How to find accommodation through SSH Short Stay

Instructions for Staff members of Utrecht University
Utrecht University has reserved about 120 rooms and apartments for their international guest staff. Please note that the reserved housing offerings are only available for international guests who do not yet live in the Netherlands.

Below, you find instructions on how to register on our website and reserve accommodation.

1. General Information
1.1 Correspondence
The Short Stay online housing system will send automatically generated e-mails (like the accommodation confirmation e-mail) to you from noreply@sshxl.nl. Make sure this e-mail address is accepted by your e-mail provider as safe e-mail so that our e-mails will not end up in your spam box!

1.2 If you are currently renting or have previously rented from SSH Short Stay
If you already registered in the past and have lived, or currently live in a Short Stay accommodation, you do not need to register again. You can use your original user name and password to log in and add a new rental period. If you have any questions, contact us via info@sshxl.nl

1.3 Explanation of important terms
• Rental Period
This the period during which staff member and lessor have agreed to rent (out) accommodation. The first day of your rental period is always the 1st day of the month. The last day of your rental period is always the last day of the month, even if you arrive some days later, or leave some days earlier. The maximum period one can stay at a Short Stay accommodation is 12 months.
• Gender
Some rooms are in apartments with shared facilities. If such apartment has 3 rooms or fewer, they are same-gender apartments. The first person to reserve a room determines whether the apartment has only male or only female tenants. Apartments with 4 rooms and more usually have at least two people of the same gender living there.

• Number of Applicants
If you are accompanied by your partner and/or children, then also fill out the field(s) “Secondary applicant”. If you are looking for housing for yourself and a friend or colleague, you cannot enter a secondary applicant unless the main applicant is willing to accept full legal responsibility for the rental agreement including the financial obligations resulting from this. Keep in mind that most apartments for couples only have one double bed, not two separate beds.

2. Registration
First you will have to register on our website (www.sshxl.nl/shortstay). By clicking -> "Register" on top of the home page. The yellow fields are obligatory.
• Enter your personal information.
• When your nationality is not in the list, enter “Not in the list”.
• Enter an account name (you should make one up yourself). -> Click on NEXT

On the next page you will have to enter
• Your home address and a valid e-mail address.
• Address: first enter your country, then enter your home address. If your country is not in the list, select “Not in the list”, then enter your address.
• Please also enter your (mobile) phone number.
• In the box "Name of department or program you will attend", enter the name of the department or institute at Utrecht University where you will be working -> Click on NEXT

Now you are asked to enter
• Secondary Applicants
This only applies if you are accompanied by your partner and/or child(ren). Also see aforesaid 1.3 Note that the number of family apartments reserved by Utrecht University for their guests is limited -> Click on NEXT

• Desired rental period
The rental period must be a period of full calendar months, with a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 12 months. The rental period always starts on the first day of the month and ends on the last day of the month.

IMPORTANT when you get to the option: • I’m searching for housing via: Tick the box: company/university (do not tick the box ‘housing corporation’!) >> This is very important! Only when you tick this box, you can search for accommodation that is reserved by Utrecht University. If you tick the box ‘housing corporation’ you will be redirected to our ‘Direct Offer’ and you will not get access to the reserved University accommodation offerings!  • Select Utrecht University • Select the faculty where you will be working. If you are not sure at which faculty you will be working, of if it does not appear in the list, please contact your contact person at Utrecht University for information on what to enter.

-> Save your registration

You will now be sent a confirmation of your registration via e-mail. With this e-mail, you will also receive confirmation of your account name as well as a password.

3. Authorisation
Your contact person has to authorise (approve) your application. When your contact person has approved it, you will receive an e-mail that informs you that you can start looking for accommodation in our online housing database.

IMPORTANT If your registration is not correct, it will not be approved and you won’t be able to reserve accommodation. If you do not receive an e-mail to inform you that your registration has been approved or rejected, your application might not be correct. Therefore make sure to check if you have entered all information correctly: - Did you spell your name correctly? - Did you enter a valid e-mail address - Did you enter a correct rental period? - Did you tick the box “I am looking for housing offered by company/university” ? - Did you register with Utrecht University? - Did you enter the right Faculty? Etc.

4. Log In
On the website of SSH Short Stay -> click on Log In and enter your username and password to log on to your account. You will now see all your personal information.

5. Check for available accommodation
To access the housing database click on “Offer by University”.

6. Terms and Conditions
Before you can see the available accommodation you will have to agree with the Terms & Conditions.   Then click on “Proceed”.

IMPORTANT You should read the Terms & Conditions carefully! If you agree on them and rent accommodation from the Utrecht University reserved offerings, you are committed to these Terms & Conditions. If you do not agree with the Terms & Conditions, you should not engage a rental agreement with Short Stay under the Terms & Conditions of Utrecht University - Staff. You could register for the Direct Offer instead or find accommodation independently. You may find some useful addresses via www.uu.nl/housing

7 Search and reserve accommodation
-> Click on ‘Search’ to see all available accommodation. You can enter your preferences (address/ city/ price category) if you want to narrow your search, but it is recommended to search with as less criteria as possible. Note that some of the accommodation offered to Utrecht University students is not in Utrecht, but in a town named Zeist close to Utrecht. These rooms are in apartments with shared facilities where mostly younger tenants live. Therefore these rooms are most suitable to younger staff such as PhD’s, postgraduate researchers and trainees.

The information is shown to you in this order: Apartment - Room - Building.  First you see a list of apartments. Click on an address to see information about the room. Then go to “Complex” (under Details). Here you find detailed information about the building, living area and facilities. To reserve the accommodation of your choice, click on "Reserve".

8. No accommodation available?
It is possible that you will see no available accommodation, or it may not match your preferences such as budget, location etc. In this case, please contact us via info@sshxl.nl to ask when suitable accommodation will be available. You may want to discuss the possibility to change your arrival in Utrecht with your Utrecht University contact person, based on the availability of (suitable) accommodation.

9. Add changes or edit your registration
To edit your registration, log in to access your account. Click on “Edit Registration”. On this personal account page you can edit your personal information, rental period, etc. Click on the rental period, then you can click on "Edit".
Make sure to save the changes, if applicable. Note that if you change your rental period or register with another Faculty after your registration has been approved, your registration will go back to the status For Approval and you will not be able to access the housing databases unless it is approved again by the contact person of the concerned Faculty.

10. Information
For the Terms & Conditions, general information on your accommodation, check our website. For more detailed information, log on to your account.

11. Contract & Arrival
Please contact Short Stay a week before your arrival via info@sshxl.nl about exact time and date of your arrival. Your accommodation is available at 14.00 noon on the first day of your rental agreement. You will have to come by our office at Heidelberglaan 11, to sign the contract and perform the payment of the first month of your stay.12. Questions?
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us via info@sshxl.nl or via telephone:
+31 (0)30 25 25 725.