Student - December 10, 2010

Idealis changes the rules

Typical Dutch

In its struggle to deal with the housing shortage, student housing provider Idealis is tightening up the rules on room allocation. Priority will no longer be given to those living a long way from Wageningen.

It was recently made known that students may in future only go on renting an Idealis room for one year after graduating. Anyone already occupying an Idealis room before 1 January 2011 will be allowed to stay two years after graduating. But new rules are on the way. Priority to those with long commuting times is to be cancelled. At present anyone who has to travel more than two and half hours is moved up the waiting list. That is ending to prevent discrimination, explains Idealis director Hans van Medenbach. 'With the current system, German or Belgian Bachelor's students get priority. A Dutch student from Groningen (in the north) or Terneuzen (in the south-west) is lower down the waiting list. According to EU regulations, we are not allowed to discriminate between Dutch and foreign students.'
All students will be able to register free of charge from 1 January. The allocation of rooms will be based on the registration date: first come first served. 'We are appealing to people's own sense of responsibility. It costs little effort and no money to resister', says Van Medenbach. People tend to dramatize the accommodation shortage a bit, he feels. 'If you live all the way in Zierikzee and you register late, you can also rent a room in a neighbouring village or town and bus in from there for a couple of months until you get a room in Wageningen.'