Housing for Exchange students in Leuven, Belgium

Leuven is one of Belgium's most popular exchange destinations, home to KU Leuven, the country's top-ranked university. Its combination of strong academic support, a huge range of English-taught courses, and an unmistakably lively student culture (roughly one in five residents is a student) draws exchange students from all over the world. The trade-off is scale: Leuven is a relatively small city, and its housing supply simply hasn't kept pace with demand, which makes the search genuinely competitive.

What does student housing cost in Leuven?

A student room — locally called a kot — typically costs €350–500 per month in Leuven, broadly in line with Ghent and Liège but noticeably cheaper than central Brussels. Utilities are often included or capped in university-run kots; private-market rooms sometimes bill them separately, so always check what's included before signing.

How difficult is it to find a room?

Leuven's housing market is one of the tightest in Belgium. The city's small scale means limited stock, and local landlords aren't always keen to rent short-term to exchange students, even though they're a well-established part of the local market. Applying through KU Leuven's own housing service as early as possible is the single best way to improve your odds — spots allocated by the university itself tend to go fast.

Where to look for housing

For incoming students: a student room in Leuven (and across Flanders generally) is called a kot in Dutch. If you're studying at KU Leuven, start with the university's own official accommodation page. Kotwijs is another well-known platform, listing rooms from verified landlords approved by the university, the municipality, or both — its main downside is that many landlords there favour long-term tenants, but it's still worth a look. If you specifically need short-term housing as an exchange student, that's exactly where Exchange Rooms comes in.

For outgoing students: if you're a local student in Leuven going on exchange yourself, you have the legal right to sublet your room. Some landlords don't mention this clearly in their contracts, but since it's a statutory right, it's well worth looking into — and you can sublet your current room directly through Exchange Rooms.

Getting around Leuven

Leuven is small and famously walkable — most faculties and student housing sit within 15–20 minutes on foot or by bike of the centre, and cycling is by far the most common way students get around. For longer trips, De Lijn buses cover the wider city and surrounding towns, and Leuven's train station offers frequent, fast connections to Brussels (around 25 minutes), making day trips to the capital effortless.

Quick facts

• Incoming students: tight housing market, vibrant student culture, well-connected by train to Brussels.
• Outgoing students: strong university support, and the legal right to sublet your current kot while you're away.

Watch out for scams

A lot of exchange students end up on Facebook groups or other social media to hunt for a room. It's often the only option that comes to mind, but it's also where most scams live. Never transfer money before viewing a room (in person or via video call), and check with your host institution's housing office or the local municipality if a listing looks too good to be true. Favour platforms with verified listings over anonymous posts.

Why Exchange Rooms is different

None of the options above were built specifically with exchange students in mind. Exchange Rooms was. It's a housing platform made exclusively for exchange students, offering only short-term rooms listed by real fellow students who understand exactly what you're looking for. Have a look at the rooms currently available on our platform.

A bonus tip most students overlook

Finding housing often starts with offering housing. If you have a room available while you're away on exchange, post it on Exchange Rooms and send the link to the international office of your host university in Leuven. Let them know that incoming students from your host university can rent directly from you. It's a simple way to add listings exactly where they're needed.

Don't have a room to offer? No problem — you can still create an account without listing anything yourself, and you can help by sharing Exchange Rooms with your home and host university. The bigger the network grows, the better everyone's odds of finding a place become.

Exchange Rooms

Exchange Rooms can help you secure housing in Leuven. Search for rooms in the area or learn more and create an account!

Good luck finding housing — we're rooting for you!