This article only applies to Long Stay. Click here to find more information about the difference between Long Stay and Short Stay housing.
I'm living in a room. Living together, is that allowed?
You're not allowed to live together in a room. That's because in some buildings, for safety reasons, we are not allowed to house more people than allowed under the user permit. Moreover, with regard to the settlement of service costs and possible nuisance towards other tenants, we do not think it is fair to house several tenants in one room.
I'm living in a self-contained accommodation. Living together, is that allowed?
It's allowed, as long as you live in a studio larger than 30 m2 (excluding bathroom, kitchen and toilet) or in an apartment with two or more rooms. It doesn't matter what type of rental agreement you have (campus contract, youth contract, temporary contract or permanent contract).
When talking about living together, at the SSH we make a distinction between inhabitation and co-tenancy.
- Inhabitation means that someone comes to live in your accommodation, without acquiring rental rights and obligations.
- Co-tenancy means that the names of both tenants appear on the rental agreement, and that you both have the same rental rights and obligations.
 | In the questions below, we highlight three different situations. So take a good look which answer applies to you! |
Do you mind who I'm going to live with?
I live alone in an SSH accommodation and would like to start living together here (inhabitation). | We make no demands on the person who will live with you, as long as this person is of legal age. This can be a family member, a partner or a friend. |
I live together with someone (inhabitation) and want to add my partner to the rental agreement (co-tenancy). | Living together is only allowed if you share a joint household and you intend to continue this joint household for many years. So being registered at the same address for two years is not enough! NB: you're not family related to each other. |
I am going to move and want to start living together (co-tenancy) from the start of the rental agreement. | Living together is only allowed if you share a joint household and you intend to continue this joint household for many years. So being registered at the same address for two years is not enough! NB: you're not family related to each other. |
Do you check the income of the person I am going to live with?
| No, we don't check the income of the person you are going to live with. | |
I live together with someone (inhabitation) and want to add my partner to the rental agreement (co-tenancy). | No, we don't check the income of the person you are going to live with. | |
I am going to move and want to start living together (co-tenancy) from the start of the rental agreement. | Yes, because you are signing a new rental agreement together, we will check the income of both tenants. Your combined income must therefore be in line with the rent (see ‘passend toewijzen’). |
Do I have to live together for a certain period of time before I can apply for inhabitation or co-tenancy?
| This does not apply to inhabitation. | |
I live together with someone (inhabitation) and want to add my partner to the rental agreement (co-tenancy). | Yes, you must be able to demonstrate that you have been living together with our approval for at least two years (inhabitation). Only then can you apply for co-tenancy. | |
I am going to move and want to start living together (co-tenancy) from the start of the rental agreement. | No, that's not necessary in this situation. |
Do you require proof of our partner relationship?
| No, we do not require proof of your (partner) relationship. | |
I live together with someone (inhabitation) and want to add my partner to the rental agreement (co-tenancy). | Yes, you need to share a document to proof a joint household for at least two years. You can prove this by, for example, sending us a proof of the BRP, a marriage or cohabitation contract, an insurance policy or joint account in two names (at least two years old) is also acceptable. | |
I am going to move and want to start living together (co-tenancy) from the start of the rental agreement. | Yes, you need to proof your partner relationship. |
Is there anything else you would like to know about the person I am going to live with?
In addition to income and/or proof of your partnership, the person moving in must not have caused any nuisance in the past two years. If we find out that the person has caused a nuisance, we have the right to withdraw our permission.
How do I ask for permission?
Ask the SSH for permission via info@sshxl.nl. Give your email the following subject line: “living together via co-tenancy” or “living together via inhabitation”, depending on the situation.
What happens to the rent?
If you are going to live together, generally you'll pay the same rent. Keep in mind the following:
- If gas/water/electricity is included in the rental price, you will probably use more together than alone. This may affect the settlement or service costs.
- Living together may affect your rental allowance. Check with the Dutch Tax Authorities to be sure.
- When checking whether you may be eligible for an income-dependent rent increase, both incomes will be taken into account.
Can the person I am going to live with register with the municipality?
With both inhabitation and co-tenancy, the person who'll live with you may register with the municipality. Note: because you become a multi-person household, this may affect any allowances!
I have a youth contract. Can my co-tenant be 28 or older?
When signing a youth contract, we do indeed look at the age of the main tenant, among other things; he or she may not be older than 27. When applying for co-tenancy, the age of your co-tenant doesn't matter, as long as he or she is an adult.
Will my co-tenant or inhabitant also receive an SSH account?
No, a co-tenant or an inhabitant does not usually receive their own SSH account. It’s possible that this person still has an account from a previous registration, but it is not linked to the current accommodation and does not have any active features associated with the living space. All matters related to the accommodation, such as submitting a repair request, updating the bank account number, or terminating the rental agreement can only be arranged through the account of the main tenant, i.e., the person who signed the rental contract on My SSH.