Rents outside the rent-controlled sector continued to fall in the second quarter of this year, with Amsterdam taking the biggest knock, according to the latest research by property portal Pararius.

In Amsterdam, rents for new tenants have dropped for four consecutive quarters and are now down nearly 7% on a year ago. Nevertheless, new tenants are still paying €21.53 per square metre, or an average of €1,292 for a 60 square metre flat.

Rents were down across almost all categories but the biggest drop – 11% – was recorded for properties larger than 175 square metres, the research showed.

Pararius director Jasper de Groot says the decline is partially due to the reduction in the number of international workers, as coronavirus stopped newcomers from arriving.

‘Expats stayed away, which meant that the more expensive rental homes in large cities remained empty,’ De Groot said. ‘Landlords adjusted rents downwards in order to attract a wider target group and prevent vacancies. This has been an important catalyst for falling rents in major cities.’

Viewings

This is now, however changing, De Groot said. ‘Our English-language site had more visits than ever in May and June and the number of requests for information and viewings has almost doubled compared to last year.‘

Michel van der Steen of Expat Residence in The Hague said the market had come to ‘a complete standstill’.

‘Over the last five weeks it has become busier again and I think this is mainly due to vaccination policies,’ he said. ‘Now that more people are getting vaccinated, companies are starting to feel more comfortable about sending people to the Netherlands again.’