Based on figures from Kamernet, NU.nl has reported that in the second quarter of 2024, students paid on average 5,4 percent more to rent a room in the Netherlands than they did a year ago. Additionally, students also have slim pickings as fewer rooms are available.
For those studying in the Netherlands, student housing can be difficult to find, with a major shortage and long waiting times. Another problem arises when students do get lucky enough to find a property to rent, the cost.
Although rental prices for rooms in Amsterdam only rose by 1,7 percent in Q2, the Dutch capital is still the most expensive city for students to rent in, costing on average 961 euros per month for a room. Utrecht and Haarlem follow close behind at 837 euros and 754 euros respectively.
However, when you consider the price per square metre, Haarlem, a city that doesn’t even have a university, is actually the most expensive at 56 euros per square metre, costing 1 euro more than Amsterdam. In Rotterdam and Utrecht, rooms cost an average of 42 euros per square metre.
In the study comparing 20 Dutch cities, Breda saw the highest increase in student room rents at 29,8 percent, costing students an average of 670 euros per month. Zwolle also saw a large price hike of 29,2 percent, while costs in Utrecht rose by more than 20 percent.
Other cities that saw the highest increase in prices include Nijmegen, Haarlem and Alkmaar. On the other hand, the only cities that saw a drop in rents were The Hague, Leeuwarden and Amersfoort.
One of the main reasons that housing and rooms for students are becoming more costly is due to a limited supply. Last quarter, 7 percent fewer rooms were available to students than a year ago.
"As a result, young people are often forced to choose more expensive options," said director Djordy Seelman of Kamernet. Even though the Affordable Rent Act that came into effect in July should limit rental prices, according to Seelman there will still be a need for more housing.
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