Dutch rental market tightens as affordable homes disappear, average rent hits €1,838

The Dutch free-sector rental market stayed very tight in the fourth quarter of 2025, with average rents reaching 1,838 euros per month and fewer homes available for rent, according to housing platforms Huurwoningen.nl and Pararius. Higher-priced rentals are growing, while affordable units are disappearing.

The average price per square meter in the Netherlands was 20.65 euros, up 8.3 percent from last year. Amsterdam remained the most expensive city at 28.68 euros per square meter, a 9.1 percent increase. Many renters now cannot afford the average free-sector rental. Landlords usually require tenants to earn three times the monthly rent. For an average 1,838-euro apartment, this means a gross income of about 5,515 euros per month.

Affordable units are under the most pressure. Homes under 1,500 euros made up just over 25 percent of listings but received over 40 percent of all applications. Rentals between 1,500 and 2,000 euros accounted for about 34 percent of listings and attracted 39 percent of applications. For units over 2,000 euros, 40 percent of the supply received only 21 percent of applications, showing demand is concentrated in lower-priced homes.

During this quarter, 14,698 free-sector homes were listed for rent, but 15,188 were removed, leaving a net loss of available units. Homes stayed on the market an average of 18 days, one day shorter than in the same period last year.

“Until more housing becomes available, this is bad news for renters,” said Jasper de Groot, director of Pararius. “What comes on the market is often too expensive and quickly gone. The market is effectively locking up.”

Apart from Amsterdam, other large increases were in Rotterdam (22.35 euros, +11.2 percent), Eindhoven (19.72 euros, +13.8 percent), and Rijswijk (+23.4 percent). Provincially, Noord-Holland is the priciest at 25.26 euros per square meter (+10.3 percent). Zeeland saw the largest rise, at +14.4 percent, to 15.41 euros per square meter.

Since 2021, affordable rentals under 1,500 euros have fallen, while homes above 2,000 euros have grown steadily. Most new rentals were unfurnished (42.6 percent), semi-furnished (25.2 percent), or fully furnished (32.2 percent). Investors continue selling rentals to buyers, a process called “uitponding.” In the fourth quarter, 6.5 percent of all homes for sale were previously free-sector rentals. Movement in the other direction—from sale to rent—remains low at 1.6 percent.