Living
Moving to a new country is exciting. You have to deal with many things, such as; registering with the Dutch government to be able to work here, arranging health insurance and, of course, arranging housing. In addition, you have to get used to the culture and rules of the Netherlands.
Fortunately, Flexible Human Services can already take care of a lot of things for you. We are happy to help you with this! We take these matters off your hands so you don't have to worry about them! We can arrange a very affordable health insurance for you. See the page on health care for more information about health insurance. We can also help with the registration with the Dutch government. We also have a housing partner, Flexwonen.nu, who can arrange housing for you.
Of course, you also have free time to spend in addition to your work. On the Language & Integration page you will find some tips for fun activities to do in the Netherlands.
Housing in the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small country with a lot of inhabitants. Unfortunately, this means that there is a shortage of affordable housing in some areas. Keep this in mind if you want to arrange your own housing in the Netherlands. Housing offered by private landlords is often very expensive. Probably a lot more expensive than what you are used to in your home country. Our tip is: start looking for affordable housing on time if you want to arrange it yourself.
When you come to work in the Netherlands at Flexible Human Services you have the option of arranging housing through us. This then goes through our partner Flexwonen.nu.
When you come to work with us, we will help you with all the registrations you need to live in the Netherlands. This registration is necessary to be allowed to work and live in the Netherlands. We arrange transport to and from the registration desk at the RNI, where you register and obtain a Citizen Service Number (BSN).
If you plan to stay in the Netherlands for a long time, it is smart to register with a housing corporation. A housing corporation usually offers "Social rental housing." These homes are cheaper than privately rented homes. There is also a maximum rent attached to these houses, this rent limit is determined by the Dutch government. The rent for such housing is around €800 per month. All houses that are not rented through a housing corporation are often well above this amount.
Note! A housing corporation does check in advance whether you can get social housing based on your income. If your income is too high, you will not qualify for social housing. In addition, it can take a long time before you can rent social housing. Often waiting times are more than 7 years (in densely populated areas even a lot longer). We call this a waiting list for those who are registered. If you are registered with a housing association, you have to respond to the housing offer yourself. These are the homes that have become available. You can find these on the housing corporation's website. The housing corporation does not offer you a house by itself.
Due to the long waiting times for social housing and the high prices of the private rental offer, this means that you most likely won't be able to find affordable housing privately on your own right away in the Netherlands.
Living at Flexwonen.nu
Because of the high rents in the private sector and the limited supply of Social Housing, we have a housing partner Flexwonen.nu. They can arrange housing for you. Many of our new employees choose this option. Flexwonen.nu complies with the SNF-quality mark.
Stichting Normering Flexwonen
SNF (Stichting Normering Flexwonen) is the independent foundation that stands for good and safe housing for migrant workers in the Netherlands. Read more about SNF on this website (available in several languages).
When you rent your accommodation with Flexwonen.nu, we will deduct the rent from your salary. Flexwonen.nu uses a fixed price in which everything is included; rent, internet, possibly a bicycle and costs for Gas, Water and Electricity (GWE) (for normal use). The living spaces of Flexwonen.nu meet the guidelines that are determined by the Dutch government. There are a number of requirements such as a minimum of 1 toilet and 1 shower per 8 residents. Read more about the requirements for living spaces here (in Dutch, English or Polish).
Stichting Normering Flexwonen (SNF) checks whether the living spaces of Flexwonen.nu meet the set requirements. Regular audits are carried out at Flexwonen.nu.
All homes have information on what to do in an emergency. This hangs in a central location in the home. The information on these posters is multilingual. On them are telephone numbers of the Flexwonen.nu location managers, police and the emergency number 112. There is also a poster from SNF showing how many people are allowed to live in the home. There is also information on how to contact the various departments of Flexible Human Services.
Large housing locations of Flexwonen.nu also have an service coordinator present. In addition, you can submit repair requests or questions via our easy application on your phone. Flexwonen.nu will then contact you about the repair or question.
Living, of course, involves many other things. Read more about living and working in the Netherlands on the following pages: