Dutch tenants less satisfied with their homes than homeowners

Homeowners in the Netherlands are more often satisfied with their homes and their living environment than people living in a rental, according to an analysis by Statistics Netherlands based on figures from 2015 of the Housing Study Netherlands. Of all households in the Netherlands, 87 percent are satisfied with their homes and 82 percent with their living environment.

A massive 93.8 percent of homeowners said they're happy with their home and 86.5 percent said they're happy with their living environment, compared to 76.6 percent and 75.2 percent respectively among tenants.

Households in the big cities like Amsterdam, The Hague, Utrecht and Rotterdam are less satisfied with their homes and living environment than households in the other Dutch municipalities. Statistics Netherlands attributes this to the fact that more households in the big cities live in an apartment or flat. Generally people living in such multi-family homes are less satisfied with their homes than people living on a single-family property.

The stats office found that with homeowners, the lower their living expenses, the more satisfied they are - 92.4 percent of homeowners with high living expenses are satisfied, compared to 95.5 percent of homeowners with low living expenses. Among tenants, the opposite is true - 73.5 percent of tenants with low living expenses are satisfied, compared to 78.2 percent of tenants with high living expenses.