HOSPITEERAVONDEN 'Hospiteeravonden' 'hospitality student WATCH OUT FOR SCAMMERS are a Dutch tradition and translate to evenings'. During these evenings a house invites potential new housemates to select the final candidate. They are very common in the Netherlands. Usually, during such an evening, you will meet the people living in the house, get a tour of the house and see the room you have applied for. This is your chance to show who you are and how you fit into the student house. Remember to stay true to yourself and take a good look around to decide for yourself whether it is the place you want to live. Hospiteeravond is also a good opportunity to ask questions about anything that is unclear to you. While looking for your new home you might come across fake offers. Be wary, as they may try to make you transfer money before seeing anything real, or rent a room that does not even exist. To avoid scammers, here are some things to look out for. Firstly, offers that sound too good to be true may indeed be just that. For instance, an offer that is located right in the city centre, yet very cheap. Secondly, a warning sign is the landlord not being able to show you the room, for example because they are apparently not in the Netherlands. Thirdly, many scammers ask for anonymous money transfers before a viewing. Not to forget, most of the time you will not receive clear answers, or the scammer ignores your questions completely and tells you how amazing the offer is instead. Finding a home in the Netherlands can be a challenge, and it is completely normal to move within Utrecht during your studies. Living in surrounding towns or villages is also fairly common and might prove to be a good alternative! PAGE 19
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