You recently started looking for a place to live in the Netherlands. We bet you already found out how stressful the search can be. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student trying to score a room in Amsterdam or an expat settling into life in Rotterdam, the housing struggle in the Netherlands is real.
Luckily, handy platforms like RentHunter and Stekkies exist. They claim to make things easier, but which of these platforms actually delivers best? Which one helps you find a real place, not just endless listings that are already taken?
Let’s break it down in this 2025 rental face-off: RentHunter vs Stekkies.
🤖 What is Stekkies?
It’s a Dutch rental tool that gathers listings from over 1,000 websites in one place. Nothing too fancy, just a fast, affordable way to see what’s out there. It’s especially handy for students and locals who want to cover a lot of ground without jumping between ten different platforms.
- ✅ Based in the Netherlands
- ✅ Covers cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and more
- 💰 Monthly price: €9.99–€14.99
- ⭐ Trustpilot rating: ~4.2/5
- 📲 Platform: Web + App
👍 What users like:
- Huge volume of listings
- Clean interface
- Easy-to-use filters
- Cheap, even for student budgets
👎 What users complain about:
- Listings often in Dutch only
- No scam protection
- Some listings are outdated or already taken
- No direct support team if things go wrong
🌍 What is renthunter?
RentHunter is designed for people who aren’t from around here, expats, international students, and anyone new to the Dutch housing scene. Instead of overwhelming you with every listing out there, it filters out the noise (and the scams) and only sends you places that actually match what you’re looking for, whether that’s a furnished studio, a specific budget, or a short-term rental.
- 🌐 Full English interface
- ⚡ Real-time alerts for new listings
- 🛡️ Scam protection built-in
- 🛋️ Furnished-only filter
- 💬 Live support team (yes, actual humans)
What people say in 2025:
“After getting ghosted on Kamernet and losing money to a fake landlord, RentHunter helped me find a legit place in Rotterdam in 10 days. It has been a total life-saver.”
📊 Deep-dive comparison: Renthunter vs Stekkies
Here’s a more detailed breakdown to help you compare the two:
| Feature | RentHunter | Stekkies |
|---|---|---|
| Listings scanned | 100+ curated rental websites | 1,000+ scraped listings |
| Listing quality | Verified and expat-appropriate | Mixed, some outdated or unverified |
| Scam protection | ✅ Yes – active filtering | ❌ No – user caution required |
| Real-time alerts | ✅ Instant notifications (email + app) | ⚠ Alerts may be delayed or duplicated |
| Language support | ✅ English-first platform | ❌ Mostly Dutch listings, some UI in English |
| Furnished filter | ✅ Yes – search only furnished places | ⚠ Basic filters only |
| City support | Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Haarlem, The Hague | Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Eindhoven |
| Price | €14.99/month | €9.99–€14.99/month |
| Best for | Expats, international students | Dutch students, budget-minded locals |
| Customer support | ✅ Responsive help team (chat/email) | ❌ No official support line |
| Contract types filtered | Long-term, short-term, temporary | Mixed listings, less filtering |
👨🎓 Who should use Stekkies?
Stekkies shines when you’re:
- A Dutch-speaking student
- Looking for a basic rental tool that just shows you what’s out there
- Comfortable checking listings and contacting landlords yourself
- OK with a little chaos in exchange for low cost
💡If that’s you? Stekkies will absolutely do the trick, especially in big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, where volume is king.
🧳 Who should use Renthunter?
RentHunter is built for you if you’re:
- New to the Netherlands
- Not fluent in Dutch
- Tired of scams or ghost listings
- Looking for furnished, short-term, or expat-friendly housing
- Wanting a rental tool that feels like a human is helping behind the scenes
🧪 Test case: expat vs local experience
Let’s say we’ve got two people trying to rent:
Pilar – Student from Spain moving to Utrecht
- Tries Stekkies: listings in Dutch, unclear contracts, no replies
- Switches to RentHunter: gets alerts in English, sees only furnished rentals, books a viewing in 3 days
Tim – Dutch student living in Amsterdam
- Uses Stekkies: speaks the language, handles emails himself
- Pays less and finds a room quickly through volume
🎯 Outcome? RentHunter works better for internationals.
Stekkies might work better if you’re already used to the Dutch market.
🛑 Scams in the dutch rental world
If you’ve ever searched for “apartment Amsterdam €800” and got a WhatsApp number from someone named “Alex” asking for three months’ rent in advance, congrats, you just met a scam.
RentHunter actively filters out sketchy listings so you don’t waste time (or money).
Stekkies doesn’t do this, which means you have to be the scam detector.
💸 Value for money: which platform is worth it?
Let’s talk about what you get for your money:
| Monthly Cost | Value for Price | Best for… |
|---|---|---|
| Stekkies €9.99–€14.99 | ✅ Good if you don’t need extras | Budget hunters, Dutch students |
| RentHunter €14.99 | ✅✅✅ High, includes filters, scam protection, English UI | Expats, students, professionals |
Is €5 difference worth avoiding scams, translating listings, and ghost landlords?
Most expats would say: yes. Absolutely.
🧠 Final verdict: which one should you choose?
Both tools help you rent faster, but in very different ways.
💚 Go with Stekkies if:
- You speak Dutch
- You’ve rented in the Netherlands before
- You want lots of listings, fast
- You don’t mind checking each listing manually
💙 Go with RentHunter if:
- You’re new to the country
- You need English support
- You want instant, safe, relevant alerts
- You’re tired of getting scammed or ignored
🔁 Pro tip: use both (for a week)
Still not sure? Use both for a week.
- Set alerts on RentHunter and Stekkies
- Track which gives better results
- Cancel the one that wastes your time
💡Spoiler alert: most internationals end up sticking with RentHunter.
👉 Start your search today at RentHunter.nl
Frequently asked questions
1. What is Stekkies?
A Dutch rental search app that scans 1,000+ websites for apartments and rooms.
2. What is RentHunter?
A rental alert tool made for expats and students, with filtered listings and scam protection.
3. Which is better for expats?
RentHunter, it offers English support, real-time alerts, and furnished housing filters.
4. Is Stekkies cheaper than RentHunter?
Yes, but it comes with fewer features and no scam filtering.
5. Does Stekkies work in English?
Partially. The app supports English, but most listings are in Dutch.
6. Does RentHunter help avoid scams?
Yes, it filters out suspicious and duplicate listings automatically.
7. Can I use both at the same time?
Absolutely, many users try both and keep the one that works best.
8. Which one works best in cities like Rotterdam or Utrecht?
Both cover major cities, but RentHunter is more curated and user-friendly for internationals.
