The average price of a student room in the Netherlands rose 1.4% to over €420 last year, according to online rental agency Kamernet.

Room rents have gone up most – 4.6% – in Utrecht, where there is a structural shortage of places to live, Kamernet said.

Amsterdam, where there is also a shortage, has the most expensive rooms, with an average rent of €538.

In Rotterdam, Groningen and Eindhoven, rents fell slightly, the research showed. Rotterdam students get the best deal. They pay an average of €15.70 for each square metre, compared with a national average of €18.50.