Private housing rents keep rising

Rental rates for accommodation rose by 1.9% in the Netherlands in the first quarter compared to the same period a year earlier. The average rent rose to 12.6 euros per square meter, according to the market rental figures published by the rental service Pararius earlier today. "The average available rental offerings decreased by 17% over the year," Jasper de Groot, CEO of Pararius is quoted saying. "[Given the decrease], you would expect the prices to increase even more." At the same time, there is an increase in demand for moderately priced apartments in big cities, de Groot said, which should push the price even higher up. The medium-range rent in the market is considered to be between 700 and 1,000 euros. The current stock of housing in the Netherlands is not sufficient to accommodate the increasing demand. This is pushing up the average rent. At the same time, the country has the largest share of social housing in Europe. This also drives up the prices for those not eligible for social accommodation. Utrecht is the only one of the five major cities where the average rental price decreased in the last year. In Amsterdam, rents went up by more than six percent. In The Hague and Rotterdam prices rose by 4.5 and 3.2 percent respectively. Rents in Eindhoven remained unchanged over the year. There are large regional differences in rental prices. North Holland is the most expensive province, with the average rent of 17 euros per square meter. Flevolands remains the most affordable region with the price at the level of 8 euros.