More legal battles around home sales, likely due to housing shortage

There is an increasing number of legal battles concerning the purchase and sale of homes, according to Achmea. The insurer attributes this to the tight housing market. Achmea Legal Assistance received 3,600 reports of legal disputes between buyers and sellers last year, an increase of over 14 percent.

Buyers are under pressure due to the overheated housing market, the insurer observes. “Due to the intense competition in the housing market, many buyers feel compelled to make quick decisions. It’s common for buyers to submit an offer after just one viewing, out of fear of missing out. As a result, they are more often inclined to accept risks without fully understanding the potential consequences,” said Eva Jongelen, a specialist lawyer at the Achmea Legal Assistance Foundation.

Defects only come to light after the purchase, leading to legal disputes.

Legal assistance insurer Arag recognizes this trend, but saw no increase last year. In 2025, ARAG registered 1,505 cases compared to 1,502 the year before, while more homes were sold last year. “Relatively speaking, there has therefore been a slight decrease in the number of disputes per home sold,” a spokesperson said.

According to ARAG, this trend has been ongoing for some time. “The housing market has been overheated for years, with structural overbidding, short viewings, and the frequent skipping of pre-purchase inspections. These circumstances indeed create a breeding ground for conflicts between buyers and sellers, but we have been seeing this pattern for a long time.”

Both insurers state that “significant overbidding” in the housing market also contributes to the number of disputes. Buyers who significantly overbid often have fewer financial reserves, ARAG said. “A setback of a few thousand euros, for example, due to a hidden defect, can no longer simply be absorbed.” Unlike in the past, these costs are no longer covered by the buyer’s own account. Buyers are choosing to pursue legal action to recover their damages.

First-time buyers are also a vulnerable group. "They have less understanding of their rights and obligations, often have a smaller financial buffer, and are eager to acquire a home," said Jongelen of Achmea. ARAG believes that an increase in the number of first-time buyers could lead to an increase in disputes. "Because this group often has no financial reserves left after purchasing a home."