Finding Short-Term Housing for a Semester Abroad: An Erasmus and Exchange Student Housing Guide

Why exchange housing is harder to find

Standard student rentals in Europe run on 10 to 12-month contracts built around the local academic year, which does not match a single Erasmus or exchange semester. University dorms often prioritize full-degree students first, filling remaining spots with exchange students on a smaller quota. Add a late acceptance letter or a delayed nomination from your home university, and you can be searching for housing with only a few weeks of lead time, well behind local students who signed leases months earlier.

Start with your host university's international office

As soon as you have an acceptance or nomination confirmed, contact the international or exchange office at your host university. Ask directly whether the university guarantees a dorm spot for incoming exchange students, what the application deadline is, and what happens if you miss it. Policies vary widely between universities, and some only guarantee a room if you apply within a specific early window after acceptance, according to general Erasmus+ program guidance published on the official Erasmus+ student opportunities page .

University dorms: useful but limited for one semester

Where a university dorm is available, it is usually the cheapest and simplest option, with a shorter, semester-length contract built specifically for exchange students. The tradeoff is availability: popular host cities and popular semesters (particularly the autumn intake) fill quickly, and a late application often means missing out entirely. Apply the moment applications open rather than waiting until your travel plans are fully settled.

Short-term rental platforms built for students

Because most private landlords resist a lease shorter than a year, several platforms specialize in student and exchange housing with month-based minimum stays instead. HousingAnywhere and Uniplaces are two of the better known platforms in this space, listing rooms and studios with an online booking and deposit process rather than the usual in-person viewing and paper contract. Read the cancellation policy on any booking carefully before you pay a deposit, since terms differ by listing and by how far ahead of move-in you cancel.

Erasmus Student Network and local buddy programs

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) runs local sections in many European university cities, offering arrival support, orientation events, and in many cities an active housing help group for incoming exchange students. Search for your host city's ESN section directly, since coverage and the level of housing support offered varies from one city's section to another. Many sections also pair incoming exchange students with a local student buddy who can help translate a lease or flag a listing that looks unreliable.

Private sublets and outgoing-exchange swaps

A common and often cheapest route is subletting from a local student who is leaving for their own exchange semester abroad at the same time, sometimes called a housing swap. This matches your semester-length need with a local student's own semester-length gap. Always confirm in writing that the head tenant has their landlord's permission to sublet, and get a written sublet agreement covering the rent, deposit, and exact dates, since an informal handshake deal offers no protection if a dispute comes up.

Timeline: when to start looking

• As soon as your nomination or acceptance is confirmed, typically 4-6 months before the semester starts.

• Do not wait for your visa or residence permit to be approved before you start the housing search, since visa processing and housing search can run in parallel.

• Budget for a deposit and sometimes a first and last month's rent up front, since many short-stay platforms require full payment or a hold on your card before you receive keys.

• Book a few nights in a hostel or short-term Airbnb as a backup for your first days, in case your move-in date and lease start date do not line up exactly.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Paying a deposit before video-calling the landlord or seeing a real, dated photo of the room is one of the most common ways exchange students lose money to a fake listing, since a one-semester booking from abroad is an attractive target for scammers who know you cannot view the property in person. Booking a lease that starts weeks before your semester actually begins to secure a listing also wastes money, so confirm your exact arrival date with the university before you commit to a start date. Finally, do not assume your host university's dorm and a private platform booking can both be canceled penalty-free if you get a dorm offer late, since canceling a private booking or sublet can carry the same fee structure as any other early exit.

Documents you'll likely need

• Proof of enrollment or your official nomination letter from your home and host university.

• Proof of health insurance coverage for your stay.

• Proof of income, a scholarship or grant letter, or a guarantor, since many landlords and platforms ask for financial proof before confirming a booking.

• A copy of your passport or national ID, and your Erasmus+ grant agreement if you are applying for mobility funding.