The stats about this year’s rent increase are in, and they’re looking bad. In 2024, rents went up by an average 5.4% in the Netherlands — that’s the highest increase since 1993.
The data, published on September 4 by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), also shows variations across cities and provinces, with some surprising results.
Also trouble outside of the Randstad
The podium for the cities with the highest rent increases is entirely occupied by Randstad cities — few surprises there.
Rotterdam saw the sharpest increase, with rents rising by a whopping 5.9% in just one year.
This was followed by Utrecht, which saw an increase of 5.8%, The Hague with 5.3% and Amsterdam with 5.2%
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However, the grass isn’t greener outside of the Randstad.
Data shows that, believe it or not, the fastest growing provinces in the Netherlands were actually Drenthe (5.8%), Overijssel (5.7%), and Gelderland (5.6%).
Yep, not North Holland.
Social housing sees the highest increases
Interestingly, those of us looking to rent in the social housing sector saw the sharpest increase.
In this sector, rents rose by an average 5.7% compared to 2023. This is an increase of 0.7% more than rents for privately owned homes.
In a country where two-thirds of homes for rent are owned by social landlords, this means that many tenants were hit by an even worse price increase than suggested by the general statistics.
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And what’s worse is, social housing tenants are expected to be hit even harder next year. Data forecasts a 6.5% rent increase for social housing in 2025, reports NOS.
How is this allowed?
According to the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning (VRO) this year’s staggering rent increase is “not unexpected”.
Rather, it is a natural consequence of this year’s particularly high average wage increase.
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However, it is also partially the product of a legal loophole. While Dutch law protects current tenants by setting yearly increase limits, this mechanism doesn’t apply to new contracts.
Have you been affected by this year’s rent increase? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.
Unfortunatly, i’m a house owner. Years ago my tenant let someone ‘ruil’ with her, despite my NOT giving permission, (we were away on vacation)! She’s been the worst tenant ever! We were never let into her house, she terrorized every other tenant that live in the house, anyway, She never paid more than the first year!! She never let us know about leakage from the above apartment porch, and i now have to pay more than 150,000 euros to fixe the entire back of the house! And, the final straw was learning that she was a HORDER!! Very dangerous in our old house!! I’m now a widow, and the area I live in is the new ‘most wanted area! What I get from her doesn’t even pay the water costs!! While i’m grateful to HAVE a house to sell, I am being forced to sell the house where my childre grew up and my husband died, and where we had hoped to live our lives out.