Feel like it’s impossible to find an affordable rental home in the Netherlands? Well, that’s because it pretty much is.
Yep, while renters have long known that renting in the lowlands is barely doable anymore, we’re now getting our concerns validated by research.
As it turns out, a whopping three Dutch cities have made it into the top five of the most expensive European cities to rent in. And that’s not a title to be proud of.
Nearly €1,000 for a single room
Take a guess and see if you can guess which three Dutch cities are among the most expensive.
I’ll wait…
If you guessed Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, you’re entirely correct. As NU.nl writes, all three of these major cities are among the most pricey in Europe.
According to research conducted by HousingAnywhere, a European rental platform, Amsterdam is the most expensive city in all of Europe.
Renters here pay an average of €2,275 per month for an apartment, €1,740 for a studio and about €963 for a room. Yes, you read that right. 🥲
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The Dutch capital is followed in the rankings by Rome in second place and Paris in third. Rotterdam and The Hague claim spots four and five, and Utrecht comes in seventh.
What’s the solution?
So yes, many Dutch cities aren’t affordable anymore for people on normal wages — but how do we solve this issue?
You guessed it: to reduce rents, we need to build more homes. That’s what HousingAnywhere CEO Djordy Seelmann tells NU.nl.
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But that’s not as easy as it sounds: “The rising construction costs pose a risk to the construction plans of municipalities,” Seelmann says. “To meet these challenges, companies and policymakers need to prioritize partnerships to make new homes faster.”
How do you feel about renting in the Netherlands? Share your thoughts in the comments.
My son was raised in NL because of my job which took us to Maastricht from the US when he was young. He never wanted to go back home even when his father and I moved back to the US 16 years later. Aarre took a bachelor at Maastricht University and then a master at The VU in Amsterdam. He is there today trying to make his living and I must guarantee his rent on apartments when signing contracts otherwise he would never be able to find a place to live. It’s really stressful trying to find an apartment in Amsterdam. Hundreds of people apply for each listings. It’s insane. Most landlords to not want to extend the contract after two years because then it’s indefinite so they prefer to switch everyone every two years. Exhausting and expensive.