About 20% of Amsterdam tenants pay more than a third of their wages in rent

The municipality of Amsterdam is concerned about the number of people living in homes with high rental prices. New housing market research for 2023 shows that living in the capital has become more expensive again, and that one in five tenants spends more than 35 percent of their net income on rent.

The issue is very acute in the private sector. There, one in three households spends more than 35 percent of their income on rent. For social housing associations, the rate is one in eight. People who recently moved are especially likely to cough up a substantial amount of their monthly income for rent.

The municipality states that people with a low or mid-level income are often in trouble. According to the research, 12 percent of expensive rental properties with a monthly rent of more than 1,175.72 euros are occupied by people with a low income. About 16 percent of these homes are occupied by middle-income earners.

Roughly a quarter of the medium-priced rental properties between 808.06 and 1175.72 euros are occupied by households with a low income. The municipality reports that there are now more expensive homes for rent or sale than there are people with high incomes.

"Because of the housing shortage, this means that more and more people are buying or renting an expensive home, but they can barely afford it." This will also be the case in the coming years, the municipality warns.