Home rent prices soar, especially in Amsterdam; “unhealthy” market

Rent prices for homes in the private sector are rapidly on the rise, especially in Amsterdam, according to figures from rental site Pararius. Pararius director Jasper de Groot attributes it to an "unhealthy market" with a vast shortage in private sector rental homes. "If you look at the housing supply, then only about 5 percent of the homes are rental homes in the private sector. That is way too little", he said.

Last year private sector rental home prices in Amsterdam increased with 6.4 percent in the first quarter, 7.1 percent in the second quarter, 9 percent in the third quarter and 10.4 percent in the last quarter. In the cheapest district, Zuidoost, houses can be rented for 10.63 euros per square meter. In the city center the price is 25.03 euros per square meter, 22.72 euros in Zuid and 22.30 in West.

Amsterdam has a massive shortage in rental homes in the private sector. A massive 59 percent of Amsterdam's homes are social housing, 32 percent are bought homes. Only 9 percent can be rented in the private sector.

According to Pararius, the rapid increase in rental prices is happening throughout the Randstad, also due to a great shortage in private sector housing in the region. In all of the Netherlands, rent increased with an average of 5.2 percent to 13.14 euros per square meter. Most of that increase can be attributed to the provinces of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland and Utrecht. Without these provinces, the average rent would be around 9.58 euros per square meter.