The competition for student housing in the Netherlands is fiercer than ever, and prices are only getting steeper. Now, the capital city has been overtaken as the location with the most expensive rooms.
While the student housing crisis isn’t anything new, the rental platform Kamernet’s figures show it’s only getting worse in 2024, NU.nl reports.
But the biggest shock? Haarlem is now even more expensive than Amsterdam when it comes to price per square metre, at a whopping €51.
Where do these increases come from?
Simply put (but no less shocking), there are too many students for the rooms available.
Last year, each available student room had an average of 18 applicants. Now, it’s 20 (!).
@findstudenthousing.nl what to expect moving to the Netherlands as a student #student #housing #tips ♬ Little Things – Adrian Berenguer
On average, student room prices were also more than 5% higher at the start of this year compared to 2023.
Let’s break down the total costs
OK, so Amsterdam still retains some sort of title here (um, yay?).
The total price for a student room in the capital is still the most expensive in the country at a whopping €951 per month. 😵
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Utrecht and the Hague aren’t far behind, with average prices of €800 and €745 respectively.
@wasted_souls Best part, it’s not even in Amsterdam #netherlands #housing #housingnetherlands #scams #studentlife #amsterdam #holland ♬ september on crack ft. a recorder (Earth, Wind & Fire – September) – frickin weeb
Are there any affordable options left?
After those eye-watering sums, €25 or less per square metre sounds pretty nice, right?
Then you’re better off looking for a room in Wageningen, Enschede or Leeuwarden.
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But affordable rooms are increasingly hard to find. Kamernet CEO Djordy Seelmann believes the government’s current housing policy is not sufficiently focused on adding rooms and apartments.
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He told NU.nl, “Repurposing existing spaces such as office buildings or vacant buildings into residential spaces is a sensible strategy that increases supply and can improve affordability in the long term.”
What are your thoughts on rising student housing prices in the Netherlands? Tell us in the comments below!