You want to spend a month in Amsterdam. Not in a hotel, not on someone's sofa. Just your own place, a fridge that's yours, and morning coffee without paying ten euros for it.
Sounds simple. Isn't.
The Amsterdam rental market is made for people who stay. Long-term contracts, high deposits, estate agents asking you if you are willing to sign for two years. For someone who wants to live temporarily, one month, three months, six months, the supply is paltry.
Unless you know where to look.
What doesn't work
Airbnb feels logical, but in Amsterdam it is legally limited to a maximum of 30 nights per landlord per year. After that period, it stops. And for a month's stay, you pay tourist daily rates, without the space and comfort of a real flat.
A bare-bones rental property through an estate agent? Tenants on permanent contracts always come first. And if you're lucky at all, minimum rental periods are three to 12 months.
What does work: a serviced apartment
A serviced apartment is exactly what the name says, a fully furnished flat with services included. Your own kitchen, your own bathroom, your own front door. No shared spaces with strangers, no breakfast buffet to go to. Just living, but temporarily and without fuss.
In Amsterdam, there are a handful of providers. One that stands out - especially if you don't necessarily need to be in the city centre, is Makerstoren in Amsterdam Sloterdijk.
Makerstoren: living in a building that vibrates
Makerstoren is not your average landlord. It is a nine-storey building at Rhôneweg 54, where makers, artists and creative professionals live and work. The serviced apartments are part of it, not as a separate hotel block, but as a full-fledged part of a community.
You are also well facilitated by the supply of electric share bikes that are outside for you. There is a park right outside the door. The studios themselves range from a compact 23 m² with harbour or city views to a corner studio of 34 m² with panoramic views and a private terrace. All come with a full kitchen, queen-size bed and private bathroom. The more expensive types also have a fixed workspace.
Minimum rental period: four weeks. Maximum: six months. This makes Makerstoren one of the few places in Amsterdam where you can rent a quality flat for exactly one month, without compromising on comfort or character.
Sloterdijk: not a compromise, a choice
Amsterdam Sloterdijk has long had the image of a transit hub, train station, highway, business park. That image no longer holds true. The district is changing fast, there is space, and accessibility is excellent. Amsterdam Central is seven minutes away by train. Schiphol Airport at ten.
If you are not tied to a specific neighbourhood, Sloterdijk is not a compromise. It's just a smarter choice.
Curious about availability and types? Check out the offer at makerstoren.nl/en/serviced-apartments.
