More than half (55%) of home seekers between18 and 34 years old in the Netherlands see competition between tenants as the biggest challenge when looking for a place to live. This is evident from research by the European rental platform Housing Anywhere, the parent company of Kamernet. In addition, almost half (46%) see high rents as a major challenge in finding their own roof over their heads.
“In the current highly competitive rental market, it is difficult for tenants to stand out among the many candidates,” says Jim Bijwaard of HousingAnywhere. “To relieve pressure on the Dutch rental market, more affordable supply is needed. That is why we support measures such as relaxing rules for house division, which can increase supply in the short term.”
Selling wave of investors continues to increase: 12,500 private rental homes have already disappeared in four major cities
Of the young adults currently looking for a rental home, 78% are concerned that their rental budget is not enough for current rental prices. That percentage is slightly above the European average of 73 percent, which, according to Housing Anywhere, is an indication that the Dutch rental market requires extra attention.
Another indication is the high rents in the big cities, which are even out of line throughout Europe. Housing Anywhere’s quarterly report shows that Amsterdam and Rotterdam are even at the top in a comparison of rents in 25 major European cities.
Amsterdam tops the list with an average rent of 2,550 euros per month for an apartment. Rotterdam follows with an average of 2000 euros. This means that the port city even leaves Rome (1950 euros), Paris (1870 euros) and Berlin (1690 euros) behind.
Real estate agents
Real estate agency NVM announced on Friday that affiliated real estate agents rented only 3,400 homes in the private sector last quarter. There used to be as many as 6,000 in a quarter. The decreased supply is partly because many landlords sell their properties as soon as the tenant leaves, due to the new strict rental laws and declining returns. Tenants also stay longer due to a lack of other suitable accommodation.
Tenants have fewer and fewer chances on the housing market: the number of rented houses is falling sharply, prices are rising sharply
Dutch young people have also significantly adjusted their requirements for rental housing. Of these, 60 percent find it most important that the rent is affordable. In addition, 30 percent consider a good public transport connection indispensable. Whether the neighborhood is safe plays a role in 25 percent.