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Housing at AUC is a carefully coordinated process, ensuring that all full-degree students have a guaranteed place to live for three years. With nearly 900 spots in the student residences and hundreds of moves each year, the housing cycle involves multiple steps and stakeholders.

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Housing transitions explained

All full-degree students are guaranteed housing for three years, while an additional 100 exchange students join AUC each year. Managing this process involves different groups and stakeholders, making it a complex puzzle. The annual housing cycle involves approximately 800 moves, including 300 third-year students moving out, 300 new first-years moving in, around 100 internal moves and 100 exchange students. 

This page explains the process in detail and provides an overview of the key procedures that take place each year. While the process may not always meet everyone’s preferences, we do our best to create the best possible residential experience for AUC students. Since these processes influence each other, they follow a structured timeline rather than happening all at once. Each category of student must follow specific instructions and deadlines to ensure a smooth transition.

Housing cycle at AUC

Third-years move out [April-July]

After three years of guaranteed housing, third-year students must leave the student residences in mid-July to make space for incoming first-years. Since the housing contract has an official end date, students and administrators can plan accordingly. Identifying which contracts are ending begins in April, and all third-year students move out by 15 July. The rooms they leave behind then become available for the internal move of current first-year students and eventually to incoming first-year students.

Internal moves for current first-years [April-July]

After living at AUC for one year, some first-year students may wish to change rooms. To accommodate this, internal moves are processed in April and May, and take place in mid-July, giving these students a one-time opportunity to select a different room. The rooms they leave then also become available to incoming students.

Housing allocation for new first-years [May-July]

We then determine the available rooms to be offered for new first-years and process the housing selection for this group in two rounds, starting with early & regular-deadline applicants, and then late-deadline applicants. While many students confirm their offers early on, some decline their offers, which is why the late round takes place just before summer. All incoming first-year housing contracts begin on 1 August each year. 

Leftover spots for fourth-year students [August]

During the summer, any leftover spots in the student residences may be offered to fourth-year students who need extra time to complete their studies and have not yet found accommodation elsewhere. This accomodation is not guaranteed.

Housing for exchange students [August & February]

In the meantime, incoming exchange students are placed in either a specially furnished room or in sublet of a room from AUC students who are leaving to study abroad. The choice depends on availability and the balance between inbound and outbound exchange students.

Waitlist for unexpected vacancies

Occasionally, students leave AUC unexpectedly without graduating, creating additional vacancies in the student residences. To manage these openings throughout the year, AUC maintains a waitlist for AUC alumni, as well as UvA and VU students, who can temporarily take over these spaces until the next first-years arrive in the following summer.

Room selection explained

  • AUC’s Housing Officer

    An important figure in AUC’s housing process is our Housing Officer who oversees the procedure. They work closely with DUWO to manage all aspects of our residential campus and also supervises the Resident Assistants.

    Each year, AUC and DUWO set a housing timeline in January, carefully planning each step for the months ahead. If you pay attention to updates, you won’t miss any important deadlines. Students who need to take action will be informed via student.auc.nl, the internal AUC student newsletters and by direct emails.

    If you have questions about housing procedures at AUC (excluding landlord-related matters), you can contact the Housing Officer through the Digital Service Desk).

  • Selecting a room in uh.room.nl

    Room selection takes place through the online University Housing (UH) allocation platform: uh.room.nl. The available rooms for each moving round are determined based on expected vacancies and then offered to various groups of students following a sequential process.

    For example, when a current first-year student requests an internal move, they can only choose from the rooms vacated by departing third-year students and if these rooms appear in the uh.room.nl system (AUC and DUWO reserve the right to keep rooms aside for certain exceptional circumstances). Once the internal move is finalised, the first-year’s previous room becomes available for the next selection round, which is designated for incoming first-years.

    So as a first-year participating in the internal move, you can only select from the rooms listed on the UH platform at the time of your selection. It is not possible to choose a room that is still occupied by another student who is also in the process of moving.

  • Roommate selection in 2-person shared apartments

    In 2-person shared apartments, the room allocation system does not provide information about your future roommate before you select a room. Neither AUC nor DUWO can offer details about potential roommates in advance. Only after you have signed your housing contract can you ask DUWO for the contact information of your new roommate. All shared apartments are by default restricted to male or female roommates. Single rooms are for all genders. If your gender identity influences your housing preferences, please contact AUC’s Student Life Officers.

    Many students ask for a specific roommate. In case you have a preferred roommate, you may try to use the system to your advantage. For example, you can attempt to select a spot in an apartment where you know your friend’s roommate’s old room will be vacant, or you can try to select rooms together. Keep in mind, though, that this is never guaranteed.

  • Roommate selection in 4-person shared apartments: housing mixer

    Each year, extra attention is given to 4-person apartments where the more social living situation of these students asks for a matching approach to increase roommate compatibility. AUC organises online housing mixers between current students and incoming students each year in May.

    This housing mixers allow for discussions of similarities in personalities, lifestyles and expectations to form the basis of well-connected 4-person houses. After the online mixer, the selected students from the incoming class receive a direct room offer that they only need to accept. They do not select their own room through the housing allocation platform.

  • Medical provisions and special needs

    Some students have a medical condition or disability and are therefore assigned a room with a medical priority provision. This process is coordinated through AUC’s Student Life Officers. These students do not select their own room, but are assigned a room, and moving is not allowed after this provision is granted.