The number of people reacting to adverts for non-rent controlled housing in the big Dutch cities has gone up sharply, with a six-fold increase in Amsterdam since 2021, according to research by rental platform Pararius.

In the first quarter of 2021, when the coronavirus pandemic was in full swing, an average of eight people applied for every property to come on the market nationwide. Last year that had risen to 23 and again in 2023 to 33, Pararius said.

In Amsterdam, the number of inquiries rose from seven to 50 and in Utrecht from 10 to 58. Even in the €1,500 and above sector, where most international workers are forced to rent, inquiries in the capital rose from six per property to 40.

At the same time, however, the number of properties coming on the market in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague and Eindhoven is down “significantly” on the first quarter of 2021, the report said.

In Amsterdam, for example, the number of available properties has more than halved since 2021 and has fallen steadily since the end of the pandemic.

Controls

The government is introducing a number of measures to boost the amount of affordable housing available for tenants, such as extending rent controls to cover more properties and increasing taxes payable by investors. Parliament has also just voted in favour of banning short-term rentals.

However, real estate experts, investors and developers have all warned that the measures are reducing the supply.

Just 3.1% of the rental properties in the Netherlands are currently unregulated, said Pararius director Jasper de Groot. “The minister wants to end high rents but forgets this is the smallest segment of the housing stock and where demand is enormous.”