We often hear from host families that they find it challenging to end the period of cohabitation. There is (still) little perspective for the Ukrainian displaced individuals, and much remains uncertain. Sometimes, cohabitation continues despite little enthusiasm for it, mainly due to this uncertainty. Private shelter is always a temporary solution. Additionally, your guest retains the right to shelter. Hence, nobody will be left on the streets. Providing accommodation against your will is not a good idea. Therefore, we strongly advise against it. We urge you to get in touch with your municipality to discuss possible solutions.

Your guest has the following options when their stay comes to an end. These are:

1. Shelter in a Municipal Shelter
2. Finding independent housing (private accommodation outside of RefugeeHomeNL, renting, or buying)
3. Return to Ukraine or another country of origin

Municipal Shelter

As long as your guest falls under the Temporary Directive, they retain the right to shelter. For this purpose, your guest can always contact the Municipal Shelter. Initially, your guest should get in touch with the municipality where they currently live or wish to live. The municipality will assess if there is available space in that municipality. If there is no space, they will look for availability within the Safety Region. If there is still no space within the region, placement outside of the current or preferred region will be considered.

Independent Housing

Increasingly, guests are managing to find independent housing. This could be through friends or family, through another initiative for private accommodation, or by renting or buying a room or apartment. Please note: when independently renting or buying housing, your guest will lose the right to living expenses.

Return

The guest can also decide to return to Ukraine. The Return and Departure Service provides support in this process. Our advice is to first gather information through RefugeeHelp. For guests with non-Ukrainian nationality (so-called third-country nationals) who wish to return to their original country of origin, they can seek assistance from the expertise of IOM (UN Migration).

Yes, providing private accommodation can have implications for the amount of local taxes and charges you are subject to. This includes waste disposal charges, sewer charges levied by the municipality, as well as purification and pollution charges from the water board (waterschap). Generally, municipalities and water boards base the calculation of these charges on the size of the household. Any additional costs due to an increase in local taxes and charges can be covered from the housing component of the living allowance your guest receives. Once again, it is advisable to make clear arrangements about this together.

Municipalities and water boards have a remission scheme for households below a certain income threshold. The principle is that providing private accommodation should not impact the eligibility for remission. If anything changes in this regard, contact your municipality or water board for more information.

Yes, providing private accommodation can have implications for the amount of local taxes and charges you are subject to. This includes waste disposal charges, sewer charges levied by the municipality, as well as purification and pollution charges from the water board (waterschap). Generally, municipalities and water boards base the calculation of these charges on the size of the household. Any additional costs due to an increase in local taxes and charges can be covered from the housing component of the living allowance your guest receives. Once again, it is advisable to make clear arrangements about this together.

Municipalities and water boards have a remission scheme for households below a certain income threshold. The principle is that providing private accommodation should not impact the eligibility for remission. If anything changes in this regard, contact your municipality or water board for more information.

No, the government insists that offering private accommodation will not reduce your entitlement to benefits. You will retain your full benefits. Timely, correct, and complete registration of your guests in the BRP (Basic Persons Registration) is important. The Tax Allowances Department (Dienst Toeslagen) should be able to recognize these situations. If you happen to receive a letter regarding a change in household composition and a reduction in benefits, please contact the Tax Information Line as soon as possible: 0800 – 0543.

Timely, correct, and complete registration of your guests in the BRP (Basic Persons Registration) is important. The Tax Allowances Department should be able to recognize these situations. If you happen to receive a letter regarding a change in household composition and a reduction in benefits, please contact the Tax Information Line as soon as possible: 0800 – 0543.

No, in principle, providing accommodation does not affect the amount and duration of UWV benefits. However, it is advisable to inform UWV about the accommodation. For specific questions and advice, you can contact UWV directly.

Yes, all individuals covered under the Temporary Protection Directive are allowed to engage in paid employment in the Netherlands. At that point, the living expenses allowance will be discontinued. You can find more information about this in the Work, Education & Leisure section.

Private accommodation is based on mutual voluntary agreement. Of course, arrangements can be made with your guest regarding a contribution to housing and energy costs. However, the amount of this compensation should not exceed the housing component (€80.91 per month). Be cautious when formalizing the accommodation into, for example, a rental agreement. A rental contract introduces additional rights and obligations for both parties. Additionally, a rental agreement can have financially disadvantageous consequences for you and your guest. Make sure to gather information about the pros and cons beforehand. A good starting point is this page.

Similar to sports, the offerings and specific arrangements vary from municipality to municipality. Generally, there are generous arrangements in place to ensure that those with limited financial means can participate as much as possible. Inquire about this at your municipality or the respective clubs or organizations.

There are various ways to learn Dutch. On Refugeehelp, you can find an up-to-date overview of (free!) options for learning our language. Additionally, in many municipalities, there are various projects and initiatives related to integration, language lessons, and language buddies. To find out more, inquire at your municipality or the public library.

For all higher education programs, your guest will pay annual tuition fees and additional costs for things like study books, materials, and a laptop. Your guest can apply for student finance from DUO (Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs), the government agency responsible for education-related matters. For individuals aged between 30 and 55, there’s the ‘Levenlanglerenkrediet’ scheme by DUO, which allows for borrowing money to finance study costs.