Rental Housing News: Everything You Need To Know (Week 6)

Welcome back to the Rentbird blog, where we’ll be breaking down the biggest rental news from the start of February! This week brought several key developments in Dutch housing news, from a rise in flexible housing construction to concerns over illegal rental practices, increasing student rents, and a major discussion on sinking homes. Here’s everything you need to know.

The Netherlands saw a significant increase in the number of flexible homes built in 2024, with nearly 6,500 new units placed—26% more than in the previous year, according to Omroep Gelderland. These moveable, pre-fabricated homes are meant to offer quick solutions to the housing shortage, especially for students, young professionals, and those in urgent need of housing.

While this is the highest number recorded in five years, experts say it’s still not enough. Former Housing Minister Hugo de Jonge had aimed for 8,300 units in 2024, a target that was not quite met. Nevertheless, provincial administrators are optimistic. In Gelderland, for example, 1,000 flexible homes were added last year, and officials say the quality of these homes has improved significantly—dismissing the old perception of them as “stacked containers.”

Dutch student rental housing remains expensive, with rents rising 5.6% in the last quarter of 2024, according to Kamernet. The average student now pays €705 per month, but costs vary significantly by city. Amsterdam remains the most expensive, with an average rent of €974, while room prices in cities like Leiden (+17.3%), Tilburg (+16.9%), and Nijmegen (+15.2%) have surged the most.

Kamernet warns that declining supply is partly responsible for rising prices. New regulations discouraging landlords from renting out rooms are having unintended consequences, as fewer properties remain on the market. Meanwhile, apartment rents are also rising, especially in major cities like Amsterdam (+11.6%), The Hague (+11.4%), and Rotterdam (+10.3%).

The Amsterdam municipality is taking action against landlords who use questionable legal loopholes to charge excessive rent, Dutch News reported this week. Since the introduction of the Affordable Homes Law last year, new tenants must be offered indefinite contracts in most cases. However, some landlords have been found advertising apartments with terms like “maximum 72 months,” which appear to violate the law.

The city has acknowledged that it lacks the power to alter illegal contract terms, but it can enforce rent limits. Housing official Zita Pels said the municipality will act against landlords who misclassify leases as short-term to justify higher rents. The city is also lobbying the national government to close loopholes and has expanded its enforcement team to investigate rental violations.

With Dutch property prices at record highs and a housing shortage of 370,000 homes, younger renters—especially internationals—are at risk of being targeted by exploitative rental practices.

As the Dutch housing market faces increasing pressure, renters, homeowners, and policymakers alike will need to navigate a rapidly changing landscape. Join us next week for more Netherlands rental news!