Housing rents up by an average of 4.4 percent

Rents for properties in the Netherlands increased by an average of 4.4 percent in July 2026, year on year. This was a smaller increase than the past two years. In 2025, rents increased by an average of 4.9 percent, and in 2024 by 5.4 percent. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of newly released figures.

Higher rent increases for social housing

Rents for social housing increased by an average of 4.3 percent in July 2026. Rents for private sector homes increased by an average of 4.5 percent.

Rents for social housing managed by housing associations rose by an average of 4.4 percent. Rents for social housing managed by other landlords increased slightly less, by 4.1 percent. Housing associations own around two-thirds of all rental properties. These are mostly social housing.

Larger rent increases with changes in tenancy

When a new tenant moves into a property, the landlord can raise the rent by more than the permitted maximum standard rent increase. If changes in tenancy are not included in the calculation, the average rent increase is lower. In 2026, the rent increase for existing tenancies will average 3.8 percent. The effect of changes in tenancy is 0.6 percentage points (the difference compared with the 4.4 percent rent increase for all tenancies). This is a smaller increase than in 2025, when the share stood at 0.8 percentage points.

Regional variations in rent increases

At the provincial level, rents rose by the most in the provinces of Overijssel and Noord-Brabant, at an average of 4.6 percent. The largest impact of changes in tenancy on rents was seen in Overijssel at 0.9 percentage points. In Noord-Brabant the effect was 0.8 percentage points. Fryslân (Friesland) saw the smallest increase of any province at 4.0 percent, with changes in tenancy accounting for 0.5 percentage points of this increase.

Of the four major cities, Rotterdam saw the highest rent increase in 2026, at an average of 4.7 percent, of which 0.7 percentage points were attributable to changes in tenancy. Rents rose the least in Amsterdam, at 4.3 percent. Rents in The Hague rose by 4.4 percent and in Utrecht by 4.5 percent.