Accommodation for (Exchange) PhD students

Application criteria

Every PhD student with an affiliation with Ghent University can apply for accommodation. We give priority to PhD. candidates with a VLIR scholarship.

The Housing Office will be able to process your housing application once your enrolment application has been completed. We will not be able to meet requests from PhD. candidates without an approved application.

Please note that there is a high demand for accommodation in the first semester. In the second semester it is easier to find a living unit on the private rental market .

Location of the living units

Terms and conditions

When you apply for a living unit in the University Halls of Residence, you agree to these terms:

Rental payment

  • Check out the rental fee for the correct academic year
  • The rent is due from the start of the reserved period. The tenant is obliged to keep the living unit that was allocated for the duration of the tenancy agreement.
  • The costs for the consumption of water, electricity, and heating, provision of bed linen, cleaning of the communal areas, repair service, and use of the internet are included in the monthly rent.
  • A monthly invoice will be sent to you by email, the deposit will be charged on your first invoice.
    Please note that there is no need to pay anything pre-arrival or upon your arrival.

Rental period

  • The minimum rental period is 2 weeks (14 days), and the maximum rental period is 6 months. The maximal rental period for flats is 3 months (no extension possible).
  • It is only possible to rent
    • from the 1st or the 16th of the month,
    • until the 15th or until the last day of the month.
  • Check-in is not possible during weekends, except for weekends in February and September.

Modifications and cancellations

  • In case you made a mistake or would like to change your application, please reply as soon as possible on the application letter you received.
    If NO living unit was assigned to you, you can still cancel or change the application free of charge.
  • in case you want to cancel your application after a living unit was assigned to you by the Housing Office, check the terms and conditions.

  • Should you wish to change the period for which you have received a confirmation, please inform us at least one month before the start of the confirmed period. After that time, requests to change the period will no longer be accepted and the rent will be due for the confirmed period.

  • Re-applications must be submitted online and are only taken into consideration if there are no rent arrears.
  • All modifications and cancellations must be done in writing, stating the reason and including the necessary supporting documents.

Apply for a living unit

Please read the Terms and conditions mentioned above before you apply for housing.

Please note that applications for academic year 2024-2025 can only be done from May 1 onwards
      • For Exchange Ph.D. students in the framework of Ph.D. studies at your home university, please apply via the exchange application form
      • For Ph.D. students: in order to apply for housing, you need to have a UGent-account.
        In case you have an active UGent email address, you can immediately proceed with the application.

        If you do not have an active UGent-account, your chairman, supervisor, promotor or lecturer-in-charge needs to initialize the application, after which you can complete the information needed for your enrolment and to apply for housing.
        After completion of your enrolment, don't forget to submit the application to the faculty for confirmation.

      More information?

      For more information about housing, please contact , Tel.+ 32 (9) 264 71 32

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