The recruitment agency tries to make the accommodation as comfortable as possible and accommodates between 8 and 14 people in its own houses.

Benefits:

• These types of houses are usually located in quiet neighborhoods with Dutch neighbors, making it easier to integrate into the local community.
• The houses are close to the workplace, so transport links are very convenient and the distance is easily covered by bicycle.
• There is very little turnover of residents, which helps them to become closer friends and take care of the household together.

Disadvantages

• Own homes come in different sizes and offer different living conditions, so staff do not know what to expect before arrival.
• It is up to luck who your housemates will be. Not all residents are neat and tidy and take the same care of the home.

Holiday homes are suitable for comfortable living when employees come to work in the Netherlands for a year or less. Brick chalets are usually located in parks in quiet areas. Depending on the size of the house, it can accommodate 6-9 people.

Benefits

• There are often a number of houses in this type of complex, so there’s a good chance you’ll meet your compatriot.
• Quiet surroundings.
• Well-organized transport to and from the workplace.

Disadvantages

• There is a fairly frequent change of occupants, which can cause inconvenience in terms of housekeeping.
• The holiday home complexes tend to be remote from the settlements, making it difficult to get to know the local culture and integrate.

2. Hotels

The hotel is ideal for employees who plan to work in the Netherlands for a longer period of time and want to have more active leisure time after work. Hotels usually have at least 20 residents.

Ugis Andresons

It offers a range of facilities and a free fitness club.

Benefits

• Hotels are usually located in cities or towns.
• They offer facilities such as table football, a pool table and a sports club.
• Hotels have a recruitment agency representative who can respond immediately if there are problems.
• Transport to and from the workplace is well organised.

Disadvantages

• Usually, hotels have rather limited facilities for cooking your own meals or the kitchen facilities are shared by many people.
• Limited opportunity to integrate into local life and experience Dutch culture.

4. Mobile homes

Mobile homes, which are usually located in recreational areas, are an attractive place to live for workers who come to work in the Netherlands for a short period of time, in a few months.

However, due to the low supply of accommodation and high rental prices in some regions of the Netherlands, this type of house can sometimes be used for longer periods of time. The mobile homes can accommodate 4-6 people.

Benefits

• It’s easy to meet workers from your home country in mobile home settlements.
• As the settlements are mostly located in recreational areas, they offer a wide range of activities, such as fishing, swimming, basketball or football.
• Transport to and from the workplace is well organized.
• There is a recruitment agency representative on site who can respond immediately to any problems.

Disadvantages

• Residents change quite frequently, which can cause inconvenience in terms of housekeeping.
• The mobile home complexes are remote from the settlements, which makes it difficult to get to know the locals.
• Rooms in mobile homes are small.
• Often, mobile homes are poorly insulated, which can make them cold during the cold season.

Rental prices in the Netherlands

Finding affordable housing in the Netherlands can be a real challenge. Fortunately, temporary employment agencies in the Netherlands provide workers with accommodation at a good price.

The cost of renting the accommodation provided to you by the temporary employment agency is between € 85 and € 110 per person per week. The rental price depends on the type of residence, the number of inhabitants, the region in which you will work and live. No matter what type of residence you will be living in, the employment agency will charge a flat rent each week. You will not have to pay the rent in advance as it will be deducted from your salary after one week of work.

The rent includes all utilities, internet fee, sewage disposal fee and local government fee.

Many employment agencies apply the rent relief introduced by the Dutch government, which applies when a person who comes to work in the Netherlands incurs double the cost of living. T.y. he pays rent in the Netherlands and, in theory or in practice, has housing-related costs in Lithuania. By taking advantage of this benefit, the rent is deducted from the salary before taxes are deducted. This saves you about 15 euros a week. This benefit can only be used if you go to work in the Netherlands through a Lithuanian employment agency.

Accommodation amenities

The expectations of each employee who comes to work in the Netherlands are different in terms of place of residence. It is important to Robin’s agency that every outgoing employee has a comfortable place to live. For this reason, we only work with those temporary employment agencies that provide their employees with at least a minimum standard of residence. Agencies marked with the SNF Quality mark comply with these requirements.

The SNF Stichting Normering Flexwonen is a strictly controlled certification of the place of residence provided to employees by the temporary employment agency, according to which living conditions must meet at least the minimum requirements.

According to the SNF requirements, the place of residence must have:

• 1 toilet and 1 bathroom for 8 people;
• Neat heating system, inspected at least once every two years;
• 30 liters of refrigerator capacity per person;
• 4 hotplates;
• Information booklets on first aid, fire, police, etc. in the mother tongue of each resident in the house;
• Contact a person who can be contacted 24 hours a day. per day in the event of an emergency;
• Fire extinguisher, fire and smoke detector, fire blanket;
• The place of residence must be inspected by the responsible authorities at least once a year;

There is an internet connection in almost every place of residence.

Who will my housemates be at the accommodation and room?

No matter what type of accommodation you will be provided with, you will be accommodated in a double room according to SNF standards. When you go to work abroad with the other half or a friend, you will be staying together, so sharing one room will give you more privacy.

Some temporary employment agencies may offer a single room at an additional cost. However, this possibility is very rare, as the supply of housing is not high, and agencies try to use the entire living space.

Dutch employment agencies try to accommodate workers from the same country in one room. However, knowing that the agencies employ a large number of staff from different European countries, you should be prepared to share a room with a roommate from Poland, Romania or Portugal.

Transport in the Netherlands

The Dutch temporary employment agencies provide transport to and from the workplace.

The vehicle that will be provided to you by the employment agency will depend on the distance between your home and the place of work.

In case the distance from your place of residence to the place of work is less than 10 kilometers, the agency will provide you with a bicycle. Each agency determines what distance an employee should ride on a bicycle.

Traveling to work by bike gives you the freedom to ride at your own pace, to be independent of your co-workers, and to return to work at a time that suits you.

If your place of residence is more than 10 kilometers from your place of work, the agency will arrange for you to travel to work with other colleagues in the same house or nearby, or you will be taken to and from work by an agency bus.

Sergejs Pupels

Since we work in four and the workplace is 54 km away, we drive to work every day.

How are transport costs paid?

Each employment agency deducts the transport fee differently:

• Deposit for the bike and returns it when you return a tidy bike;
• Specific, e.g. EUR 2, fee per working day;
• Specific, e.g. 10 euros, fee per working week;

If you drive to work, your frequent agency will reimburse you for € 0.19 for each kilometer you travel. This is a standard reimbursement of travel expenses to work set by the Dutch government.

Cost of living in the Netherlands

How comfortable and well you will live in the Netherlands will largely depend on the cost of your living.

Food prices in the Netherlands

Food prices in major Dutch chain stores such as Jumbo or Albert Heijn are not high. But if you want to save even more, it’s better to shop at Lidl or Aldi stores or markets that operate once a week in smaller towns. By doing this, you can expect to save about 10 percent.

If you don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol and buy food just for yourself, you can expect to spend about € 200 a month on food.

You can check how the cost of living in the Netherlands differs from the cost in Lithuania at this link:

Health insurance tax in the Netherlands

Every employee working in the Netherlands must have health insurance. This insurance covers most of the costs when you have to see a doctor. You can decide for yourself how much insurance will cover – the higher the compensation you would like, the higher the health insurance tax per week.

When you arrive in the Netherlands, the temporary employment agency will take care of your insurance. You will most likely not be able to find a cheaper health insurance offer on your own as the agencies work with insurance companies to get the best health insurance offers. Health insurance will cost you about 22 euros a week. Health insurance will cover most of the treatment costs you incur. You will have to pay the remaining amount yourself. This method of payment is particularly common when it comes to dental care, the purchase of medicines or orthopedic shoes, or pregnancy care.

Summary

When you go to work in the Netherlands, the employment agency will give you one of four possible residences. It can be a private house, a hotel, a mobile home or a summer house. Each has its advantages and disadvantages.

The employment agency sets the residence rent at between 85 and 110 euros per week. However, you do not have to live in housing provided by an employment agency and you can find a place to live on your own. Housing is an ancillary service provided by employment agencies that facilitates the establishment of many workers in the Netherlands.

The employment agency will also provide you with a vehicle to travel to work and take out health insurance.

FAQ about accommodation in the Netherlands

Can I find a place to live in the Netherlands on my own?

Yes, you can take care of your own residence in the Netherlands. If you plan to settle in the country for a longer period of time or permanently, then it is more convenient to find housing yourself. However, in this case, you will have to arrange transport to the workplace yourself.

I already have a place to live, can you help me find a job?

Because we work with recruitment agencies across the country, chances are we will be able to offer you a job. Especially if you have your own car.