Housing for students in Leuven
Understanding the KU Leuven housing market
At KU Leuven, student housing is not automatically provided: you are responsible for finding your own accommodation. This page is designed to guide you through that process, offering clear, reliable information and helpful tools to support your search.
Student life in Leuven
Unlike many other universities, Leuven doesn't separate campus from city; instead, they've grown together over the centuries, making it an exceptional place to study and work.
Housing in Leuven
Leuven’s student housing market is tight—and has been getting tighter over the past few years. With over 40,000 students in a city of only 100,000 inhabitants, there are limits to the capacity of students the city can take. When following the advice and guidelines of the university, you should be able to secure good accommodation.
Since KU Leuven does not automatically provide housing, you will need to find accommodation yourself, preferably by using the tools the university offers. Students in Leuven basically have two general options for housing: either find a student room (or 'kot', as we call it) in a student house on the private market or secure housing in one of the KU Leuven residence halls. About 80% of the available rooms are in private market rooms, 20% in one of the university residence halls. Both are great options and there's not necessarily a quality difference between them.
Five key guidelines to secure good housing
- Decide the lease period you need. Most students are here for one year or more so they'll need the standard one-year contracts. Exchange students who come for one semester can turn to accommodations offering semester contracts or sublease from another student. Some accommodations also provide monthly contracts for short-term stays.
- Start your search early. Peak listing season runs from March to May. The number of available rooms on the private market gradually increases and reaches its peak towards the end of April. Some rooms will still be available in August and September, but the options may be more limited and/or expensive.
- Set aside a sufficient budget. Housing prices depend on the type of accommodation and what is included (electricity, general costs...) but will generally be between €400 and €1000 a month. Make sure to do your research.
- Secure your accommodation before arriving in Belgium. Do not wait to start looking for student housing because the options become more limited the longer you wait.
- Be aware of possible internet fraud. Preferably, use our official housing tools, or at least pay attention to a few of our crucial guidelines.
Two types of housing providers
Rooms on the private market
- home Living setup: large variety, from smaller houses to large residence halls, shared or private facilities, usually 2 - 15 rooms per building but also 20+ rooms in private residence halls
- euro_symbol Price: on average €490 - €800 per month (incl costs) (AY 25-26)
- person Landlord: private person or company
- kitchen Living experience: typically more independent, but vary widely in social aspects and interaction. Large variation in size and furnishing of rooms.
KU Leuven residence hall
- home Living setup: larger groups and buildings, shared facilities, 20 - 500 rooms per residence hall, divided into smaller living units of about 10 to 15 rooms per unit.
- euro_symbol Price: on average €400 - €1,000 per month (incl. costs) (AY 25-26)
- person Landlord: KU Leuven
- kitchen Living experience: often a stronger, communal atmosphere, uniformity in size and furnishing of the rooms
About 80% of student housing in Leuven is available on the private market. There are various ways to look for a room or residence hall on the private market in Leuven.
If you use external platforms, we recommend to always be mindful of internet fraud. Most landlords are trustworthy and helpful, but when in doubt, we recommend asking our housing advisers for help.
The number of rooms that are visible and available across these platforms varies greatly depending on the time of year. It can even change on a daily basis, especially in the spring season, based on what new contracts were signed. We therefore recommend checking these websites on a regular basis when looking for housing.
Commercial platforms for student rooms
A common way to look for housing in Belgium is through real estate ('immo') platforms. These websites are probably the most common tool to find housing options in Belgium. KU Leuven is in no way connected to these platforms and can therefore not guarantee any quality standards. However, since advisers have to pay to list their properties, these platforms usually have a good reputation when it comes to presenting thrustworthy accommodation options.
The two most common commercial platforms for student accommodations are
Private real estate agents and housing companies
Real estate companies own a significant share of the student accommodations in and around Leuven. They often publish their rooms, studios and apartment on commercial platforms and/or Kotwijs, but you can also find them on their company websites. Since these are indepent companies, KU Leuven cannot guarantee any quality standards.
Some real estate companies with student accommodations in and around Leuven are:
Social media
Another common way of finding accommodation in Leuven is by joining one of the many social media groups like Te huur: kot in Leuven or Leuven - Housing
Rooms in our university residence halls make up about 20% of the available student rooms in Leuven.
There are currently three types of university residence halls for KU Leuven. All three have different admission requirements, procedures and application deadlines so make sure to check the terms and conditions.
Since several students decide to stay in the same room for multiple years, not all dorm rooms become available each year. The actual number of rooms that become available in each dorm differs from year to year.
University residence halls managed by KU Leuven Central Services (CERAB)
- In total more than 2,200 rooms and 90 studio apartments & apartments
- 50% of these rooms are reserved for international students
University residence halls managed by KU Leuven Stuvo
- In total more than 3,000 rooms and 250 studio apartments & apartments
- 20% of these rooms are reserved for international students
Private residence halls that have cooperation agreements with KU Leuven
KU Leuven and the city of Leuven have established cooperation agreements with private investors who have built qualitative and durable student housing projects. They offer:
- In total more than 880 rooms and 25 studio apartments & apartments
- 20% of these rooms are reserved for international students
Non-standardised housing needs
Practical information & housing support
How to actually secure your housing?
To make sure you don't forget anything, we've made a step-by-step checklist on how to secure housing as an international student.
Rules and regulations
As a (future) tenant, it's important to understand your rights and obligations. Always take the time to read your contract and make sure you understand everything.
Types of accommodation
For both staff and students, different types of accommodation are available. They mainly differ on three key aspects: size, amenities and price.
We help you on your way
We offer regular webinars where our housing staff explains all the various accommodation options and gives you tips and tricks on how to find housing.
Feeling at home in your student room
Arriving in a new country to study is an exciting adventure—but it can also feel overwhelming. We share some tips and advice to feel more at home.
Need help? Contact our housing services
If you have any questions or need help finding housing, you can contact KU Leuven Stuvo in Leuven.