How Anywr Nether-lands helps
Anywr Netherlands supports international talent throughout the entire housing search, ensuring the process becomes less stressful and more efficient. We focus on:
Safety and reliability: We verify all listings before presenting them to international employees, ensuring the property is legitimate and the landlord reputable. This prevents common pitfalls such as hidden fees or misleading advertisements.
Smart regional advice: Not every international employee needs to live in the city where they work. We advise on more affordable alternatives that still offer excellent public transport connections. This widens the range of suitable options and helps newcomers find better value for money.
Clear explanations and practical guidance: We provide straightforward explanations of rental contracts, Dutch regulations, and key terminology. This ensures candidates understand exactly what they are signing and what to expect.
A fast start: Our goal is to ensure international employees can move into suitable housing within four weeks, allowing them to focus on settling into their new role and daily life.
More info With the right support, relocation becomes far more manageable. Anywr Netherlands ensures a smooth landing so your international talent can focus on what matters most: contributing to your organization from day one. If you want to know more about how we can assist, please send us a mail on info.nl@anywr-group.com.
Finding suitable housing in the Netherlands has become increasingly difficult in recent years. The rental market is known for its limited availability and high prices, making it especially challenging for international employees who are relocating for work. While the Netherlands offers a high standard of living and strong economic opportunities, the first hurdle many newcomers face is securing a place to live. In this blog, we explore the most important characteristics of the Dutch rental market, the differences between regions, and the additional obstacles expats encounter. We also explain how Anywr Netherlands helps international talent and their employers navigate these challenges with confidence.
Key features of the Dutch rental market
One of the most defining aspects of the Dutch rental market is the limited supply, particularly in the private sector. Over the past decade, demand has continued to rise due to population growth, a strong job market, and an increasing number of single‑person households. At the same time, the construction of new rental properties has not kept pace. As a result, availability has dropped significantly, and many cities experience long waiting lists or fierce competition for each available apartment. Average rents in the private sector hover around €1,800 per month, but in major cities the monthly costs are often much higher.
Another important feature is the regional variation in rental pricing. Amsterdam remains the most expensive city in the Netherlands, with average prices above €32 per m². For many international newcomers, this price level is surprising, especially when compared with other European cities of similar size. Rotterdam and The Hague are more affordable, although prices there have also risen sharply. Local conditions, such as proximity to public transport, the age of the building, and the overall popularity of the neighbourhood, further influence the price per square metre.
The Dutch rental market is also shaped by regulation, which divides the market into three categories: social housing, mid‑range rentals and the private sector. Social housing is allocated through a points‑based system and usually has multi‑year waiting lists. New mid‑range rental rules and rent caps introduced in recent years have had the unintended effect of reducing supply, as landlords have withdrawn properties from the market. As a result, many internationals depend on the private rental sector, where pricing is unregulated and competition is high.
Average monthly rental costs in the bigger cities
Recent data illustrates how wide the price gap is between Amsterdam and the rest of the country. According to Altum AI, rental prices in Amsterdam are:
- Average rental price per m²: €36.03
- Mid‑segment rental price per m²: €40.18
- Private‑sector rental price per m²: €32.63
- Difference compared to the national average: +44.51%
- Difference in mid‑segment compared to national: +88.68%
- Difference in private sector compared to national: +69.15%
These averages vary by type of property, neighbourhood and even by street. Properties closer to the historic city centre or in highly sought‑after areas such as De Pijp or the Jordaan tend to be significantly more expensive.
In Rotterdam, Investropa reports average prices around €26 per m² for larger apartments and €30–33 per m² for studios. The Hague shows an average of around €27 per m², according to Luntero. Both Rotterdam and The Hague are more affordable than Amsterdam, so might be worthwhile for your employees to explore as well. Public transport in the Netherlands is good and reliable, it’s easy to travel between the cities.
Challenges for international employees
For expats, the Dutch rental market presents additional layers of complexity. Rental rules can be confusing for newcomers. Concepts such as furnished, semi‑furnished and unfurnished differ from practices in many other countries. Income requirements are often strict, typically requiring tenants to earn at least three times the monthly rent. On top of that, fraudulent listings occasionally appear on rental platforms, increasing the risk for newcomers who may not yet be familiar with the local market.
Conclusion
The Dutch rental market remains one of the most challenging in Europe, with high prices, limited availability and strict regulations. For international employees, these challenges are even greater due to language barriers, unfamiliar rules and the competitive nature of the housing search.
