The pressure on the Dutch private rental market intensified in the final quarter of 2025, as rents continued to rise and affordable homes became increasingly scarce. New figures from housing
platforms Huurwoningen.nl and Pararius show that the average monthly rent in the free sector has reached €1,838, while the number of available rental homes continues to shrink.
Across the Netherlands, the average rent now stands at €20.65 per square metre, an increase of 8.3 percent compared with a year earlier. Amsterdam remains the country’s most expensive rental market, with prices rising 9.1 percent to €28.68 per square metre. At these levels, many tenants are effectively priced out. Landlords typically require renters to earn at least three times the monthly rent, meaning an average apartment now demands a gross monthly income of around €5,515.
The squeeze is most severe at the lower end of the market. Homes priced below €1,500 a month accounted for just over a quarter of all listings, yet they attracted more than 40 percent of applications. Properties renting for between €1,500 and €2,000 made up roughly a third of the supply and drew a similar share of interest. By contrast, high-end rentals above €2,000 represented 40 percent of available homes but received only 21 percent of applications, highlighting where demand is most acute.
Supply is also failing to keep pace. In the fourth quarter, 14,698 free-sector homes were added to the market, while 15,188 were withdrawn, resulting in a net loss of available rentals. Homes were snapped up quickly, staying listed for an average of just 18 days—one day less 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 does come onto the market is often too expensive and disappears quickly. The market is effectively locking up.”
Rising rents are not limited to the capital. Rotterdam saw prices climb 11.2 percent to €22.35 per square metre, while Eindhoven recorded a sharp increase of 13.8 percent to €19.72. Rijswijk posted one of the steepest jumps, with rents rising 23.4 percent. At the provincial level, Noord-Holland remains the most expensive region at €25.26 per square metre, up 10.3 percent. Zeeland experienced the fastest growth, with prices rising 14.4 percent to €15.41 per square metre.
Longer-term trends underline the shift in the market. Since 2021, the number of rentals priced below €1,500 has steadily declined, while the supply of homes renting for more than €2,000 has continued to grow. Most new listings are unfurnished (42.6 percent), followed by fully furnished (32.2 percent) and semi-furnished homes (25.2 percent).
Meanwhile, investors are still selling off rental properties to owner-occupiers, a trend known as “uitponding.” In the fourth quarter, 6.5 percent of homes listed for sale were previously free-sector rentals. The reverse movement—homes shifting from sale back into rental—remains limited, accounting for just 1.6 percent of the market.
With little new supply and affordability under pressure, the outlook for renters remains bleak, particularly for those searching at the lower end of the price range.