Did you come here on holiday? Are you coming as an exchange student? Do you just want a new way of life, and think Amsterdam will be the solution to your problems back home? (Or at least an escape?)

It is not easy finding a place to call home in this small city - even short term. Some prefer to avoid the high cost of hotels for brief visits, instead seeking a nice quiet apartment with all the facilities. Rent can be high and rooms lacking not only in quantity but quality. You need to know the insider sources to be able to find a good deal.

Amsterdam does use Craig's List. Often rental companies present too good to be true prices, only to discover that they are weekly, not monthly, but nevertheless this untapped resource is slowly gaining popularity around here, and more people use it because it is free to advertise.

Another source is Kamer Net. Kamernet is in Dutch, but this gives you a better chance of finding rooms that you know aren't a scam. Also, they have a cap price of 1200 euro per month, and often better prices well-suited to students. First thing you must do is a free registration, then when you find rooms you like the look of, you hit 'React' (or 'Reageren'). The only catch is that you must pay; Kamernet.nl charges € 9,95 per 10 reactions € 12,95 per 20 reactions € 15,95 per 30 reactions that you send to landlords. Although most of us students do not want to pay for this service, I do know many people that have successfully found accomodation on this site.

Finally, you can use ELynx. The beauty of Elynx is that it is a Dutch site (.nl), but is for the English speaking community. Postings and 'reagerens' are free, and many new offers go up daily.