Netherlands student housing crisis worsening: Rent jumped 7%, availability scarcer

The Netherlands’ student housing shortage is getting worse, according to third-quarter figures from Kamernet, a platform for student rooms. The supply of student rooms in the Netherlands dropped by 5.2 percent compared to a year earlier. And the short supply resulted in rents increasing by 7.2 percent in the same period.

The average price for a student room in the Netherlands increased by 7.2 percent from 609 euros last year to 653 euros in the third quarter of this year. Tilburg (+17%), Maastricht (+13.3%), and Haarlem (+11.3%) saw the biggest increases.

Amsterdam is still the most expensive city to rent in, with an average monthly rent of 991 euros for a student room. Haarlem is in second place (€809), followed by Utrecht (€734). Wageningen is the cheapest at 351 euros.

The supply of rooms decreased in 13 of the 21 student cities analyzed.

“On Kamernet, we see that room rents are rising and the supply is shrinking,” said Kamernet CEO Djordy Seelmann. “These developments underline the need for effective policy measures to address the housing shortage and increase the supply of affordable housing.” According to Kamernet, recent government measures, like rent regulation, seem to be having the opposite effect.

This past summer, each available room attracted an average of 81 interested students, an increase of 84 percent compared to the previous quarter. The massive increase is mainly due to the spike in demand at the start of the new academic year.

“In cities such as Leiden and Breda, for example, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a room. For those looking for a room before the start of the next semester, it is wise to start in time and also explore the options in other cities,” Seelmann said.