Leiden targets illegal sex work in student housing over summer

Leiden council will step up checks on illegal sex work in student housing this summer and has asked residents, landlords and hotel staff to report signs of it. The city says the number of cases peaks while students are away and tourist numbers rise.

There have been two reports of illegal sex work in Leiden so far this year, the council said, following three in 2025 and five in 2024. It said the real figure is likely to be higher, citing reports by HEIT, a regional enforcement body of police, councils, the tax office and labour inspectors.

The problems are concentrated in places with little social oversight, the council said. Over the summer many Dutch students return to their parents and international students go home, leaving rooms empty. Hotels and holiday flats with self-service check-in carry a similar risk.

Not the students
The council was explicit that the sex work is not carried out by students. It said those involved are almost always women who work and live in the Netherlands without legal status.

Sex work is legal in the Netherlands, but subject to rules meant to protect people from exploitation and prevent human trafficking, of which many of the people involved in the trade are victims.

Landlords increasingly struggle to keep it out of their buildings and are turning to the council for help, it said. “Illegal sex work often takes place behind closed doors,” Mayor Peter Heijkoop said in a statment, “which is exactly why reports from landlords, hotel staff, students and neighbours are so valuable.”

Housing pressure
The problem has arisen in the wider crisis that has left international students particularly exposed to housing fraud, illegal lettings and substandard rooms.

Landlords carry legal duties for how their properties are used under the 2023 Good Landlordship Act, which is due to be evaluated nationally this year. The law gave councils powers to fine rogue landlords, but a review of the four largest cities found few penalties had been issued. Similar cases have been reported in Delft and The Hague.

Residents can report concerns to the council, to police on 0900-8844, or anonymously through Meld Misdaad Anoniem on 0800-7000.