Housing is scarce in The Netherlands at the moment and especially in the months of June, July, August and September there are many new employees looking for housing. In these months it can take longer before you find something. Usually you know a few months before the start of your contract where you will be working and in which region you want to live. It is therefore advisable to start looking for housing as soon as you know this and to think of an approach. Perhaps it is useful to accept housing just a month earlier, so that you are assured of a place to live. But is the travel distance doable? We do not recommend accepting many months (four or five months) of extra rent just to have something.
If a landlord works with a lottery, it is impossible to say when it will be your turn. If you are lucky, you will find accommodation quickly. If you are unlucky, you will have to enter more often and wait longer. Some landlords work with registration time. In that case, take into account a number of months of waiting time. Ask the landlord(s) concerned what the average waiting time is.
Departing tenants often have a month's notice. It is therefore difficult to predict when a residence will become available.