Accommodation
Leuven is a small but lively city with a population of about 35,000 students. Student life is fully integrated into the local community.
About 80% of the university students are accommodated in privately rented student houses. The private housing market offers a wide range of rental units of varying types, price levels and locations. Because of this variety, all international guests should come to Leuven first, view some properties and negotiate with landlords personally before signing a contract. For this reason, it is not possible to make a reservation in advance or to arrange permanent accommodation from abroad.
The supply of accommodation in halls of residence is very limited in Leuven and therefore, it is subject to specific conditions.
Guesthousing
The only preliminary housing arrangement international students/guests can make prior to their arrival is to reserve guesthousing. Since it is not possible to move into permanent lodgings immediately upon arrival, it is advisable to arrange guesthousing for a few nights. The price of a guestroom can vary from a low budget room with basic comfort in a youth hostel or in a university guesthouse, to a more expensive room in a hotel or B&B accommodation. International students/guests should make a reservation themselves in advance !
Arrival in Leuven
Once in Leuven and settled in a temporary guestroom, international students/guests are welcome to come to the Housing Service where they will be given information and guided through the procedure to find permanent housing. In order to arrange permanent housing smoothly, we recommend that students come to Leuven approximately 1 week before the beginning of the courses. The room hunt generally takes a few days up to maximum 1 week.
