Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Booking & tenancy questions
If you are no longer enrolled as a student, you must terminate the tenancy agreement and move out within 3 months.
Once you have finalised the application form and uploaded the required documents, your application will be processed. Greystar is entitled to reject any application.
Once your application has been processed, we will issue you with a contract. After you have signed the contract and paid the deposit, Canvas will countersign the contract. Your rental contract is only final once countersigned by Canvas. Please note that you need to sign the contract and pay the deposit within 72 hours.
1. Click the Book now button on our website.
2. Click on the apartment type you are interested in. There are several categories: Classic, Classic Plus, Deluxe, Deluxe Plus, Premium, Premium Plus, Standard and Standard Plus. Find out more about our different apartments here.
3. A selection of available apartments will be listed per category. Select the apartment you want and choose your preferred move-in date.
4. Fill in all fields marked with a star. Even if you do not have a middle name, you must tick the box and choose your 'title'.
5. Upload all required documents. You can upload more than one document if necessary. A picture of yourself is mandatory for your resident ID card.
6. Submit your application and wait for your documents to be reviewed by the onsite team.
7. Pay your deposit and sign your contract electronically within 72h.
All residents staying in the Netherlands for more than 4 months must register with the local municipality. Whether you’re a Dutch citizen or an international student, everyone living in the Netherlands is required to be registered at their home address. Being registered allows the Basisregistratie personen (BRP or Municipal Personal Records Database) to better handle emergency situations, to track the size of the Dutch population and to allocate the right municipal taxes to each household.
Most importantly, once registered you will receive your BSN number (personal public service number), which you will need for all your administration in the Netherlands (opening a bank account, visiting a doctor, getting health insurance and applying for benefits, including Housing Allowance). You will also need your BSN number to apply for a DigiD, which allows you to identify yourself when making arrangements on the internet (with the Dutch government, educational institutes or benefits). Find out more information here.
Please be aware that once registered at your new home address, your waste tax (and in some cases water purification tax) has to be paid directly to the municipality. Find out more about waste and water tax here. For municipality Utrecht click here.
After the minimum stay of 12 months, you must give notice of one calendar month in advance (minimum) by sending an email to the Service Desk. Please note that the termination of your contract is only final once you have received a written confirmation by Canvas. Please check the General Terms & Conditions.
ELIGIBILITY
1. Email: You provide your email address and verify it using two-factor authentication for added security.
2. DUO: Through the Datakeeper app, you securely access your DUO study data by logging in with your DigiD on the DUO website. The information shared includes your first name, last name, and current study details, while sensitive information such as your study debt is not disclosed.
When we work with third parties to offer housing, we also ensure that they also have robust processes in place that are aimed at preventing housing discrimination. Furthermore, we regularly assess whether our policies have the desired outcome in practice and whether our processes can or should be further adapted and tightened.
If you would like to raise with us any feedback or concerns in regards to our policies and processes we would love to hear from you. Please contact us via e-mail: voorkomwoningdiscriminatie@greystar.com.
For more information about the rules and regulations, please go to the website of the municipality here.
Below we explain in more detail the processes we have in place.
First come first served
In principle, we work on a first come first served basis when offering our homes. We use a digital and automated system to do this. The prospective tenant who was the first to register for the property (completing all relevant forms and confirmed via email) will be accepted in the first instance.* The prospective tenant’s application is then checked it meets the objective selection criteria that applies to the property applied for.
If the prospect meets the objective selection criteria, a rental agreement will be concluded with them in principle. However, this is dependent on previous experience with the prospective tenant. We reserve the right not to enter into a rental agreement if we find there have been previous negative experiences in relation to the prospect.
If no rental agreement is concluded with the first accepted prospect, we will inform the person/persons by e-mail and outline the reasons for this decision. The property is then advertised again and the above outlined process begins again.
*Note: the accepted prospect is provisionally accepted pending final checks and supply of all information requested.
Exceptions to the above process:
In the past, one development in Diemen, had a waiting list. Prospects could be placed on the waiting list via an application form. If a property became available, the prospect highest on the list was approached first (e.g. prospect numbered 1). We are no longer accepting new prospects on to this waiting list.
Due to the contractual obligations of this waiting list, whilst there are still ‘active’ prospects on the waiting list (i.e. prospects are still interested in renting a property at this location), housing will be allocated to the suitable prospective tenant with the highest rank. Once there are no longer any ‘active’ prospects on this list, this waiting list will no longer be in operation and we will revert to the first come first served principle at the Diemen location.
Objective selection criteria
When assessing whether a prospect is suitable, we use objective selection criteria. When a property is advertised, we state which criteria applies to that property so that all prospects can make an informed decision as to whether they are a suitable tenant for this type of property.
The criteria may vary from property to property. An example would be student accommodation. If a property is intended for students, the conditions are that the prospect is enrolled at an educational institution and is actively studying. Some of our properties require a Housing Permit and this is stated. If a property requires a Housing Permit, a prospect must be eligible for the permit outlined.
Greystar will never request information about or select prospective tenants on the basis of ethnic or cultural background, religious identity, political preference, sexual orientation or physical/mental health.
USE OF THE APARTMENTS AND COMMON SPACES
You are required to settle the municipality taxes individually: water system levy (watersysteemheffing) and waste contribution (afvalstoffenheffing). Students are typically eligible to for a substantial reduction if these costs; the service team is happy to assist you.
USE OF THE COMMON SPACES
FINANCE
Schoonmaakkosten voor gemeenschappelijke ruimten - €12.00
Energiekosten voor gemeenschappelijke ruimten - €12.00
Kosten voor de diensten van een huismeester, flatwacht of buurtconciërge - €12.00
Kosten voor dienst- en recreatieruimten - €3.00
Total: €39.00
If you have respiratory symptoms (coughing, rhinitis, sore throat or pneumonia), often accompanied with fever ór if you have been in contact with an infected person, please have yourself tested free of charge. For more information and test locations, please visit https://coronatest.nl/ (available in English) or call: 0800 1202.
Self-contained or COVID-19 positive
If you test positive or if you are self-isolating for suspected COVID-19 exposure, please inform the Service Desk via telephone or email. We would like to stay informed to assist you wherever we can and help limit the spread of the virus. To reassure you, we will of course respect your privacy. Due to privacy restrictions, we will not and cannot disclose if/which residents are self-contained. This is up to the discretion of the individual concerned or the authorities.
Service Desk via email and phone
Our team is available at the Service Desk during weekdays and on Saturdays. In order to limit unnecessary exposure of residents as well as the members or our Service Team, please consider contacting the Service Team via email and telephone.
Technical Support
Our Technical Support team is available for our residents for urgent matters. If you have any symptoms of flu or a cold, please inform us in advance, so we can inform the Technical Support Team accordingly. All our staff is instructed to keep at least 1.5 metres distance away from others. Please respect this preventive measure. If staff has any doubt of the physical wellbeing of a resident, they are not allowed to enter the apartment. In that case, the Service Desk will contact you by phone to make further arrangements.
Security
Our Security team will be available at the Service Desk. Also, they will patrol buildings and our outdoor terrain. All residents and visitors are required to comply with instructions of our Security Service instantly. Please respect the 1.5-meter rule with regards to our Security team members as well.
Partners & suppliers
We are in close contact with our key partners and suppliers in order to keep our service to you as good as possible. Our cleaning partner executes frequent extra-sanitising door handles, lift buttons and intercom panels. Our security is there to support us and our residents and our internet partner Ask4 is monitoring the internet in order to secure a stable network while most are still working or studying from home.
Elevators vs stairs
Please keep social distance in elevators. If physically possible, consider using the stairs.