Hey everybody,
I have just been accepted to the L.L.M.(adv.) programm in European Business Law at Leiden.
Now I am looking for accomodation - which is obviously hard to find. Does anyone have a good idea how to find a flat, an appartment or a studio in Leiden???
I would also like to hear from someone who has also been accepted to the program.

Hi Diplomjurist,
I wish I had better ideas than I have . . . I have been living in the Hague for several months now and had to find an apartment here. Now, I'm in the process of doing the same thing in Leiden as I'll be moving there soon to start an LLM in Public International Law in the fall. I'm certainly not an expert or an "insider," but this is what I can tell you from my limited experience.

Most housing rentals in the Netherlands are done through rental agencies, as far as I have been able to find, there is little in the way of direct rentals from landlords or other renters that are subletting. This is a bad thing because most agencies demand a commission of one month's rent (excluding the 19% VAT). So, if they show you an apartment that's renting for 600 euros, you will owe them at least a 600 euro commission up front in addition to any deposit or "registration" fee. This can vary; for instance, I've seen agencies that don't charge commission (or say they don't, but I don't know what they charge) or only charge 80%. They will generally tell you their policy on their website.

The Leiden University housing office has a list of agencies. In addition, I would also check funda.nl and pararius.com which are clearinghouses of available rentals. They also have links to sites that are more geared towards finding rooms or roommate situations. You may also consider posting a "Housing Wanted" ad on craigslist.org, which is not so popular in the Netherlands, but is elsewhere. I had a lot of luck with it in the Hague. I don't know as much about the roommate sites as I'm looking for independent accommodation outside of the university housing system because I have pets (furry roommates). If you are searching for an apartment, I would suggest going for one that is unfurnished because the cost of furniture goes into the monthly rental price so, not only are you paying for the use of potentially icky furniture every month, you are also paying a commission on it. At least at the end of your stay, you can try to sell your furniture and recoup some of your costs. Leiden has a lot of second-hand shops and the biggest Ikea in Europe is nearby in Delft.

I'm going to look at about 10 apartments on Thursday. I'll let you know what I find.

Thanks a lot - I will definitely check out the websides. Please stay in touch and let me know how your "quest" is coming along...