Every year it becomes more difficult for students to find accommodation. Student rooms are scarce and often very expensive. Kitty van der Made is a teacher at the Avans Hogeschool in Breda and decided to do something about it. Her company MijnWoongenoot recently started connecting people who have a room left with students who are looking for accommodation. For example, student Doortje (20) from Boxtel will temporarily live with 74-year-old Clary from Breda.
“If Doortje throws a party here every weekend, we have a problem,” says Clary laughing. “But she doesn’t strike me as the ‘retteketet, holadiejee’ type. Because I would rather not have one of those in my house.”
Fortunately, Clary doesn’t have to worry about that. Kitty van der Made has carefully coupled Clary and Doortje. With her company MijnWoongenoot she delivers tailor-made solutions. The landlady is back with a vengeance through this modern matchmaker.
“I talk to people to find out what type they are and what they find important in life,” says Kitty van der Made. “I map that out and then I link them together.”
“Here the match is clear. Doortje studies nursing and Clary is a former nurse. They both enjoy reading, are caring and enterprising in nature. The click is the basis, because it must always be good.”
“You have to help society a little too, right?”
Doortje (20) is not much of a party animal and she is happy that she can go to Clary. She will soon be doing an internship at the Amphia Hospital in Breda and finding accommodation in Breda is a complete disaster.
“I live in Boxtel myself and it’s an hour and a half by train. Then I have to get out of bed at five every day and I don’t want that. It is extremely difficult to find accommodation in Breda. I have searched a lot for rooms, but it is either occupied or very expensive.”
“I know about the room shortages and heard about Kitty’s initiative,” says Clary. “I thought: why not? Doortje is looking for space for a certain period and that is very clear,” she continues. “You also have to help society a bit, right? We got acquainted and it clicked.”
And financially it is also quite attractive. A landlady may collect approximately 5,700 euros in rent tax-free annually. “I can use that money to repair my attic,” says Clary. “The knife cuts both ways here.”
“The only rule is that Doortje must ensure that my dog does not run off.”
In addition, there is an escape route in the contract that both signed. Just in case it doesn’t click. “I have her on sight for a month,” Clary explains. “Both sides can say after a month that we are going to stop. But it will be fine.”
“Doortje has her own activities and gets her own keys. So she can come and go as she pleases. The only rule is that she has to make sure my dog doesn’t run off.”
Doortje can live with that. “We have made a few agreements,” adds Doortje. “But those are small things. What time will I be home and how will I let you know. And that I send a message when I have people visiting. And I can throw parties at my parents’ house if I want to.”