Geertsema wants to make people aware of the conditions many students in Groningen have to live in. He has experienced these appalling conditions himself. ‘I had a room where no window would open, even though there was a kitchen in the room. Ventilation is mandatory by Dutch law, but I had to fight for it with the landlord, to the point where he came banging on my door at night and threatened me over the phone.’

Now Geertsema wants to help international students in particular, as they often don’t know their rights and have a hard time finding out about them due to the language barrier.

Although the petition only started yesterday, over 150 students have signed it already. As well as signing the petition, you can find out what upsets students about housing in Groningen.

Next week Geertsema is due to meet some councillors from the municipality of Groningen to hand over his petition and discuss his concerns.